- August 2013
Case study: Tampa primary care facility improved with LED lighting and digital controls
Acuity Brands recently released a case study of the lighting challenges faced in the building of the Tampa General Medical Group in Brandon, Florida.
8/30/2013
Shhh - Hospitals making improvements in acoustics, privacy
Federal regulations and patient-satisfaction concerns spur changes
8/30/2013
Spike in health care construction brings higher interest costs
Hospitals in Chicago and elsewhere more than double debt service payments
8/30/2013
WHO hand hygiene strategy feasible and sustainable
Two-year study showed marked improvement at multiple sites around the world
8/30/2013
Take a photo tour of St. Vincent Hospital
Fishers hospital is the first in Indiana to seek LEED for Healthcare certification
8/30/2013
Sustainable design goes beyond building phase
Healthcare facility maintenance is an important part of the 'green' picture
8/29/2013
Healthcare can learn from hospitality design pulse
Hotel-adapted amenities can help make patients feel comfortable and cared for
8/29/2013
Healthcare can learn from hospitality design pulse
Hotel-adapted amenities can help make patients feel comfortable and cared for
8/29/2013
Federal News Radio interview focuses on healthcare quality improvement through IT
Discussion offers practical ways to improve outcomes and reduce costs
8/29/2013
Focus on patient's role in hospital safety
Encouraging assertiveness can diminish risk in an effective safety culture
8/29/2013
Rockford hospitals lauded for storm readiness
Three hospitals and 48 public schools recognized by The National Weather Service
8/29/2013
Pennsylvania health system's plant upgrade saves millions in energy costs
Installation of combined heat and power (CHP) system can benefit environment as well as help bring down healthcare costs
8/28/2013
New hospital accreditation firm attracting attention
'Facility-friendly' DNV Healthcare emphasizes ongoing improvement
8/28/2013
Free decontamination self-assessment offered
Hospitals can download free tool to evaluate their own procedures
8/28/2013
Have waiting rooms seen their day?
New design trends include self check-in kiosks and more intuitive wayfinding
8/28/2013
Sweeping changes: Hospitals focus on cleaning services
Janitors are on the front lines of crucial infection control
8/28/2013
Doctors in Dubai will soon prescribe (Android) tablets
Hospital patients will have technology at their fingertips
8/28/2013
High-tech hospital room monitors more than entertainment
Patients can order meals, talk to nurses nurses and view X-rays
8/27/2013
AAMI releases free wireless information resource
Compilation of articles can help avoid mistakes when introducing wireless technologies into healthcare facilities
8/27/2013
Hospital disaster preparation evolves
Emergency preparedness grants fuel activity after Hurricane Sandy and Boston bombings
8/27/2013
Contractors have tools to ease health care transition
BIM software and smartphone apps can save time and minimize disruption
8/27/2013
Transforming tribal healthcare facilities
Architect designs buildings that serve. represent Native American culture
8/27/2013
Floor-care primer: Starting at the bottom
Tips for care and repair of four major commercial flooring categories
8/27/2013
Digging up surprises at healthcare construction sites
Planning can avoid some problems, flexibility can turn them into positives
8/26/2013
High-tech equipment used to reduce infant abductions
Ankle-band transmitters help Virginia hospital staff keep babies safe
8/26/2013
Infection prevention techniques that work
Planning, vigilance, isolation, thorough cleaning help hospital keep HAI in check
8/26/2013
New Jersey utility helping area hospitals save energy
Upfront funding makes upgrades possible for cash-strapped facilities
8/26/2013
Hospital dining room rehab tastes immediate success
Brooklyn Hospital Center's emphasis on fresh and healthy food stations boosts traffic 14 percent
8/26/2013
Hospital dining room rehab tastes immediate success
Brooklyn Hospital Center's emphasis on fresh and healthy food stations boosts traffic 14 percent
8/26/2013
New Oregon facility designed for rural needs
Planning for the Coquille Valley Hospital focused on physician recruitment, patient perception and economic impact.
8/26/2013
Eaton's Cooper Lighting division introduces Metalux Encounter series with LED WaveStream technology
8/26/2013
Foundation awards grant to study hospital patient falls
Researchers will try to identify design elements that may contribute to mishaps.
8/23/2013
Survey says: Cleaning industry is cautiously optimistic
P&G Professional poll includes more than 400 cleaning professionals from healthcare, food service, commercial and hospitality sectors.
8/23/2013
Survey says: Cleaning industry is cautiously optimistic
P&G Professional poll includes more than 400 cleaning professionals from healthcare, food service, commercial and hospitality sectors.
8/23/2013
Take a photo tour of the new Louis & Peaches Owen Heart Hospital
The 184,600-square-foot Tyler, Texas, facility is the region's first cardiac hospital.
