The Center for Health Design Blog

Gresham, Smith and Partners Becomes First EDAC Advocate Firm To Accredit its Healthcare Design Team

Firm Committed to Development of Innovative, Efficient and Safe Facilities

CONCORD, CA (March 11, 2010)–The Center for Health Design, a nonprofit research, education, and advocacy organization announces that Gresham, Smith and Partners, a leading multi-disciplinary design and consulting firm to the built environment, is the first firm to fulfill the EDAC (Evidence-based Design Accreditation and Certification) Advocate Firm commitment of having at least 25% of its healthcare design team EDAC accredited. The Center for Health Design (CHD), which focuses work on the use of evidence-based design, developed the EDAC program as a way to educate and assess individuals on their understanding of how to base healthcare design decisions on credible research evidence and project evaluation results.

“By achieving our goal of becoming the first EDAC Advocate Firm to accredit its team, we are furthering our dedication to providing clients with a staff that understands the importance of evidenced based design and is committed to contributing to the body of knowledge that supports efficient clinical processes,” stated Ken Priest, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP, executive vice president of Healthcare, Gresham, Smith and Partners.

GS&P has long been a proponent and practitioner of evidence-based design. The firm designed St. Joseph Hospital in West Bend, Wisconsin, which is the world’s first hospital designed specifically to reduce medical errors. Additionally, GS&P designed Clarian Arnett Hospital in Lafayette, Indiana, which is a new facility that features standardized medical/surgical patient rooms that combine components of patient safety. In an effort to gain insight on the functionality of the spaces, the team constructed detailed mock-ups of exam, medical/surgical and LDR rooms as well as basic layouts for a nurse station and operating room. Staff and community toured these full-scale models to give designers their feedback, which was then incorporated into the design.

“We applaud Gresham, Smith and Partners on completing its initial commitment to being an EDAC Advocate Firm,” commented Debra Levin, President and CEO of CHD. “We are confident that by making a long term commitment to developing the practice and knowledge of evidence-based design, the firm will help improve outcomes for its clients and be a leader in the field.”

“By becoming an EDAC Advocate Firm, we have created a culture that is accelerating the application of credible research in design to improve patient and staff well-being, and contributing new evidence, which is equally as important. We anticipate additional healthcare design staff will become EDAC accredited as we continue to apply research evidence in all of our designs to support improved outcomes,” stated Sheila Bosch, Ph.D., EDAC, LEED AP, GS&P’s director of Healthcare Research.

CHD began development of EDAC in 2005 with a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The program now offers study preparation resources, access to healthcare design expertise, a comprehensive accreditation exam, and continuing education. Any industry organization interested in joining in EDAC’s mission to build a community of accredited individuals may partner with CHD to become an Advocate Firm. The current list of partner organizations comprises of an Educational Partner, six Champion Firms, six Advocate Firms and one Pebble Pioneer. Since the exam launched in 2009, over 300 individuals among over have become EDAC accredited.

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About The Center for Health Design
The Center for Health Design (CHD), formed in 1993, is a nonprofit research and advocacy organization of forward-thinking healthcare, elder care, design and construction professionals and product manufacturers who are leading the quest to improve the quality of healthcare facilities and create new environments for healthy aging. Its voluntary board of directors guides the work of paid staff that manages and directs the organization’s research, education, and advocacy efforts. For more information, visit www.healthdesign.org.

About Gresham, Smith and Partners
Gresham, Smith and Partners (GS&P) provides design and consulting solutions for the built environment that contribute to the success of national and international clients. For more than 40 years, GS&P has focused on enhancing quality of life and sustainability within communities. GS&P consists of industry-leading professionals practicing architecture and engineering design as well as scientists and highly specialized planning and strategic consultants in Water Services, Transportation, Land Planning, Aviation, Corporate and Urban Design, Environmental Compliance, Healthcare, and Industrial Design Services. GS&P consistently ranks among the top architecture and engineering firms in the United States. For more information regarding GS&P, visit www.gspnet.com.

A PRESCRIPTIVE PARTNERSHIP FOR IMPROVED HEALTHCARE ENVIRONMENTS: The Mohawk Group Joins The Center for Health Design’s Pebble Project®, Furthers Commitment to Evidence-Based Design Research and Practice

CONCORD, CA (January 12, 2010) – Propelling the call to action for the redesign of healthcare beyond Capitol Hill, leading commercial carpeting manufacturer The Mohawk Group (Mohawk) announces it has become the newest member of The Center for Health Design’s Pebble Project®, an international, collaborative research initiative that is helping to create healthcare environments that improve the quality of care, promote safety and health, and increase operational efficiency.

As a Pebble Partner, Mohawk joins an influential and growing community of selected healthcare providers and industry thought leaders dedicated to advancing the process of evidence-based design (EBD) in healthcare.

“Pebble Partners work together towards a shared vision of safer, healthier and more efficient healthcare environments that produce the highest level of health and economic outcomes. We know that Mohawk will add tremendous value to this effort,” said Debra Levin, president and chief executive officer of The Center for Health Design.

The goal of the Pebble Project, now in its 10th year, is to create a ripple effect in the healthcare community and advance the process of using evidence from research and best practices in the design of healthcare environments to improve patient and staff outcomes. Today, more than 70 healthcare organizations and corporate partners have committed to creating measurable change through the Pebble Project.

