Earning Fundas

University of Rochester Medical Center – UR Medicine opened the Acute Brain Injury NeuroRehabilitation Unit at Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester, N.Y., according to the website spectrumlocalnews.com . The $7 million unit includes 11 beds and supplements the existing 20-bed acute inpatient rehabilitation unit at Strong Memorial Hospital. The project offers comprehensive rehabilitation and support services for adult and pediatric patients recovering from strokes, traumatic brain injuries, and other types of acute acquired brain injuries.

Historically, a severe underinvestment in mental health resources has left counties and cities with the responsibility of responding to people in crisis in facilities not intended for such purposes, such as justice centers and emergency departments. This response has been often utilized to contain people in crisis, treating mental illness as a public safety issue rather than a healthcare concern. This leads to poor patient outcomes, incurring high costs to taxpayer resources, and leaves families still searching for effective ways to help their loved ones following these interventions. Growing need for crisis care Reshaping the approach to crisis care, healthcare providers are expanding existing clinical programs to offer more outpatient resources. Larger and more progressive systems are developing new clinical centers with specialized treatment programs to better respond to varying acuity levels of mental health patients. These initiatives are alleviating emergency room overcrowdi

Sanctuary Centers (Santa Barbara, Calif.), a nonprofit focused on mental health and community wellness, broke ground on a new five-story mental health and housing facility, in Santa Barbara, according to the website ksby.com . The 34-unit project will house medical, dental, and mental health services on the basement and first floor. Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant housing will be located on the top four floors. The facility is slated for completion in December 2025.

Linaea Floden Headshot credit: Ryan Companies With the evolution of healthcare procedures and processes, hospitals and patient care facilities are increasingly finding value in adapting the design of interior spaces to best meet the changing needs of patient populations and providers. The advancements in robotic and less invasive surgical procedures and the shifting popularity of telehealth have necessitated greater flexibility in healthcare design, in addition to the simple fact that we don’t have a crystal ball to show what the future may hold. As healthcare providers saw during the pandemic, adapting to changing procedures and treatment methods was crucial in caring for patients and keeping staff safe during an unprecedented time. That adaptation now demands that the design of new healthcare facilities deliver the power of plasticity to better align with shifting needs. While the cost of flexibility could be significant, particularly in rural regions where public funding is m

Westchester HealthAlliance, Kingston New York WMCHealth (Valhalla, N.Y.), which operates nine hospitals throughout New York’s Hudson Valley,  incorporated HealthAlliance (Kingston, N.Y.), a 315-bed healthcare system, into their existing network in 2016. In late 2022, as part of a multiyear Healthy Neighborhood Initiative, which aims to bring medical, educational and economic benefits to the historic waterfront Hudson Valley city, the organizations moved to consolidate two existing hospitals in Ulster County, N.Y., into one acute care hospital. The new facility, Westchester HealthAlliance, is located at HealthAlliance’s Mary’s Avenue campus in Kingston. The updated space includes a two-story addition that houses 78,000 square feet of clinical space, an ED, financial counseling, presurgical testing, admissions, a gift shop, coffee shop, and waiting areas. Hospital renovation and expansion To meet the growing needs of the surrounding Ulster County community, the updated facility p

The Arc of Monmouth Day Habilitation Center , a nonprofit organization that serves individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, has completed construction of its new facility. It will provide healthcare services as well as supported housing, case management, support for caregivers and families, life skills training, social and emotional support, and independent living programs. The project, slated to open in February 2024, houses a variety of individualized areas including sensory and quiet rooms, a computer area, gym, and three kitchens. Ware Malcomb (Newark, N.J.) provided civil engineering, interior architecture, and design services for the 30,000-square-foot project.

A host of new specialty facilities broadened the healthcare design landscape in 2023, from transplant and eyecare clinics to treatment facilities for people with autism and related developmental disorders and more. In all these projects, design teams tailored the environments to the specific needs of their unique populations while embracing empathic, biophilic, and patient-centered design principles. Here,  Healthcare Design  highlights some of the specialty healthcare projects that stood out in 2023. Image credit: ©Albert Vecerka/Esto Cone Health MedCenter Greensboro at Drawbridge Parkway, Greensboro, North Carolina The 200,000-square-foot community-based facility integrates healthcare and well-being services, including community spaces to engage and teach healthy habits. Read more here .       Image credit: C&N Photography, Courtesy of Flad Architects Pleasant T. Rowland Transplant Clinic at University Hospital, Madison, Wisconsin The new 10,000-square-foot Pleasa

International design firm Ware Malcomb announced that Amber DeVine has joined the firm’s San Francisco office as director, interior architecture and design. With 25 years of design experience, DeVine will work with the firm’s San Francisco and Pleasanton, Calif., teams to grow its market share throughout the Bay Area. Prior to joining the firm, DeVine led healthcare and LEED projects in the U.S. and internationally working with firms including M Moser Associates (San Francisco) and Nelson (San Francisco). For more on Ware Malcomb, go here .