8/23/2013
Real-time location services can save time and improve care
Cost-effective technologies can help in emergencies situations as well as efficient equipment scheduling.
8/23/2013
More signs are not always right direction in wayfinding
Color, texture and simple language can ease patient journey through medical facility.
8/23/2013
Whose responsibility is hospital safety?
When it comes to hospital safety, experts say patients should question cleanliness to prevent infections.
8/22/2013
With stripmall ERs, convenience has a price
Patients mistaking them for urgent care centers can develop wallet pains.
8/22/2013
Wireless body area networks open up health care and consumer possibilities
BANs have transformed patient monitoring and offer opportunities for athletics and person fitness.
8/22/2013
Registries helped track infections in health care facilities
Regional patient registries may be useful in tracking the spread of antibiotic-resistant infections between health care facilities.
8/22/2013
Bariatric design adjusts to larger patient needs
Facilities look beyond toilets and grab bars to wide doors and comfortable waiting room furniture
8/22/2013
Freestanding EDs benefit hospitals' reach and bottom line
Additional "front doors" to care can reduce patient bottlenecks and long wait times.
8/22/2013
Pinta Acoustic's Custom Triangle Baffles Provide A Unique Look And Acoustical Control At ESIF
8/22/2013
Grant helped Alabama hospital realize five-figure annual energy savings
Providence Hospital reduced annual energy consumption by 15% with energy efficient LED fixtures
8/21/2013
Staff input informed planning of long-term care facility
Cypress Health Region employees in Saskatchewan took the lead in forming ideas and helping develop replacement-facility design.
8/21/2013
Healthcare landscape architecture awards program announced
New competition will focus on landscape architecture in acute care, senior living, and behavioral health facilities.
8/21/2013
Hospitals embrace the intersection of patient outcomes, sustainable design
In the past, patient outcomes and satisfaction may have seemed to be at odds with efficiency and sustainability. But that is changing.
8/21/2013
Infections may be getting two surprise foes
Research suggests that copper surfaces and cold plasma could be weapons against bacteria
8/21/2013
Research suggests access to nature creates healthy results
Better patient outcomes seen in facilities with well-planned and tended landscaping.
8/21/2013
Report helps facilities departments speak finance
Report provides healthcare facilities departments with benchmarking tools to help them communicate effectively with finance-focused senior management.
8/21/2013
Rain Bird Enhances RWS Root Watering Series For Greater Effectiveness And Easier Installation
8/21/2013
Emerson Network Power Outlines Best Practices for Building a More Profitable Colocation Environment
8/21/2013
Location may trump numbers for hand rub dispenser effectiveness
According to a study in Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, at a certain point increasing the number of hand rub dispensers is less important than their location in encouraging use.
8/20/2013
Healthcare construction steady, but survey shows some uncertainty
The market for healthcare construction is holding steady, but firms still worry about uncertainty in the field, according to a survey in Healthcare Design magazine.
8/20/2013
Hospital design can impact care as well as bottom line
Forward-thinking design elements are good for the health of the patients as well as the health of the hospital's budget, says the chair of the Center for Health Design.
8/20/2013
HHS says photocopiers should be part of data security review
As part of the announcement that Affinity will pay a more than $1.2 settlement for a breach of security, The Health and Human Services Office of Civil Rights says that healthcare organizations need to consider photocopy machines when examining their data security.
8/20/2013
Hospitals building coalitions to ensure business continuity
Hospitals are forming coalitions to respond collaboratively to disasters, partly because federal funding is linked to joint efforts to deliver effective health care during an emergency.
8/20/2013
Health care reform era furnished by efficiency, durability
Tighter economic times mean health care facilities professionals are taking a hard look at their furniture choices. Design and consistency can play a large role in a facility's brand, but the furniture also needs to be durable from a facilities standpoint.
8/20/2013
Paris hospital deploys outdoor wayfinding kiosks
A Paris hospital has installed 20 full- and semi-outdoor wayfinding kiosks to enhance visitors' experience and reduce the need for staff to direct wandering visitors.
8/19/2013
New Jersey legislator pushes medical waste legislation
A New Jersey legislator pushes medical waste legislation after syringes washed up on Island Beach State Park earlier this month.
8/19/2013
Mountains offer beautiful backdrop, challenges for hospital project
The Blue Ridge Mountains provided a beautiful backdrop, as well as challenges, for Kahler Slater architects. The new Martha Jefferson Hospital building - a replacement for the original 100-year-old facility - was named one of 2013's most beautiful hospitals.
8/19/2013
Case study: The role of environmental hygiene in lowering hospital infections
A new case study examines the role of improved environmental hygiene in lowering infections and raising HCAHPS Scores at Rush-Copley Medical Center in Aurora, Ill., near Chicago. Communication with patients also plays a role.