“Mohawk strives to be a knowledge-based driven organization,” said Al Kabus, president of The Mohawk Group. “Our alliance with The Center as a Pebble Partner will further our efforts in not only providing products that fulfill the specific and unique needs of healthcare facilities, but it will also help to further our customers’ as well as the industry’s understanding of how carpet selection can positively impact and improve patient outcomes.”

As the design and construction of healthcare facilities becomes increasingly based on the premise of creating healing environments, interior finishes have become an important element to consider in terms of improved staff performance, patient recovery, expedited healing time and financial impact to both the facility and the patient. Carpet, for example, has been utilized to help promote noise reduction, infection control, improved indoor air quality and safety to patients and staff among other attributes. A durable, high-performance carpet is central to well-designed healthcare environments.

“The need for progressive, safe and resource-efficient healthcare facilities is more vital now than ever,” said Keith Gray, technical marketing director for The Mohawk Group and healthcare market expert. “Evidence-based design practices continue to prove increasingly important in helping ensure the building and sustainability of holistic healing environments, making the Pebble Project and Mohawk’s role in it an imperative initiative.”

About The Center for Health Design
The Center for Health Design (CHD) is an interdisciplinary nonprofit research and advocacy organization of forward-thinking healthcare, elder care, design and construction professionals and product manufacturers who are leading the quest to improve the quality of healthcare facilities and create new environments for healthy aging. Learn more about the Pebble Project.

About The Mohawk Group
The Mohawk Group and its four brands – Karastan, Lees, Bigelow and Durkan – are helping to define the new generation of commercial carpeting. A leading manufacturer of award-winning broadloom, modular and custom carpeting for every installation, The Mohawk Group is propelled by its legacy of world class performance, cutting-edge style and sustainable innovation. For additional information about its proven and new generation design solutions, and to learn more about what’s next from The Mohawk Group, visit www.themohawkgroup.com or call (800) 554-6637. Connect with The Mohawk Group on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.

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Pebble Project: Paoli Hospital’s Opening Reception

I had the opportunity to attend Paoli Hospital’s opening reception for the new Pavilion last night, and it was rewarding on a few fronts. While I have been working with Paoli for nearly a year as their Research Associate for the Pebble Project, and while I was also the Principal in Charge of the wayfinding program prior to my work with The Center, it is also my local hospital.
My only prior experience in the Emergency Department included first-hand knowledge of the lack of space. We were put in the end room that was used for overflow of supplies and had no view of the nursing station. As a result, I am thrilled that the new ED is four times the size of the current facility, and incorporates all of the latest thinking about treatment, ranging from fast-track rooms to trauma care. the project also includes new patient units, operating suites, and an ICU, all using EBD features to promote improved healthcare outcomes, and patient and staff safety. They have a fantastic website that uses several mediums to describe their involvement in the Pebble Project and their use of EBD features.
Getting back to the reception, the evening was hosted by Stephanie Stahl, the CBS Medical Reporter in Philadelphia.
There were several other speeches, including a heartfelt presentation by Paoli Hospital President, Barbara Tachovsky who spoke to the stories that made the hospital: the doctors and nurses, the staff, the volunteers, and patients. She also gave a preview of the tour, highlighting many of the EBD features with an explanation of why they were used.

Following, multiple groups were escorted through the various departments to see the future of healthcare at Paoli. On “Tour 6,” many guest commented that everyone should wait until the new Pavilion opens before they get sick or have an emergency.

I hope I never need them, but am I a proud that this is my community hospital? Yes, and I commend Paoli Hospital and their whole team for such enthusiasm, commitment, and dedication to advancing the quality of healthcare, not only in their own facility, but contributing to the body of knowledge for others!

Run Until Aprehended

That’s what Dublin Methodist Hospital CEO Cheryl Herbert told her design team when they were planning the new hospital. And indeed they did.

At the Pebble Project research initiative meeting this week in Columbus, OH, we had the good fortune to be able to tour Dublin, which doesn’t officially open until January. Cheryl and her team, which included Karlsberger Architects and designers CAMA Inc., have done a wonderful job of taking all the best evidence-based design ideas — and more — and creating a hospital that sets a new bar for design.

Although not complete, our hard-hat tour of the building revealed more than enough to pass this judgement. Patient rooms have patient and family zones, with windows that actually open, and handwashing sinks that are visible; even visually “cued.” There’s an innovative approach to nurse workstations, an interesting chapel space, and planned rooftop and courtyard gardens. Everything seems to be beautifully executed, not over-designed, but wonderfully detailed.

Congratulations to Cheryl and her team! We are looking forward to the research data that will come out of this Pebble Project.

To see more photos of the Dublin Tour taken by Henry Domke, click here.

Miracles Will Happen

At my first Pebble Project Meeting in Houston it was a great pleasure to meet representatives of The Louisiana State University Healthcare Service Division, one of our newest Pebble Partners. (Long name, hereafter referred to as LSU.)

LSU, with its partners, is the largest provider of healthcare in Louisiana, with more than 1.2 million patient visits annually to 283 outpatient clinics and 49,000 admissions to eight hospitals. Mission-driven to care for the uninsured and provide training opportunities for future health professionals, LSU HCSD is a statewide safety net system in which everyone is eligible for care.

As a public health provider, the organization doesn’t fit the typical Pebble profile and it was extremely interesting to spend some time with them and hear the challenges they are up against as they work to rebuild after hurricanes Katrina and Rita devastated the region and battered their facilities.

Brian Massey of ADAMS Management Services Corporation, consultants on the project, was good enough to send me some pictures of LSU Charity Hospital in New Orleans in the early days after Katrina hit.

See the entire album on Flickr