Jackson Parish Hospital in Jonesboro, La., broke ground on a two-part expansion project, according to the website beckershospitalreview.com . The first phase of the $11 million project includes updating the patient and vehicle traffic flow outside the hospital. Inside, the former surgery and business office areas will be combined into an expanded endoscopy suite, along with parts of a new emergency department (ED) area. The second phase will include demolishing the former ED to upgrade and rebuild it. The new ED will house eight treatment rooms and two trauma rooms. Access will also be improved to the new surgery space’s single trauma room and three treatment areas. A new ambulance bay and 46-car parking lot are also planned. Phase 1 is slated for completion by the of 2024, while Phase 2 is expected to be completed in summer 2025.

Child, Adolescent, and Adult Behavioral Health Services Center at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, San Jose, California Santa Clara Valley Medical Center (SCVMC) in San Jose, Calif., is consolidating its behavioral health offerings under one roof as well as expanding services with the new Child, Adolescent, and Adult Behavioral Health Services Center. Designed by HGA the new three-story, 207,000-square-foot center will be the first Santa Clara County-operated inpatient facility specifically for children and adolescents in need of behavioral health services. It is also set to include a separate floor for adults as well as emergency psychiatric services (EPS) and an urgent care. Prioritizing connection to nature HGA worked with the County of Santa Clara to develop the project. As a result of early research and listening meetings, the design of the new facility will prioritize connection to nature with access to dedicated and secure outdoor respite areas for staff and patients.

Healthcare Design’s Take 5 column regularly invites leading healthcare design professionals, firms, and owners to tell us what has their attention and share their ideas on the subject. This year, a range of topics were top of mind, including flexible and adaptable building designs, net zero strategies, AI in healthcare, supply chain disruptions, and specialty facility designs. Read on for more on what was on the industry’s radar in 2023. Responding to supply chain disruptions Kevin Hinrichs, Taylor Design (Headshot credit: Taylor Design) We’ve had materials fail to arrive when expected, leaving the subcontractors we scheduled unable to complete their work. Then, when the materials finally did come in, subcontractors were unavailable. Because of the ripple effect that a supply chain disruption can cause to the design schedule, project teams must pay more attention upfront to what is likely and not likely to be available for procurement. This means doing parallel designs, as wel

National architecture, design, and planning firm BWBR (St. Paul, Minn.) has appointed Terri Ulrick as president and CEO. She will succeed Stephanie McDaniel, who will remain with BWBR as a principal. Ulrick is a 17-year veteran of the firm and has worked on a variety of healthcare projects, including clean rooms, laboratories, and hospitals.

Piedmont Athens Regional Medical Center, Athens, Georgia The Piedmont Athens Regional Medical Center in Athens, Ga., serves patients from 17 counties in northeast Georgia as well as provides a training site for medical students from the Augusta University/University of Georgia Medical Partnership (Athens). The medical center had undergone renovations and expansions over time with facilities dating back to the 1930s. The result was a campus that was difficult for visitors to navigate and less than ideal for operations. Medical campus expansion, renovation To address these challenges, Piedmont Health embarked on a $194 million multiphased project, starting with a one-story vertical expansion and renovation to enable the relocation of 44 departments. The second phase demolished an adjacent out-of-date building and replaced it with a new six-story patient tower, creating a new main entry and wayfinding hub for the campus. Completed in April 2022, these improvements enhance patient c

Ochsner Health (New Orleans) announced plans for The Gayle and Tom Benson Ochsner Children’s Hospital at the Ochsner Medical Center-New Orleans campus in New Orleans, according to the website neworleanssaints.com . The five-story, 343,000-square-foot facility will house an emergency department (ED), Level IV surgical neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), private patient rooms, and  family resource centers. The hospital project is slated to break ground in mid-2024 and open in late 2027. For more on Oschner, go here .

Metrodora Institute , an integrated medical and research center focused on complex neuroimmune axis disorders, is completed in Salt Lake City. The project is designed to allow medical specialists to collaborate and apply scientific research and discovery directly to the patient care process. The 60,000-square-foot facility includes an ambulatory surgery center on two floors of the clinic, research and pathology laboratories, workspaces, and a café. HGA led the planning, engineering, and design/build and was a consultant for the interior design and mechanical and electrical engineering, and Denton House (Holladay, Utah) served as interior design and architect-of-record on the project. In addition, Wasatch Commercial (West Valley City, Utah) was the construction manager and Layton Construction (Sandy, Utah) served as the general contractor.

