Every aspect of a healthcare facility’s interior plays an integral role in preventing the spread of infection. From well-designed hand hygiene solutions to appropriate specified surfaces that block pathogen transmission, healthcare interiors make up a complex part of the infection control puzzle. A recent article in Health Facilities Management magazine examines how a holistic design approach can guide effective prevention measures in every area within a healthcare facility.
As healthcare design experts note, “design is married to operations,” and the design team needs to interact from the start with the facilities management team to examine maintenance issues in any healthcare space. These individuals need to agree upon materials, surfaces and furnishings that hold up to regular cleaning with chemicals and stand up to constant contact with water without deteriorating.
The article showcases a project in Hollywood, Fla. – the Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital – as a successful example of this approach. The design team from Atlanta’s Stanley Beaman & Sears (SBS) specified rubber flooring for patient rooms and bathrooms, meeting both hospital sustainability and patient safety requirements. The installation ran the flooring directly between the bathroom and the actual patient room, removing the traditional threshold between the two spaces, an area that often invites spills and trapped dirt and pathogens.
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