Telemedicine is the process of using technology to bridge a physical distance between patient and caregiver to achieve wellness. And for a couple years, I have been eagerly reading and peppering telemedicine practitioners with questions in an effort to find out the physical design requirements for successful telemedicine implementation. What does the ideal telemedicine space… [Read more…]
April 18, 2012
At the PDC Summit last month, a panelist noted Cleveland Clinic CEO Toby Cosgrove’s perspective that expected mergers and acquisitions (M&A) to be integral to sustaining healthcare revenue. This is also supported by economic theory. Big-time growth in this way is likewise espoused by for-profit healthcare. I believe mergers and acquisitions in healthcare can greatly consolidate what is currently… [Read more…]
April 16, 2012
Despite all the focus on American healthcare reform and its constitutionality, some really successful business models are at work outside the U.S. One of them is the Narayana Hrudayalaya Hospitals, #36 in Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies of 2012. The hospital admittedly has modeled a great deal of its operations on Walmart. Some of the… [Read more…]
April 13, 2012
Last week I attended a networking event and met a handful of people who were between jobs, not uncommon these days. What I find interesting is how differently people portray their situation. Some feel sheepish and embarrassed to be out of work, while others are excited at the potential of opportunity in front of them.… [Read more…]
April 11, 2012
Architect reported on a surprising stat from a recent Mortenson Construction healthcare industry survey: 93% of architects and 91% of healthcare providers place a heightened priority on flexibility in healthcare design. Excellent—near consensus from healthcare designers and healthcare design buyers! Now the tough question: what exactly does “flexibility” look like? Within the context of healthcare,… [Read more…]
April 10, 2012
The stances outlined in my previous ‘hospital-as-hotel vs. hospital-as-healer’ post are not so stark or easily simplified. All hospitals seek to heal; however, some are paying more attention to patient satisfaction, and investing in improving those scores, more than others. Time will tell if this strategy is fruitful in the long term. As part of… [Read more…]
April 6, 2012
Real estate on hospital campuses has always been valuable. Just how valuable…well that is being further clarified by current building trends. One of those efforts is the consolidation of healthcare support services, and their relocation to areas away from the main hospital. Support service is a catch-all term for anything not directly linked to diagnosis,… [Read more…]
April 3, 2012
Two articles that encapsulate a current philosophical conflict in healthcare design are Theresa Brown’s March 14 op-ed piece “Hospitals Aren’t Hotels” in The New York Times, and Kylie Wroblaski’s article “Home Sweet Hospital” for Interiors & Sources magazine. The articles are not direct analogs in content or style; however, they do deliver two distinct, opposing messages. Ms.… [Read more…]
March 30, 2012
The big news this week was that the International Green Construction Code (IgCC) was published in its final form. Why does this matter to healthcare? Because the IgCC’s structure is code-like compared to other green design initiatives, like Green Globes or LEED for Healthcare, it will likely get more a more favorable look by jurisdictions wanting to formally install and… [Read more…]
March 29, 2012
Fast Company’s March issue portrays a diagram of Sporting Kansas City’s (the MLS soccer team in KC) hi-tech “wired” stadium, Livestrong Sporting Park. The stadium’s technology components were highly influenced by the CIO of the soccer club, Asim Pasha, and are based on the premise of a highly interactive fan experience using technology each person… [Read more…]
April 20, 2012
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