Mercy Medical Center-North Iowa wanted more than a new emergency center for the Mason City community. They wanted to create a positive healing environment, efficient seamless patient flow, and an experience with more privacy for their growing patient population.
That is why Mercy Medical Center formed a design team to use Lean methodologies in planning and designing its new Emergency Department (ED). The Lean concept is both a philosophy and management system that is built on the Toyota Production System and creates value by eliminating inefficiencies and waste. Flad Architects was selected as the architect and designer for the new ED, supported by Mason City-based Bergland and Cram Architects. Henkel Construction was the construction manager for the project.
The end result is a 25,493-sf emergency department built with family-centered care and patient privacy in mind. The department features a "racetrack" design with a central nurses' station encircled by 19 private patient examination rooms and 2 trauma treatment rooms. The open center-core design, which is flooded with natural light from above, allows for visibility into patient rooms while still maintaining an appropriate amount of privacy. The space also houses family consultation rooms and CT, X-Ray, and ultrasound rooms.
Exams rooms were designed using a universal concept for adaptability and safety. Clinical and public spaces were planned for maximum flexibility to allow staff to easily adapt to positive operational and cultural changes that are anticipated as a result of the Lean process.
The interior environment for the new ED focuses on providing a safe, supportive, and warm atmosphere through providing access to natural daylight, indirect lighting, soft curvilinear forms in the ceiling and floor patterns, and natural images portrayed in glass. The use of natural elements is designed to lower stress and anxiety for both patients and staff. BD+C
Related Stories
| Aug 11, 2010
American Concrete Institute forms technical committee on BIM for concrete structures
The American Concrete Institute (ACI) announces the formation of a new technical committee on Building Information Modeling (BIM) of Concrete Structures.
| Aug 11, 2010
10 tips for mitigating influenza in buildings
Adopting simple, common-sense measures and proper maintenance protocols can help mitigate the spread of influenza in buildings. In addition, there are system upgrades that can be performed to further mitigate risks. Trane Commercial Systems offers 10 tips to consider during the cold and flu season.
| Aug 11, 2010
Reed Construction Data files corporate espionage lawsuit against McGraw-Hill Construction Dodge
Reed Construction Data (RCD), a leading construction information provider and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Reed Elsevier (NYSE:RUK, NYSE:ENL), today filed suit in federal court against McGraw-Hill Construction Dodge, a unit of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MHP). The suit charges that Dodge has unlawfully accessed confidential and trade secret information from RCD since 2002 by using a series of fake companies to pose as RCD customers.
| Aug 11, 2010
Jacobs, HOK top BD+C's ranking of the 75 largest state/local government design firms
A ranking of the Top 75 State/Local Government Design Firms based on Building Design+Construction's 2009 Giants 300 survey. For more Giants 300 rankings, visit http://www.BDCnetwork.com/Giants
| Aug 11, 2010
Brad Pitt’s foundation unveils 14 duplex designs for New Orleans’ Lower 9th Ward
Gehry Partners, William McDonough + Partners, and BNIM are among 14 architecture firms commissioned by Brad Pitt's Make It Right foundation to develop duplex housing concepts specifically for rebuilding the Lower 9th Ward in New Orleans. All 14 concepts were released yesterday.
| Aug 11, 2010
NAVFAC releases guidelines for sustainable reconstruction of Navy facilities
The guidelines provide specific guidance for installation commanders, assessment teams, estimators, programmers and building designers for identifying the sustainable opportunities, synergies, strategies, features and benefits for improving installations following a disaster instead of simply repairing or replacing them as they were prior to the disaster.
| Aug 11, 2010
City of Anaheim selects HOK Los Angeles and Parsons Brinckerhoff to design the Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center
The Los Angeles office of HOK, a global architecture design firm, and Parsons Brinckerhoff, a global infrastructure strategic consulting, engineering and program/construction management organization, announced its combined team was selected by the Anaheim City Council and Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) to design phase one of the Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center.
| Aug 11, 2010
GBCI launches credentialing maintenance program for current LEED APs
The Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI) launched a credentialing maintenance program (CMP) for LEED APs and Green Associates, ensuring that LEED professional credentials will remain relevant and meaningful in a rapidly evolving marketplace.