8/19/2013
Affordable Care Act spurs rise in hospital system mergers
The number of hospital mergers in 2012 (105) was more than double the total in 2009 (50), and with 46 mergers already this year, 2013 looks to be continuing the recent trend, according to Irving Levin Associates, a health care research firm.
8/19/2013
Unified Power signs Supportek as Strategic Channel Partner for Critical Power Service Sales
8/17/2013
Check out the largest healthcare project in the U.S.
Kristin Zeit, editor-in-chief of Healthcare Design and Environments for Aging, recently toured the Parkland Memorial Hospital replacement facility in Dallas. Zeit wrote about the experience and posted a gallery of photos of the tour.
8/16/2013
NFPA drops new emergency power requirement
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has dropped a requirement for adding an indicator light on each receptacle on emergency power.
8/16/2013
NFPA drops new emergency power requirement
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has dropped a requirement for adding an indicator light on each receptacle on emergency power.
8/16/2013
Art donated to enhance patient experience at health center
New artwork donated to enhance the patient experience at The Edward M. Kennedy Community Health Center in Worcester, Mass., was unveiled this week at a reception celebrating National Health Center Week.
8/16/2013
Art donated to enhance patient experience at health center
New artwork donated to enhance the patient experience at The Edward M. Kennedy Community Health Center in Worcester, Mass., was unveiled this week at a reception celebrating National Health Center Week.
8/16/2013
Watermark Designs Brings The Outdoors In With New Zen Collection of Rock and Stone Faucet Handles
8/16/2013
Chicago-Based Innovative Floral Company is Transforming the Luxury Hospitality Floral Market
8/15/2013
Evidence-based design knowledge repository launched
The Center for Health Design has launched an extensive library of more than 2,500 evidence-based designed references.
8/15/2013
13th Healthcare Facilities Forum scheduled in Austin
The Healthcare Facilities Forum is an appointment-based event for the healthcare facilities management industry.
8/14/2013
Brooklyn faces threat of hospital closings
A combination of economics and health trends could lead to the closing of a series of large hospitals in Brooklyn, N.Y.
8/14/2013
Fire barrier management symposium for healthcare engineers announced
The Firestop Contractors International Association will present a barrier management symposium to educate healthcare engineering professionals about fire resistant rated construction including all compartmentation components.
8/13/2013
Testing fire alarms is critical part of installation
Testing to ensure newly installed fire alarm systems are working correctly is a critical part of the installation process.
8/13/2013
Boston bombing tests area hospital's disaster response plans
The Boston Marathon bombings tested the disaster response plans of the Boston Medical Center and Massachusetts General Hospital, as well as other local hospitals.
8/11/2013
Ultrasound accepted for fire system pipe testing
There is more than one method to comply with NFPA 25, Inspection, Testing and Maintenance of Water-Based Fire Protection Systems' internal pipe testing requirements.
8/9/2013
Mass notification systems can aid overall hospital communications
Healthcare organizations are increasingly using mass notification systems, originally intended for emergency situations, for other critical communications.
8/6/2013
CONSTRUCT 2013/CSI Annual Convention
CONSTRUCT 2013, sponsored by the Construction Specifications Institute (CSI) will be held Sept. 24-27 in Nashville, Tenn.
8/6/2013
Healthcare facilities employ varied tactics for better acoustics, noise control
Healthcare facilities have begun to focus more on privacy, noise control and acoustics not only to meet HIPPA mandates for patient confidentiality, but also to increase patient satisfaction.
8/5/2013
Free webcast offers cleaning best practices for infection control
"Infection Control: Breaking the Chain of Infection," will provide an in-depth understanding of universal practices and methods in combating the spread of infection in a variety of settings.
8/2/2013
Free webcast offers cleaning best practices for infection control
"Infection Control: Breaking the Chain of Infection," will provide an in-depth understanding of universal practices and methods in combating the spread of infection in a variety of settings.
8/2/2013
Hospitals improve food service to increase patient satisfaction
Hospitals nationwide are changing the kinds of food they serve and how they serve it in an effort to increase patient satisfaction, and thus revenue.
8/2/2013
International Institute for Sustainable Laboratories (I2SL) 2013 Annual Conference
The International Institute for Sustainable Laboratories (I2SL) 2013 Annual Conference (formerly the Labs21 Annual Conference) will be held Sept. 23-26 in Minneapolis.
8/1/2013
Walgreens rebrands its in-store 'Take Care' clinics as 'Healthcare Clinics'
The clinic name change is intended as a way to attract new patients by linking the growing retail clinic business to Walgreens' other healthcare assets under one well-known brand.
8/1/2013