Healthcare Design - September 2016 - 64

S U P P O R T N O W A N D L AT E R

Looking ahead, design that answers employee
wellness, vitality, morale, and connectivity is expected to pay off. "Creating an environment that
feels good for people and is an overall positive
environment can retain people at that location,"
Briggs says. And, when an organization is re-

SEPTEMBER 2016

Sharon Schnall is a writer based in Ohio. She can be reached at
S C H N A L L W R I T I N G @ YA H O O . C O M .

HCDMAGAZINE.COM

The San Carlos Medical
Center, an outpatient
site for the Palo Alto
Medical Foundation
(PAMF), part of Sutter
Health, was designed
by NBBJ and opened in
November 2014. The
192,000-square-foot
facility, just north of Palo
Alto, Calif., showcases
an open staff collaboration concept, emphasizing a work atmosphere
conducive to team-based
care. Specifically, leadership there requested a

ABOVE: The Ohio State
University Wexner Medical
Center in Columbus, Ohio,
re-envisioned the nurses'
station, resulting in a clinical
care interaction zone, without
seats, featuring moveable
touchdown areas for quick
meetings and device docking. HOK and Moody Nolan
were the architects of record;
HOK was the design firm for
the building that opened in
December 2014. OPPOSITE:
Staff at UF Health North
frequently use this secondfloor terrace to eat or enjoy a
quiet moment of respite. The
ambulatory facility in Jacksonville, Fla., designed by
Gresham, Smith and Partners
and opened in 2015, makes
daylight and attractive views
readily accessible.

deliberate departure from
the old design model
of private, interspersed
physicians' offices.
"Our intent was to
create an inviting work
space. Even though it's
not private and it's not individual, it's still personal
and attractive," says
Dr. Alireza Shafaie, the
center's physician leader.
"There was certainly a
fair amount of hesitancy
to this in some circles,"
Shafaie adds. "What
happens sometimes,

THIS PAGE: ©BRAD FEINKNOPF/OTTO 2014; OPPOSITE: ©RYAN KETTERMAN

cruiting, particularly with specialized professionals, Blake says, the space
needs to convey that it cares that the employees are happy and that its design supports how they conduct their professional activities and interact
with patients.
With healthcare in a state of flux, designers will continue soliciting input
about the evolving needs of the healthcare worker: How can staff be supported through efficient, but thoughtful, work spaces? How can rest areas
truly offer respite? And when should spaces permit and promote time away
from public work environments? Rising acuity levels in the inpatient environment, for one, are inspiring future design, as lower levels of care transition to ambulatory spaces.
"The acuity of the patients is greater and the pressure on staff is greater.
How can we support those caregivers?" Heeley says. 

OPEN
CONCEPT

flexible space to accommodate the array of activities that are already there," Strohm says.
For example, at The Ohio State University
Wexner Medical Center (Columbus, Ohio), a
10th-floor space offers views to the Olentangy
River and combines a corridor and a modestly
programmed staff and student space. At times,
the 1,200-square-foot area is a staff yoga studio;
other times, it functions as a medical student
and resident work area. And, in other incarnations, it offers staff respite thanks to comfortable, easily relocated furnishings. HOK and
Moody Nolan (Columbus) were the architects
of record; HOK was the design firm for this
building, which opened in December 2014.
As employee considerations are identified,
the solution isn't always designated or additional spaces; it might be in rethinking existing
spaces, too. "It's subtle things like not making
the pharmacy a white box," Blake says. "There
are still people in that space. Just because
they're doing a scientific job, it doesn't mean
they don't respond to an attractive work environment."
Overall, employee-centered design should
balance many factors: privacy, physical separation, public positioning, and shared spaces. At
times, breaks away from work areas are critical-even minutes in a quiet spot permit staff
to gain composure or to have a private conversation with a colleague. Other times, it's important to be openly situated with easy access
to coworkers while experiencing a ready line
of sight to patients and families. "The intent is
to provide better care for patients and be more
efficient with communication and travel distances," says Josie Briggs, senior associate and
interior designer with NBBJ (Seattle). "We also
consider the health benefits often associated
with these shared spaces: typically, views and
natural daylight are shared by more employees
in this setting."
Dramatizing workplace scenarios can lead to
a better understanding of employees' range of
design needs, Blake says. "Imagining yourself in
that space, trying to provide for a patient, maybe under pressure, with a lot of responsibility.
That's the most powerful thing you can do."

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Healthcare Design - September 2016

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