- May 2013
Hospitals invest in systems to encourage hand hygiene, prevent infection
Hospitals across the country are responding to the low adherence to hand-washing protocols by using new systems to monitor employees and encourage them to wash their hands.
5/31/2013
NFPA sprinkler system maintenance standard gets a revamp for 2014 edition
Significant revisions to standard NFPA 25, Inspection, Testing and Maintenance of Water-Based Fire Protection Systems, have been put into place for the 2014 edition.
5/31/2013
New study shows soap, ointment reduce infections in hospital ICU patients
The study, known as "Randomized Evaluation of Decolonization Versus Universal Clearance to Eliminate (REDUCE) MRSA," found using antimicrobial soap and ointment to decolonize all intensive care unit patients reduces all bloodstream infections, including MRSA by 44 percent.
5/30/2013
Experts shed light on best practices for LED lighting applications
The challenge for maintenance and engineering managers is making sense of new LED products and their manufacturers, and then specifying the most appropriate products for particular facility applications.
5/30/2013
NFPA, OSHA work to reduce confusion over hazard labeling
Hazardous materials labeling guidelines recently adopted by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) have the potential to cause confusion and expose individuals to harm through misunderstanding of hazard levels, according to NFPA.
5/30/2013
Expert offers tips for choosing electronic key management systems
The challenge of key management lies in balancing the daily operational needs of your facility while still maintaining control of who has what keys, when they have them, what they can access and when they are returned.
5/29/2013
Changes in paints, coatings offer opportunities for facility managers
New regulations and advancements in paints and coatings can offer managers the opportunity to revisit their planning processes and implement cost-saving tactics that produce longer-lasting, better-looking applications.
5/29/2013
Study finds bacteria on hospital towels can survive laundering
Viable bacteria on hospital towels used for cleaning patient rooms can survive the laundering process, according to study.
5/29/2013
ALL Erection & Crane Rental Corp. fleet zooms in size with purchase of 66 new Link-Belt cranes
5/28/2013
Kaiser Permanente aims for LEED Gold in all new hospital construction
Kaiser Permanente May 22 announced it will seek Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification for all new construction of hospitals, large medical offices and other major projects.
5/28/2013
Case study: Zone defense fire detection strategy preserves peace at hospital
A fire protection system based on zone detection helped St. Luke's Magic Valley Medical Center in Twin Falls, Idaho, minimize patient disruptions while providing full coverage.
5/28/2013
ASHRAE expands its building energy labeling program
The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating & Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) building energy labeling program has expanded to include an As Designed label in addition to its current In Operation label.
5/24/2013
Hospitals must carefully site and protect emergency power supply systems
Hardening emergency power supply systems against all the likely threats they might face is imperative in safeguarding power to critical facilities such as hospitals.
5/24/2013
Patient participation in gardening at hospitals can improve health outcomes
A significant healing effect can be achieved by giving patients access to a gardening space, whether as simple as a container garden or a much more involved garden plan.
5/23/2013
Submissions sought for healthcare design renovation competition
Healthcare Design magazine, in partnership with The Center for Health Design, is seeking submissions for its 2013 Remodel/Renovation competition.
5/23/2013
Submissions sought for healthcare design renovation competition
Healthcare Design magazine, in partnership with The Center for Health Design, is seeking submissions for its 2013 Remodel/Renovation competition.
5/23/2013
Training offered on efficient lighting in facilities for energy savings
The Energy Center of Wisconsin will offer the program, "Efficient facility lighting for energy savings and productivity," June 4 and 5.
5/22/2013
Training offered on efficient lighting in facilities for energy savings
The Energy Center of Wisconsin will offer the program, "Efficient facility lighting for energy savings and productivity," June 4 and 5.
5/22/2013
Free education program offered on energy efficiency in healthcare facilities
The Energy Center of Wisconsin will offer a free program specifically discussing energy efficiency in healthcare facilities June 27 in Madison, Wis.
5/21/2013
Behavioral health unit design provides for all adult patients, young and old
As demographics shift, hospitals are faced with having to provide for multiple patient populations in the same space.
5/21/2013
Submission deadline extended for facility management awards
Maintenance Solutions magazine Achievement Awards honor the accomplishments of facility management professionals in the areas of maintenance, engineering and grounds management.
5/21/2013
Submission deadline extended for facility management awards
Maintenance Solutions magazine Achievement Awards honor the accomplishments of facility management professionals in the areas of maintenance, engineering and grounds management.
