CREJ

Page 14 — Health Care Properties Quarterly — July 2018 www.crej.com Design A t the center of our health care practice is an indi- vidual – be it a patient, care- giver, instructor or student. Our design extends beyond the building to consider the emo- tional, mental and social well-being of its inhabitants; in particular the patients. When we look at how design considerations bring value to our clients, we see how improved patient experiences equate to higher Press-Ganey scores, which ultimately have a positive impact on Medicare reimbursements, and ultimately save the facility money. Cutting-edge medical design is an essential part of what we do at the firm. Equally as important is the value we bring to our clients. While there are many definitions of what it means to bring value, our approach follows a set of proven goals that produce well-designed health care facilities that also lower the cost of construction and operat- ing costs. Empathy. We can never lose sight of the patient. With each project, we put ourselves in the place of patients, caregivers, providers, administrators and other users to understand how the space will impact their experience. For work- ers, it means considering how their workplace environment can contribute to improved happiness, relieve the stress of an often dif- ficult and challenging job, and sup- port them as they care for patients. For patients, it means finding ways to eliminate clutter, create quiet spaces and foster environments that can reduce stress. Simplicity. Our goal is always to provide a direct, uncomplicated, stress-reducing experience for the patient. It starts with arriving at the entrance: cre- ating entrances with good vis- ibility to the point of entry, defined drop-off and pick- up zone, intuitive wayfinding, mini- mal clutter and a logical path of travel. Once inside, users should be able to continue easily with well-defined cues and a typology of points of contact, such as reception desks, waiting areas, department entries, etc. We also consider the separation of public and private paths of travel. Happy patients who don’t get lost reflects our goal to ensure patients can eas- ily and simply move through the building or space without added anxiety. Flexibility. It’s been said that what gets us into trouble is not what we don't know; it's what we know for sure that just isn’t so. As designers, we know one thing for sure: Change is inevitable. Like most things in life, every health care building we ever design will change. We expect change and plan for change from the very beginning of our process. It starts by defining logical circula- tion paths designed to extrude and expand. We consider modularity and regularity, and work backward to avoid roadblocks and dead ends. We anticipate and allow for the inevitable changes that will come, bringing value to our clients now and in the future. Lean. When we consider the design of the human body, we see a series of organs interconnected through con- duits of systems that interact to oper- ate the complex structure of our bod- ies. Everything has a place and func- tion that supports our very existence, and does so to maximize efficiency and minimize waste. When we think of reducing waste in design and con- struction, lean is the first word that comes to mind. Our focus on effec- tive operational systems means we consider material and process flows to better leverage medical and sup- port staff efforts, saving redundant steps and reducing waste. We logi- cally address planning adjacencies; movement of materials and patient safety; and utilize consistent design standards to support the reduction of errors, as well as the impact and costs related to those errors. Uniformity. While lean can sup- port reduction in operational costs, uniformity supports a reduction in the cost of operations. Rather than create a group of standards, which can be interpreted as the only way something can be done, we consider guidelines accompanied by a default layout or approach. These guidelines may include published standards, such as WELL Building or the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED stan- dard, which lead to a lower energy usage index and result in lower Designing spaces for the patient experience Philip LiBassi, FAIA, FACHA Senior principal, global health care leader, DLR Group Kevin G. Reeves DLR Group designed the Cleveland Clinic's Brunswick Emergency Department in Cleveland. Please see LiBassi, Page 22