GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Heading to the hospital? These days, the newest member of your medical team just might be the building itself — and it’s likely to play a bigger role in your healing than you might think.New trends in hospital design are helping health-care systems to better choreograph care and provide a soothing yet energy-efficient environment.
Author: Chris Schmidt
WASHINGTON — Oct. 26 — Confirming the full impact of the global recession, philanthropic giving for health care in the United States grew a tepid 2.9 percent — or about $241 million — to $8.6 billion in 2008, while similar donations in Canada fell by a dramatic 12.9 percent, to total $1.07 billion, according to a new Report on Giving issued today by the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy (AHP).
The Latest in Sustainable Technology, Patient Healing, and Staff Efficiency Come Together in One Demonstration SpaceSAN FRANCISCO, Calif. — Engineering and consulting company Mazzetti Nash Lipsey Burch (M+NLB) announces their partnership in the Green Patient Lab 3.0 (GPL), a demonstration project that combines the latest ideas and thought leadership in patient room design for hospitals. The only fully integrated, multi-product, patient-environment demonstration project in North America, the GPL incorporates the safest and most eco-effective technology, ideas, research outcomes, and industry products into one exhibit that has been featured at several major conferences this year.
CHARLOTTE, N.C., — Cogdell Spencer ERDMAN is pleased to announce the signing of a facilities master planning contract for Southeastern Regional Medical Center, located in Lumberton, North Carolina.Southeastern Regional Medical Center is licensed for 337 beds and operates a 115-bed long-term care center. The medical center serves more than 15,000 inpatients and more than 71,000 emergency room patients annually. There are more than 125 physicians on the active medical staff, representing a comprehensive range of service offerings. The study will focus on an optimal facility plan that enhances the medical center’s market position and care delivery model with sensitivity to…
Level of inquiries reaches highest mark in two yearsWashington, D.C. — October 21, 2009 — As the nonresidential construction industry continues to struggle, the Architecture Billings Index (ABI) showed a nominal improvement in September. As a leading economic indicator of construction activity, the ABI reflects the approximate nine to twelve month lag time between architecture billings and construction spending. The American Institute of Architects (AIA) reported the September ABI rating was 43.1, up slightly from 41.7 in August. This score indicates a decline in demand for design services (any score above 50 indicates an increase in billings). The new projects…
$155 Million State-Of-The-Art Digital Hospital Designed to Enhance Patient Comfort, Speed HealingCONCORD TOWNSHIP, Ohio — Oct. 21 — Lake Health, formerly Lake Hospital System, today is celebrating the grand opening of its $155 million TriPoint Medical Center in Concord Township. A state-of-the-art digital hospital, TriPoint Medical Center is redefining the health care experience for patients, families and the community.
Substantial increase in green design practices and use of BIM software and continued gains in diversity of professionWashington, D.C. — In the three-year period leading up to the current recession, gross billings at U.S. architecture firms increased nearly $16 billion from 2005 and totaled $44.3 billion in 2008. This equates to 54 percent growth over the three-year period with annual growth of about 16 percent. These findings are from the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Business of Architecture: AIA Survey Report on Firm Characteristics, which is conducted every three years to examine issues related to the business practices of AIA…
FHA Boost Sought For HospitalsLAS VEGAS (BondBuyer.com) — The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is making a push to expand its presence in the nation’s health care sector by ramping up its long-standing FHA mortgage insurance program for hospitals.Hospitals are eying the Federal Housing Administration Section 242 mortgage insurance program as a way to get financing for projects that can qualify as they have found themselves cut off from the credit markets due to the collapse of the bond insurance business and other factors.
Activity from member hospitals may signal a positive sign for the economyPLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa., Oct. 19 — ECRI Institute(R) (www.ecri.org), an independent nonprofit that researches the best approaches to improve patient care and offers procurement support to more than 2,000 U.S. hospitals, reports a significant increase in requests by its members for medical technology acquisition support, a strong signal that the economy may be improving. ECRI Institute member hospital research requests typically precede medical capital technology purchases. If the pattern holds that an economy starts growing before employment increases, this data appears to be a good economic signal.