5/21/2013
2013 Fall IDN Summit
The 2013 Fall IDN Summit and Reverse Expo will be held Sept. 24-26 in Phoenix.
5/20/2013
HSCA 2013 Expo
The Healthcare Supply Chain Association (HSCA) will hold its 2013 Expo Oct. 21-23 in Washington, D.C.
5/20/2013
BIM/VDC made a complex MEP installation possible at Lurie Children's Hospital
Twenty-three stories up, the mechanical floor at the Lurie Children's Hospital in Chicago is a testament to the design and operations pressures the vertical strategy created.
5/20/2013
AHIMA 2013 Convention and Exhibit
The American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) 2013 Convention and Exhibit will be held Oct. 28-30 in Atlanta.
5/17/2013
AHRMM 2013 Annual Conference and Expo
The Association for Healthcare Resource & Materials Management (AHRMM) will hold its 2013 Annual Conference and Exhibition July 28-31 in San Diego, Calif.
5/17/2013
Case study: Hospital HVAC system doesn't scrimp on comfort, quality or savings
When Geary Community Hospital in Junction City, Kansas, embarked on a $34 million expansion three years ago, they didn't let their small town location keep them from installing an HVAC system more typical of big city hospitals.
5/17/2013
APIC 2013 Annual Conference
The Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) will hold its 2013 Annual Conference June 8-10 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
5/16/2013
Kaiser Permanente opens new hospital in Southern California
The Kaiser Permanente Fontana Medical Center opened its doors in Fontana, Calif. on May 7.
5/16/2013
Deadline approaching for submissions to 2013 AIA healthcare design journal
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) Academy of Architecture for Health (AAH) is seeking submissions for its 2013 Journal. The submission deadline is May 31.
5/16/2013
"HazCom for Healthcare" training DVD explains new OSHA standard
DuPont offers a training DVD to help employees in healthcare facilities better understand the new Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) Hazard Communication standard.
5/15/2013
"HazCom for Healthcare" training DVD explains new OSHA standard
DuPont offers a training DVD to help employees in healthcare facilities better understand the new Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) Hazard Communication standard.
5/15/2013
Healthy Facilities, Floor Safety institutes partner to prevent slips and falls
The Healthy Facilities Institute (HFI) has formed an educational partnership with the National Floor Safety Institute (NFSI) to help promote national standards for floor care related to floor safety.
5/15/2013
In hospital nurse station design, form should follow function
Whenever a redesign or new installation will include nurse stations, improving the function of the nurse station should be the primary design consideration.
5/15/2013
Hospital expansion focuses on the future with a design for growth
Bayhealth Kent General Hospital, in Dover, Del., recently expanded the institution with decades of well-planned growth in mind.
5/14/2013
Hospital expansion focuses on the future with a design for growth
Bayhealth Kent General Hospital, in Dover, Del., recently expanded the institution with decades of well-planned growth in mind.
5/14/2013
Rubber flooring has a neutral palette to complement any finish
Nora system's norament satura rubber flooring features a flexible color palette that includes a subtle array of neutrals and saturated accent colors in a tone-on-tone design.
5/14/2013
New tools aid hospital environmental services in infection prevention
More cleaning product manufacturers are increasing their offerings of training and monitoring services to help hospital EVS teams meet the demands related to HAIs.
5/13/2013
Evolution of care drives activity in the healthcare real estate sector
The continued evolution of the healthcare market is expected to bring increased focus on personalized care in smaller healthcare facilities.
5/13/2013
ASLA 2013 Annual Meeting and Expo
The American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) 2013 Annual Meeting and Expo will take place Nov. 15-18 in Boston.
5/13/2013
Free webinar to discuss energy benchmarking in healthcare facilities
Healthcare Facilities Today will host the free webinar "Healthcare Facility Benchmarking: How to Get Started" at 1 p.m. Eastern on May 21.
5/10/2013
Free webinar to discuss energy benchmarking in healthcare facilities
Healthcare Facilities Today will host the free webinar "Healthcare Facility Benchmarking: How to Get Started" at 1 p.m. Eastern on May 21.
5/10/2013
Holistic design approach to hospital wayfinding helps build brand
Hospitals have come to realize that good wayfinding not only reduces patient and visitor frustration, but also helps build the institution's brand.
5/10/2013
Careful planning, design can have big impact on healthcare facility operations
Planning and design have tremendous impact on a facility's overall operational efficiency and ROI, not to mention occupant comfort, sustainability and more.
