Page 21 - SFHN Dec 2020

HEALTHCARE REAL ESTATE, CONSTRUCTION, DESIGN & FACILITY PLANNING

Cover Story: LEO A DALY: Intentional Design Global Perspective, Local Insight

Continued from previous page ate built-in design options in preparation efforts. After hurricane Maria, relief efforts drone powered supply chain.”
for the next disaster. to deliver life-saving supplies were ham- Over centuries, hospitals have evolved
Evidence-based Design “Looking to the future, we recognize pered due to washed out roads. Seeking a from dark, poorly ventilated, unsanitary
According to Egea, all LEO A DALY how vital it is to design a workplace that solution, the Miami studio designed a buildings in which patients did not expect
team experts take personal and profession- takes care of both staff and patient needs drone powered micro-hospital concept. It to survive into today’s impressive facilities
al pride in their experience with evidence- during highly stressful health delivery is intended to help hospitals not only with life-saving technology and a patient-
based research, Lean tactics and Six Sigma periods. For example, we design court- receive and deliver vital medications and focused healing ambiance. This evolution
concepts to create intentional design that yards and balconies near surgical, trauma transport supplies necessary in the after- is due in large part to infusion of innova-
encourages a collaborative approach with and intensive care units to provide staff math of weather disasters but even help tive and intentional design of buildings
clients, enhancing interaction and eliciting with an opportunity to escape to catch a hospitals in rural areas during normal and operations.
feedback on the whole patient care experi- moment of nature’s healing powers amidst times. Hospitals could be reinvented with LEO A DALY does not design in a vacu-
ence. anxiety-charged responsibilities,” Egea drone ports and a smaller footprint with um and shares ideas gained from their
“We go to the source, like checking in as noted. the benefit of a decentralized supply chain. global presence. No matter where their
a patient, shadowing providers, analyzing Also, they track and modify design fea- The plan would use technology to directly home office is, top shelf specialists are ded-
Hospital Consumer Assessment of tures to retrofit the things they can control deliver food and supplies instead of having icated by expertise and geography to a
Healthcare Providers and Systems such as: air flow, biocontainment, win- large costly warehouses or on-site space to project. A full-service team response is
(HCAHPS), and integrating patient dows, lighting, temperature controls, stock medications and equipment. The SOP and clients rely on hands-on cus-
thoughts into the team design process. water and sink access. Predicting and introduction of drone assisted delivery also tomer service.
This hands-on experience enables us to accommodating staff, patient and family opens doors to new partnerships with tech- Thanks to a committed corporate mind-
map the flow of the health delivery experi- needs can soothe nerves in emotionally nology, pharma companies, food distribu- set with a no-holds approach on innova-
ence and incorporate empathetic sensibili- ridden units including birthing suites, hos- tors and a host of business opportunities. tion, flexibility or resourcefulness, the
ties into the design to create a patient- pice and palliative care settings. Egea said “We envision benefits of treat- LEO A DALY team exudes a confidence
focused environment that will streamline The firm had extensive experience deal- ing more patients, with better care, for less built on a foundation of experiential
operations—from food delivery to sur- ing with the Ebola biocontainment issues money, and with better reliability by intro- knowledge and innovative thinking that
gery,” he explained. in recent years and transferred that knowl- ducing health care services with minimal prepares them to invent and implement
They use HCAHPS scores to identify edge to the current pandemic. During the infrastructure in smaller communities design to meet the inevitably changing
dissatisfiers and then re-imagine things in pandemic, hospitals were quickly at capac- where traditional hospital economics health care world.
their control such as lighting, noise, air ity census for quarantined infectious would not be feasible. The healthcare
flow, color, designated space, and staff patients and had to extend beyond hospi- industry is trending toward more ambula- For more information, visit
flow. They shadow nurses, administrators, tal-defined Intensive care units to manage tory care settings and a micro-hospital www.leoadaly.com or call (305) 461-9480.
and other service providers to identify and the surge. As technology becomes more could be easily assembled and introduced
understand the barriers to care delivery portable, ambulatory care settings can be into any community with the support of a
and work to eliminate them through designed to expand and transform into
design of a nursing unit, patient room, cor- facilities to handle patient surges during
ridor, or supply cabinet with a holistic disasters. The team also creates designs to
overview of workflow. quickly transform dormitories or hotels to
The design teams create 3-D models of accommodate less acute patients and first
scenarios and, with a full lineup of clinical responders.

and support players, navigate through a Theodore explained, “In addition to
virtual experience to map trajectories, evidence-based research orchestrating
eliminate waste, and test spatial and opera- design to improve staff functionality, we
tional hypotheses to create the optimal think outside the box and create robust
design - both functionally and aesthetically. patient personas, considering genera-
According to Theodore, it doesn’t end tional, cultural, religious, and lifestyle

there. “Each design must also be flexible to influences in addition to geographic and
adapt to tomorrow’s needs. We constantly disease specific trends and include tech-
search for innovative, affordable, sustain- nology like iPhone and online appoint-
able, and efficient materials and adaptable menting to adapt configurations that will
schemes to design a facility from top to foster medical compliance and healing.”
bottom. It must offer clinicians and staff Large ambulatory waiting rooms may

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resulting in the highest patient satisfaction nology, but it is built into a concierge- & # # !
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today; along with the essential inherent type service, noting the value of person-
structure to transform into another pur- al greeters for patients not adept at cur-
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ronment is important, and that is accom- Most hospitals deal with flu season

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plished through design. “Starting from the annually, and as COVID-19 rages, hospi- & / ( + ( ! * # % % % - % , % " ( ' ( & * ( (
smallest feature like accessible outlets we tals are now more mindful of the need to ( & & # ! ) & , " # # ! * ( ' ) ( & " ) ) % ) " * ( & ( ' ' . " , & & ( ' # & *
incorporate evidence-based design ele- plan for pandemic events. Additionally, + & / ! * " - ! * ( ' & ( ' ) " " ) & ! ' # % % , # & ) ( % & / , $ * ) ( & +
ments into the big picture, to accelerate Florida’s institutions weather the annual & $ . # ' * ! * # * * ) # # ( ( % ) ( !
our clients forward on their mission; and, hurricane season. In yet another nod to
as healthcare changes, they’re also able to the future, Egea points to the firm’s readi-
adjust without starting over,” Theodore ness to incorporate drones into hospital
said. design and operations to potentially deliv-
er medications, blood, food, or material
Designing for a Pandemic supplies.
With all its horrendous consequences “Drones are going to be part of our day-
Covid-19 also gave them pause to strate- to-day tools in the near future,” Egea said.
gize and pique their innovative energies to A native of Puerto Rico with family still
solve issues. The pandemic highlighted there, he is acutely aware of the implica-
the stressors which put up barriers to a tions that weather disasters, including
healthy environment, even in an infectious hurricanes and tornadoes, have on trans-
disease epidemic. The team sought to cre- portation, food supplies and recovery
South Florida Hospital News southfloridahospitalnews.com December 2020 21