Cardiovascular Business - July/August 2008 - (Page 11)

It is also important to plan for the reams of cabling needed for today’s electronically connected cath lab. Information services is the biggest problem with every healthcare building project, Burke says. “Cardiovascular centers are not about machines or even process modes. They are all about sharing information— getting reports to physicians, scheduling information and redundant data entry.” The old facility at Marion General Hospital did not have enough electrical outlets. The two new cardiovascular suites were designed to have all wires and cables underneath the tables, including oxygen and suction, says Perez. “You never really think about how many things are plugged in,” she says. Another imRemember family members when designing a cath lab and provide them with comfortable seating, easy access to vending machines and plenty of reading material. the Chest Pain Center at Marion General hospital features a waiting room equipped with WiFi and a flat-screen tV. provement at Marion is the holding space, which now has eight fully equipped private beds, rather than curtains separating restricted-use beds. Marion also saved space by creating a combined monitoring area for both labs and a shared supply area. Allowing elbow room Providing enough space for staff and patients is a crucial concern. The trend is running toward holding cardiovascular patients overnight, so space for enough beds is important. “We say if you have an average of 25 patients in the hospital that are heart and vascular related, you should have at least half as many beds for outpatients,” says Weaver. The area also needs enough room for all the people working in the space. Many cardiac cath programs include teaching and training components, says Easter, which can result in up to 10 people in the procedure area at any one time. Unfortunately, sometimes it’s not until people are using and working in the space that they notice these types of problems. Adequate space is needed for observation and stretcher access and the ability to comfortably move patients in and out. “When you cut space out of functional areas, you are reducing the value of the end product,” he says. And don’t forget the family. A pleasing environment for both patients and their families can go a long way toward a successful heart services center. Oftentimes, the patient is worried about family members. One should design a new waiting room centered around comfortable seating, beverage machines, reading material and private space for family members to meet with clinicians. When South Shore Hospital demolished its old space, it invited families to give input for the future design of the waiting and check-in area. “The literature shows that the more patients and their families are integrated into care, the better the outcomes,” says Burke. CardiovascularBusiness.com Cardiovascular Business 11 http://CardiovascularBusiness.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Cardiovascular Business - July/August 2008

Cardiovascular Business - July/August 2008 Table of Contents First Word Cover Story: Planning for the Ideal Cath Lab Requires the Multidisciplinary Approach Clinical Study Digest: Cell Phone Technology Speeds Ecgs As Real-Time 3d Echo Matures, It Finds a Clinical Niche Ecg Image Management Brings Increased Productivity and Confidence Overcoming Barriers to Cath Lab Inventory Control Maximizing Reimbursement, Minimizing Penalties News & Views Calendar Reader Resources The Back Page

Cardiovascular Business - July/August 2008

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