Collaborative Design Planning at an Academic Medical Center
MCG Health System, Augusta, Georgia
MCG' s first experience with collaborative design planning centered on the construction of a new Children's Medical Center. Families were members of all the design planning committees, including the group that interviewed and selected the architect. The building has won many awards, including the top architectural design award by Modern Healthcare in the Fall 1997 and Fall 2000.
Building on this success, MCG applied a collaborative design planning approach to other projects. As plans for the Augusta Regional Multiple Sclerosis Center got under way, the hospital created a Multiple Sclerosis Family Advisory Council. Many fundamental aspects of the center are a direct reflection of family input; for example, the facility has features that enable patients to maintain their independence and that respond to other practical needs.
A committee that included MCG patients, as well as medical, surgical, and nursing administrative staff, collaborated to design MCG's Neurosciences Center of Excellence. The team advised in the design process, assisted in the development of the philosophy of the unit, and helped interview prospective staff and physicians. The 20-bed center features a universal room concept; half of the rooms have regular medical/surgical beds, while the other rooms can accommodate patients needing intensive, step-down, or regular care. There's expanded space for staff, with a nursing substation between every two patient rooms. The unit provides ample space for families, including sofa beds, a family lounge and other small areas for quiet conversations, and a small resource center.
A breast cancer survivor served on the planning committee to design and build MCG's Mammography Unit. Her participation dramatically changed how health care and design professionals viewed this unit. Today, the unit is call the Breast Health Center, and is a center for women's health and wellness, not just a diagnostic-and-treatment center.
Changing the Design and Culture of Nursing Homes
University of Minesota School of Public Health, Long-Term Resource Center Project
Many nursing homes have initiated efforts to create physical environments and programs that increase residents' autonomy and quality of life. Supporters of these efforts sometimes maintain that state regulations impede progress in this area; however, there is insufficient evidence to back up this claim.
A project at the Long-Term Care Resource Center in the University of Minnesota School of Public Health, funded by the Rothschild Foundation, is collecting, classifying, and analyzing state regulations that affect patient safety in nursing homes. This project will create awareness of how regulations can enhance or impede culture change goals and suggest how to remove any identified regulatory barriers while preserving structures that promote safety and health. Project staff will create a website containing state regulations and related materials, such as inspection policies, waiver policies, and innovative examples of state regulations, policies, and procedures.
For information, contact Rosalie Kane or Lois Cutler at 612-624-5171 or by email, respectively, at kanex002@umn.edu or cutle002@umn.edu.
Other profiles can be found in the Environment and Design section of this website.