Designing today's hospital for the future

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Design
• Hospital Architecture
• Patient Experience

Background:

• Genesys Regional Medical Center-Health Park aimed to create a unique patient and visitor experience.
• The design was inspired by the spiritual values of the Sisters of St. Joseph.
• The facility needed to balance a comforting, homelike atmosphere with advanced medical care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the considerations involved in designing a "hospital of the future."
• To showcase the successful implementation of a vision for a peaceful and comforting healthcare environment.
• To detail the labor-intensive, multi-year process of hospital construction and design.

Main Methods:

• The article describes the building project considerations.
• It highlights the evolutionary process of design and construction.
• It emphasizes the collaborative effort involving thousands of people over several years.

Main Results:

• A 379-bed inpatient hospital was successfully designed and built.
• The facility features a serene, sky-lit atrium with natural elements and artistic finishes.
• The hospital successfully creates a peaceful, comforting, and homelike setting, often mistaken for a hotel.

Conclusions:

• Achieving a vision for a futuristic hospital requires a significant, labor-intensive undertaking.
• The design successfully integrates aesthetic and comforting elements into a healthcare setting.
• The project demonstrates a successful model for creating patient-centered hospital environments.