As 2023 wraps up, Healthcare Design is taking a look at some of the most-read articles this year that caught the attention of the design community. Among this list of popular reads are impressive and award-winning facility projects, discussions on advancements in technology and construction methods, and deep dives into decarbonization and energy-efficiency. Enjoy this recap! 2023 Healthcare Design Popular Articles Mass General Brigham Adopts Templated Clinic Design The healthcare system’s new outpatient facility concept can flex to fit different community needs while improving the patient and staff experience. By Brooke Bilyj Bon Secours Mercy Health Takes Prefabrication To The Next Level The healthcare organization and Danis construction built a temporary prefabrication facility on the new Kings Mills Hospital construction site in Greater Cincinnati, resulting in a faster schedule and cost savings. By Anne DiNardo Healthcare Takes Aim At Decarbonization Healthcare organizat

The Jackson Medical Plaza opened in McAllen, Texas, with a 43,000-square-foot medical office building (MOB) and ambulatory surgery center. Deveolped by Hammes  (Milwaukee), the facility houses providers Texas Digestive Specialists (TDS; McAllen) and The Advanced Weight Loss Center at TDS (McAllen). The McAllen Surgery Center for gastroenterological and colorectal care houses five procedure rooms and one operating room (OR). The project team includes Boulder Associates (architect; Dallas) and Vaughn Construction (construction; Houston). For more on Hammes, go here .

Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., opened the new $120 million Anna-Maria and Stephen Kellen research building in the Discovery Square district in downtown Rochester. The 11-story, 176,000-square-foot project houses laboratories and collaborative workspaces. Subway tunnels connect the facility to other nearby Mayo Clinic research buildings. For more on Mayo Clinic, go here .

Healthcare provider Southside Community Health Services is planning to open an integrated health community clinic, called One Southside, in Minneapolis. The 30,000-square-foot clinic will include a diagnostic laboratory, mammography suite, and administrative offices. Construction is expected to begin mid-2024 and to be completed in 2025. The project team includes 4RM+ULA (architect of record; St. Paul, Minn.), Perkins&Will (clinic architect; Chicago), Ryan Companies (construction manager; Minneapolis), Zuri3 Construction (construction manager; St. Paul), and Classic Lake Consulting (owner’s representative; Atlanta).

Headshot credit: Svigals + Partners In this series, Healthcare Design asks leading healthcare design professionals, firms, and owners to tell us what has their attention and share their ideas on the subject. Doug Lovegren is a partner at Svigals + Partners (New York), a full-service architecture firm offering architectural; master planning; interior design; and furniture, fixtures, and equipment services. Here, he shares his thoughts on holistic healthcare, repurposing underutilized buildings as community health centers, and school-based clinics. Holistic healthcare One-stop healthcare facilities bring together a range of health services within a single location. It’s ultra-convenient for patients to meet with their primary care doctor, then cross the hall for related but separately provided radiology scans. These facilities are designed for convenience and comprehensive care for patients while promoting provider collaboration. Today, the concept of holistic care goes one s

The healthcare construction supply chain has yet to fully recover from the disruption of the pandemic and we continue to see historically long delays for key products and equipment. For example, the 12- to 16-week lead time on electrical switchgear has swelled to 50 weeks, while the cost of these components has increased up to 50 percent over the past three years. Against this backdrop, there’s more planning, forecasting, and creativity required than ever before. Construction managers, working in collaboration with clients and other project partners, must modify their strategies to complete the procurement process as efficiently and economically as possible. Engage early with healthcare clients Procurement for healthcare projects traditionally began at the end of the design process to navigate changing programming needs. Now, in this long-lead-time environment, early engagement between the design and construction teams has emerged as an essential strategy. In order for the construct

The Cornell Behavioral Health Pavilion opened on the Sarasota Memorial Hospital campus in Sarasota, Fla. The 82-bed, 95,000-square-foot replacement facility expands and centralizes the hospital’s inpatient and outpatient care for mental and behavioral health. The pavilion houses four inpatient units dedicated to specific patient populations, including a 16-bed geriatric unit, 20-bed acute care unit, 24-bed adult unit, and 22-bed adolescent unit. An interior garden courtyard, patio, gym, and screened-in porches on the upper floors are also included. The project team includes Gresham Smith (architect and interior designer; Tampa, Fla.).

The University of Chicago Medicine  (UChicago Medicine) added two primary care facilities in Chicago’s Hyde Park and Kenwood neighborhoods this fall. The academic health system opened the Cottage Grove clinic  in September in conjunction with UChicago Medicine Comer Children’s Hospital in Chicago. The facility includes family medicine and general pediatric care, as well as laboratory and immunization services. In addition, the health system launched the Kenwood primary care and internal medicine site  in October, with in-person and virtual visits. Services at both locations include wellness exams, preventive screenings for adults and children, outpatient procedures and diagnostics, and school and sports physicals. For more on UChicago Medicine, go here .