5/10/2013
Emergency department layouts may require changes to meet new standards
New standards from the Joint Commission will require hospitals to enhance patient flow through the emergency department by January 2014.
5/9/2013
Bedpan washer can operate on 1.28 gallons per flush
American Standard's bedpan washer diverter for flush valves can effectively operate with as little as 1.28 gallons of water per flush, when combined with a high efficiency American Standard piston-operated flush valve.
5/9/2013
Texas children's hospital reinvents NICU ward with new facility design
Many factors were considered and tested when Cook Children's Medical Center in Texas decided to expand and reinvent its renowned NICU facilities.
5/9/2013
2013 Critical Facilities Summit
The inaugural Critical Facilities Summit, held Oct. 21-23 in Charlotte, N.C., is an educational conference and product exposition for those involved in the design, construction and operation of mission critical facilities like hospitals.
5/8/2013
Hospital emergency department redesigned for better efficiency
Using tactics more common to retail and manufacturing, the expanded University of Colorado's emergency department has been able to reduce wait times from 80 minutes to around 10.
5/8/2013
Focus on outpatient, team-based cancer care reshapes treatment facility design
The cancer care landscape is ever-evolving thanks to a myriad of factors, most notably, a focus on team-based, outpatient treatment plans.
5/8/2013
Healthcare Smart Water Leadership Summit to be accessible via streaming
The Healthcare Smart Water Leadership Summit, to be held June 6 - 7 in Chicago, will now also be available via live streaming for those unable to attend in person.
5/7/2013
ASHRAE systems manual guideline open for public comment
ASHRAE guideline on how to create a facility systems manual is open for public comment through June 2, 2013.
5/7/2013
Healthcare can learn from Harvard's efforts to cut foodservice energy costs
The healthcare foodservice sector can learn some valuable lessons from an energy reduction initiative at Harvard University.
5/7/2013
Healthcare can learn from Harvard's efforts to cut foodservice energy costs
The healthcare foodservice sector can learn some valuable lessons from an energy reduction initiative at Harvard University.
5/7/2013
Healthier Hospitals Initiative to host info session on its challenge programs
A sharing call, titled "What is the Right HHI Challenge for Your Facility?" will be held May 17 at 2 p.m. Eastern to review each of the HHI challenges, data submission requirements and other details.
5/6/2013
Wireless access technology uniquely benefits long-term care facilities
Replacing physical keys with wireless access-control systems in long-term care facilities has many benefits for both residents and care providers.
5/6/2013
2013 Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA) Annual Convention
The Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA) will hold its annual convention June 16-19 in Orlando, Fla.
5/3/2013
Perception of hospital cleanliness can impact patient satisfaction
Cleanliness delivered by a pleasant environmental services staff can help promote satisfaction among consumers and distinguish a hospital from its competition.
5/3/2013
Healthcare textiles improve performance through high-tech finishes
Textile products in healthcare environments need to be durable and cleanable while still remaining attractive to users. Over the last two decades, the textile industry has developed several fabric coatings and finishes that achieve these goals while being friendlier to the environment than previous options.
5/3/2013
Hospitals set tone for patient experience through lobby design
As hospitals seek to differentiate themselves in an ever more competitive market, many are looking to their lobbies to start the patient experience off on the right foot.
5/2/2013
Stanford University Medical Center breaks ground for new hospital
The official groundbreaking for the new Stanford Hospital took place May 1 in Palo Alto, Calif.
5/2/2013
Book highlights advantages of using BIM in facilities management
The International Facility Management Association (IFMA) recently published a new book, "BIM for Facility Managers."
5/2/2013
Children's hospital focuses on patient-centered design in every detail
The Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital, which opened June 2012 in Chicago, Ill., was designed to make going to the hospital — and sometimes staying for months at a time — a little less scary of an experience for the children and their families.
5/1/2013
Children's hospital focuses on patient-centered design in every detail
The Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital, which opened June 2012 in Chicago, Ill., was designed to make going to the hospital — and sometimes staying for months at a time — a little less scary of an experience for the children and their families.
5/1/2013
Case Study: Green roof provides instant gratification for Washington hospital
When Providence St. Mary Medical Center in Walla Walla, Wash. needed to replace the 16,000-square-foot structural roof over the operating suites, they went one step further and installed a 10,000-square-foot section of vegetative roofing as well.
5/1/2013
Hospitals pledge to serve healthier, more sustainable foods
Hospitals nationwide are making strides to serve healthier, more sustainable foods — with a sometimes unexpected benefit to the bottom line.
5/1/2013