Hospitals are fascinating systems designed for healing and aid, but there are far too many people who still loathe the idea of having to visit them. Perhaps for good reasons, too --according to U.S. News Health, lack of attention from medical staff, spreading of germs and disease, and overcrowding in important public areas all contribute to poor patient experience .
This is why many hospitals have recently teamed up with design institutions to create facilities that will lead to more aesthetic, comfortable and efficient hospital experiences.
Medical institutions are now paying closer attention to user experience and public spaces by being innovative with design, rather than relying solely on outdated health system specifications from the 1970s.
From putting USB ports and convenient outlets in waiting rooms and lobbies to decreasing noise levels with sound absorbing ceiling tiles, hospital directors are re-considering their medical facility's entire experience down to the very last detail.
In 2014 Heath Jones, director of program development for Utah Intermountain Healthcare commented on how design had weaved it’s way into their overall business strategy. He said:
“We are looking to pioneer a model of more connected care.”
Jones mentioned that he began to see a trend roughly four years prior to their new business philosophy when staff communication was scrambled and the patient flow was disoriented. He said:
“There really was no cohesion. Nobody knew what was happening.”
In June of 2015, Utah Intermountain Healthcare launched a $430 million project that is focused on design and clinical performance to better benefit patients, physicians and employees. The project is aimed at creating rooms that will accommodate all types of patients no matter the condition. They plan to improve department adjacencies and treatment spaces, create larger all-private patient rooms and develop a healing garden in the courtyard for physical and emotional support.
The project is estimated to be completed in 2018 and will serve as a benchmark for future projects within the Intermountain system and beyond.
While many may still see hospitals as places of stress and anxiety, the future is bright as more and more hospitals are spending similar amounts on renovations and improvements to their facilities.
Listed below are 15 of the top medical facilities in the United States with stunningly innovative designs:
Utah’s Intermountain Medical Center | Murray, UT USA Link beds 454
Forest Park Medical Center | Frisco, TX, USA Link 84 beds
Sumner Regional Center | Gallatin, TN, USA Link 155 beds
Carilion Roanoke Memorial | Roanoke, VA, USA Link 703 beds
Medical University of South Carolina Ashley River Tower | Charleston, SC, USA Link 156 beds
Providence Alaska Medical Center | Anchorage, AK, USA Link 371 beds
Community Hospital of the Monterey | Peninsula Monterey, CA, USA Link 205 beds
Legacy Salmon Creek Hospital | Vancouver, WA, USA Link 194 beds
Dixie Regional Medical Center | St. George, UT, USA Link 245 beds
Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women & Babies | Orlando, FL, USA Link 285 beds
Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh, PA, USA Link 296 beds
St. Rose Dominican Hospitals Siena Campus | Las Vegas, NV, USA Link 145 beds
UPMC Hamot Women’s Hospital | Erie PA, USA Link 412 beds
Florida Hospital Waterman | Tavares, FL, USA Link 269 beds
Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital | Bloomfield, MI, USA Link 191 beds
