The intra-operative MRI system at the United Hospital Nasseff Neuroscience Center in St. Paul, Minn., will allow neurosurgeons to perform real-time MRI scans during operations to confirm that all cancerous tissue is removed during procedures. |
11. Operating Room-Integrated MRI will Help Neurosurgeons Get it Right the First Time
A major limitation of traditional brain cancer surgery is the lack of scanning capability in the operating room. Neurosurgeons do their best to visually identify and remove the cancerous tissue, but only an MRI scan will confirm if the operation was a complete success or not. Consequently, patients must be stitched up and wheeled into the MRI room for further scans. If cancer is still present, further surgery is often required.
To avoid putting its patients through this painful cycle of surgeries and scans, the United Hospital Nasseff Neuroscience Center in St. Paul, Minn., is collaborating with HDR Architecture on an intra-operative MRI system. This "MRI on a track" will be able to move between two operating rooms and spin in any direction, allowing neurosurgeons to perform real-time MRI scans during operations.
"The neurosurgeon can use the intra-operative MRI to confirm that the entire tumor was removed before closing, thus reducing the need for additional operations," says Douglas S. Wignall, AIA, RAIC, international healthcare director with HDR Architecture, Omaha, Neb. In addition, Wignall says the mobility of the system allows the neurosurgeon to update images quickly and efficiently so that surgical adjustments and decisions can be made with pinpoint accuracy.
"This is one example of how architecture can help save lives," says Wignall.
The new SYNC modular nursing station line from Nurture by Steelcase is designed to accommodate both centralized and decentralized spaces. |
12. Nursing Stations Go Modular
Modular nursing stations are designed to accommodate virtually any healthcare environment, whether for centralized or decentralized spaces, standard or high-tech facilities, or new or retrofit projects. HDR Architecture collaborated with Nurture by Steelcase on the SYNC line, which was inspired by the way people fit in cockpits and automobiles. It accommodates multiple users, heights, and movements.
The centralized solution is offered in three fixed heights—28½, 36, and 42 inches—to provide seated, service counter, and standing solutions. Widths are available in one-foot increments from five to nine feet, and integrated monitor arms have 160-degree adjustability for sharing information between caregivers. The product sits elevated off the floor, creating a light, minimalistic look.
The decentralized products provide height-adjustable (23 to 48 inches), fixed, or combination surfaces in eight shapes. Two-person configurations allow each work surfa
ce to be adjusted individually.
A. Secondary MOB. B. MOB. C. Hospital. D. Nursing units. E. Signature entry rotunda. F. Future construction, including hospital expansion, additional MOB, clinic, and parking. G. Future helipad. |
13. Template Helps Hospitals Open Quickly and Efficiently
Faced with the unprecedented task of having to replace half its California hospital beds by 2015, Oakland, Calif.-based Kaiser Permanente, the nation's largest nonprofit HMO, enlisted SmithGroup and Chong Partners Architecture (now Stantec Architecture) to collaborate on the design of a new hospital template—a state-of-the-art, prototypical hospital that could be built on many different sites with only minimal changes to the basic concept for quick and efficient construction.
Luckily, the team wasn't starting from scratch. Over the years Kaiser had developed best-practices templates for emergency departments, patient rooms, and other individual clinical spaces and those pieces were combined into a single configuration for an entire hospital. The resulting template consists of common planning concepts, floor plans, equipment and furnishings, and structural and building systems. Exterior skins and colors vary from site to site. So far Kaiser has built five hospitals using the template, which shaved 15 to 18 months off its typical new hospital timeline.
Related Stories
Retail Centers | Nov 15, 2023
Should retail developers avoid high crime areas?
For retailers resolute to operating in high crime areas, design elements exist to mitigate losses and potentially deter criminal behavior.
MFPRO+ News | Nov 15, 2023
Average U.S multifamily rents drop $3 to $1,718 in October 2023: Yardi Matrix
Multifamily fundamentals continued to soften and impact rents last month, according to the latest Yardi Matrix National Multifamily Report. The average U.S. asking rent dropped $3 to $1,718 in October, with year-over-year growth moderating to 0.4%, down 40 basis points from September. Occupancy slid to 94.9%, marking the first decline in four months.
MFPRO+ Special Reports | Nov 14, 2023
Register today! Key trends in the multifamily housing market for 2024 - BD+C Live Webinar
Join the BD+C and Multifamily Pro+ editorial team for this live webinar on key trends and innovations in the $110 billion U.S. multifamily housing market. A trio of multifamily design and construction experts will present their latest projects, trends, innovations, and data/research on the three primary multifamily sub-sectors: rental housing, senior living, and student housing.
Giants 400 | Nov 14, 2023
Top 90 Justice Facility Architecture Firms for 2023
DLR Group, Stantec, HDR, HOK, and Elevatus Architecture top BD+C's ranking of the nation's largest justice facility architecture and architecture engineering (AE) firms for 2023, as reported in the 2023 Giants 400 Report. Note: This ranking includes revenue from all public safety/justice facilities buildings work, including correctional facilities, fire stations, jails, police stations, and prisons.
Giants 400 | Nov 13, 2023
Top 65 Airport Facility Architecture Firms for 2023
Gensler, Corgan, PGAL, and HOK top BD+C's ranking of the nation's largest airport terminal and airport facilities architecture and architecture engineering (AE) firms for 2023, as reported in the 2023 Giants 400 Report.
Data Centers | Nov 13, 2023
Data center sector trends for 2023-2024
Demand for more data centers is soaring, but delivery can be stymied by supply delays, manpower shortages, and NIMBYism.
Education Facilities | Nov 9, 2023
Oakland schools’ central kitchen cooks up lessons along with 30,000 meals daily
CAW Architects recently completed a facility for the Oakland, Calif., school district that feeds students and teaches them how to grow, harvest, and cook produce grown onsite. The production kitchen at the Unified School District Central Kitchen, Instructional Farm, and Education Center, (“The Center”) prepares and distributes about 30,000 meals a day for district schools lacking their own kitchens.
Laboratories | Nov 8, 2023
Boston’s FORUM building to support cutting-edge life sciences research and development
Global real estate companies Lendlease and Ivanhoé Cambridge recently announced the topping-out of FORUM, a nine-story, 350,000-sf life science building in Boston. Located in Boston Landing, a 15-acre mixed-use community, the $545 million project will achieve operational net zero carbon upon completion in 2024.
Retail Centers | Nov 7, 2023
Omnichannel experiences, mixed-use development among top retail design trends for 2023-2024
Retailer survival continues to hinge on retail design trends like blending online and in-person shopping and mixing retail with other building types, such as offices and residential.
Giants 400 | Nov 6, 2023
Top 110 Cultural Facility Architecture Firms for 2023
Populous, Gensler, HGA, DLR Group, and Quinn Evans top BD+C's ranking of the nation's largest cultural facilities sector architecture and architecture engineering (AE) firms for 2023, as reported in the 2023 Giants 400 Report. Note: This ranking includes revenue from all cultural building sectors, including concert venues, art galleries, museums, performing arts centers, and public libraries.