MetroHealth (Cleveland) celebrated the opening of a new helipad on the roof of MetroHealth’s critical care pavilion. The structure is part of the organization’s $1 billion transformation of the main campus in Cleveland’s Clark-Fulton neighborhood. The helipad features technologies that automatically remove snow and ice and is engineered to reduce the impact of noise and vibration for patients and caregivers inside the hospital. It also provides quick access to the pavilion’s emergency department, trauma bays, and operating rooms. The healthcare organization partners with medical transportation provider Promedica (Toledo, Ohio) for air medical transport services. MetroHealth was recently named to Healthcare Design ’s HCD 10 as Outstanding Organization. Read more here .

Universidad de Los Andes a private catholic-inspired higher-learning institution dedicated to nonprofit education, research, and assistance activities, is expanding its campus in Santiago, Chile. The project, which is slated for completion between 2027-2030, will add a five-story, 150,000-square-foot patient tower, designed with earthquake-resilient features. The tower will house two 24-bed patient floors, a floor for exam/consultations that can flex to inpatient functions in the future, outpatient surgery suite, and support services. National architecture firm Shepley Bulfinch (Boston) will design the new tower. The post The Universidad De Los Andes Medical Campus Plans Patient Tower In Santiago, Chile first appeared on HCD Magazine .

Architect Walter B. Jones Jr. of Middleburg Heights, Ohio, passed away on Dec. 5 at the age of 69 after a battle with cancer. Throughout his three-plus decades as an architect and project manager, Jones led several major projects at healthcare organizations, championing new strategies and leaving a lasting impact on the healthcare design industry. MetroHealth, Parkland career milestones Most recently, in 2014, he was hired as senior vice president of campus transformation at Cleveland’s The MetroHealth System . In that role, he led the design, construction, and opening of The Glick Center . The 800,000-square-foot hospital anchors a $1 billion investment in the urban healthcare campus and community it serves. Completed in October 2022, The Glick Center uses a process-neutral concept that Jones developed, which aimed to deliver a building with few spaces designed for a specific department or task. The approach allows for flexibility to shift space assignments based on volume and ca

Ronald McDonald House Atlantic, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada A new 43,398-square-foot Ronald McDonald House Atlantic (RMHA) is planned to open at the IWK Health Centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, to meet growing demand for services for patients and families receiving care at the pediatric hospital and trauma center. In the past, RMHA had to turn away families who needed help. The new replacement project will be larger to enable the charity to serve an additional 600 families per year. Supportive services for IWK Health Centre patients The new Ronald McDonald House will increase the number of family rooms from 18 to 36. Additionally, it will introduce four larger suites, which include two-bedroom apartments with a kitchen space for families with long-term stays or immunocompromised children. A communal kitchen and dining area, outdoor eating and play area, and common areas for socializing will also be provided. Patients can also utilize a “cape room” where kids, upon arriva

The construction industry had 423,000 job openings on the last day of October, according to Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC; Washington, D.C.) analysis of data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS). JOLTS defines a job opening as any unfilled position for which an employer is actively recruiting. Construction industry job openings decreased by 4,000 in October compared to the last day of September, but are up by 25,000 from the same time last year. Overall, the number of economy-wide job openings fell to 8.7 million in October, the lowest total since March 2021, ABC Chief Economist Anirban Basu said in a press release. “This is a strong indication that the demand for labor is slowing, although the supply of workers is still far too low to meet that demand,” Basu said. However, while labor-market tightness eases across all economic segments, worker scarcity remains a critical issue for the construction industry, Basu said i

Hoag (Newport Beach, Calif.), a nonprofit health network serving Orange County, Calif., opened Dove Canyon Healthcare Clinic in Trabuco Canyon, Calif. The 7,500-square-foot facility offers urgent and primary care services and houses 15 exam rooms. AO (Orange, Calif.) served as the architect of record, interior designer, and design architect on the project. The post Hoag Opens Dove Canyon Healthcare Clinic In Trabuco Canyon, California first appeared on HCD Magazine .

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS; Washington, D.C.) released a concept paper, “ Healthcare Sector Cybersecurity: Introduction to the Strategy of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services . ” The resource outlines four new ongoing steps HHS plans to take to enhance cybersecurity for the healthcare sector. Cyberattacks in healthcare are on the rise, according to HHS’ Office for Civil Rights (OCR). From 2018-2022, there was a 93 percent increase in large breaches reported to OCR, with a 278 percent increase in large breaches involving ransomware. To help address these risks, HHS introduced four pillars for action: Publish voluntary Healthcare and Public Health sector Cybersecurity Performance Goals (HPH CPGs). HHS will release HPH CPGs to help healthcare institutions plan and prioritize implementation of high-impact cybersecurity practices. Provide resources to incentivize and implement cybersecurity practices . HHS will work with Congress [first referen