Here we are - at the beginning of summer. A time when our minds often drift to trips, outdoor activities and family barbeques. Keeping the momentum in projects can seem a bit more challenging during the summer months with team members in and out of the office on vacation. Sometimes, a little help is all that's needed to keep projects moving in the right direction.

The Center offers several practical ways to keep your team and projects moving forward. Do you need research direction or a bit of project management? Our research services team can provide you with research expertise - timely healthcare industry research advice that will help advance your healthcare facilities projects. Whether you need expert advice on a research project, need an expert to do research for you, or you simply need to be pointed to the right resources, we can help you. Find more information about research services here.

Or utlize our on-demand webinars as "lunch and learn" occasions - with a chance for all on the team to earn AIA/EDAC CEUs. With over 70 webinars to choose from, you can easily find a topic that addresses the challenges facing the team today.

Do you prefer live presentations? Our knowledgeable staff and board members are available to provide educational consulting. Our experts can present and lead discussions on a variety of topics.
You can find more information on this here.

You can easily stay up-to-date with all the learning opportunities we offer, both in-person and online, that include workshops, Health Design Insights Networking events, live and on-demand webinars and EBD Journal Clubs by viewing our website calendar.

In the Insights and Solutions section of our website, we offer the resources and tools that will provide you with knowledge that's actionable, knowledge you can quickly incorporate into your projects, along with the latest industry news to see what others are doing. Here's just a few of the open resources you will find there:

As always, let me know what tools and resources are helpful to you, and we'll feature them in our future newsletters.

In today’s healthcare environment of dwindling reimbursements, increased volumes and higher demand for patient satisfaction, there is a push to optimize space and leverage technology to work as effectively as possible. To make the best use of space and resources, healthcare leaders are looking to right-sized patient smart rooms to optimize efficiency.

These highly designed smaller spaces accommodate the patient and family just as larger rooms would while meeting the Facility Guidelines Institute requirements. Technology enables providers to deliver care more efficiently and creates environments that are interactive and informational for patients.

The result? A patient room that maximizes available space, lowers construction and operational costs, improves process flows for providers and improves patient and family satisfaction.
Medical Construction & Design, more ...

Patients with complex mental health issues frequently end up in the emergency department, where they may wait hours or even days for a psychiatric bed.

This is especially true of patients who have a “dual diagnosis,” or have both a mental health disorder and a substance abuse problem. Judith Shindul-Rothschild, an associate professor of nursing at Boston College who has published research on ER wait times, said that a shrinking number of psychiatric beds is especially impacting children and adolescents.

Patients with a dual diagnosis have trouble finding either substance abuse treatment or mental health treatment, as psychiatric facilities will often not accept addicts and addiction programs may not take in people with acute mental health issues, according to the article. Fierce Healthcare, more...

* What role can the built environment play in solving the growing mental health and substance abuse crises? Join today's top experts on September 26, 2017 in Arlington, VA, at our next Pebble in Practice Workshop - "Behavioral Health—Strategic Facility Design Innovations that Improve Treatment Outcomes, Safety and the Bottom Line" More information here.

The past decade has seen dramatic shifts in the way wellness services are provided to older adults.

Outdated senior living communities are repositioning themselves to stay competitive, and many of them are revamping their wellness programs to align with contemporary views on holistic, person-centered care. Many newer wellness programs are updating programming and facilities to serve the senior living industry, but plenty of room still exists in the marketplace for innovation, and there is a unique opportunity to grow beyond the senior living niche market. McKnight's Senior Living, more . . .

Can Good Hospital Design Improve Your Health?

While the healthcare system in America is in a state of crisis, the hospitals, care centers and research facilities that make up the industry -- in the States and abroad -- have never looked better.

Gone are the days of sterile spaces, shared rooms and buildings that could be confused for corporate offices.

Instead, we've seen a new class of hospitals that are more like hotels, with private rooms, gardens and art installations.

But competition is driving people away from private facilities and into county hospitals that are adopting a new, more patient-centric approach, according to Pat Bosch, design director at the Miami office of architecture firm Perkins + Will.

"We're seeing a lot of intersections with corporate America, retail, hospitality and civic [architecture]," she says. "It's about: How do you attract and retain your community and your patients? How do you attract and retain doctors and nurses?" CNN, more . . .

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