By Healthcare Facilities Today

In 2013, Healthcare Design magazine introduced a new series — "Take Five" — that invited healthcare design professionals to talk about what was on their minds. To wrap up the year, Healthcare Design Senior Editor Anne DiNardo gathered five of the topics covered in the series.

1. Is Lean a method or a religion?

“We can learn a lot from tools like operations research, management by objectives, Six Sigma, and Lean. My concern is when a concept turns into a dogmatic religion.” —Frank Zilm, University of Kansas School of Architecture, Design & Planning

2. Collaborating across markets: “What took us so long?”

“A number of medical districts are positioning themselves for the future by combining their resources. These medical districts can accommodate research centers, wellness facilities, parks, roads, and even adjacent neighborhoods.” — Gary Vance, BSA LifeStructures

3. Accountability for safety

“Patient safety and health outcomes are becoming increasingly important to clients, and any positive contribution is not just welcomed but required as healthcare enters a new era.” — Joe Sprague, HKS Inc.

4. Quick in, quick out

“Patients are becoming more educated consumers with easy access to information. The millennial generation has been exposed to technology its entire life and doesn’t expect or need human interaction at every turn.” — AECOM’s Sheila Cahnman, Christy Devens, and Mark Reckin

5. Making green dollars and sense

“With the U.S. Green Building Council’s approval of LEED v4, environmental sustainability continues to become more mainstream. Green becomes less specifically environmental and more inclusively dollars and sense.” — Walter Jones, Parkland Hospital

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