Insights & Solutions

The 12,500 SF unit was designed and constructed in just 120 days and incorporates all of the planned care and documentation practices to support the Western Maryland community during the COVID-19 pandemic and future events as they may occur. The negative-pressure and ventilator-capable environment was designed adjacent to outpatient facilities and increases the overall capacity of available beds, while limiting the exposure of the infected patients. The unit features two operating modes: “normal,” where the rooms function as typical medical/surgical beds; and “infectious,” where all 20 rooms operate under negative pressure to care for infected patients and provide clinical safety.

King, B., Bodden, J., Steege, L., & Brown, C. J. (2020). Older adults experiences with ambulation during a hospital stay: A qualitative study. Geriatric Nursing

The inability to independently ambulate during an admission frequently results in “hospital associated disability” for older adults. Understanding and addressing ambulatory barriers from their point of view is essential to facilitate better outcomes. Focus groups were conducted to solicit and categorize responses. Researchers uncovered a new place-based concept that they referred to as “Danger Zones.” Unwelcoming environments, inadequate care planning, and interpersonal biases all contribute to challenges with older patient’s lack of ambulation. This study provides a prototype for identifying barriers to ambulation in healthcare settings from the perspective of older adults as well as a broader range of inpatients.

Albala, L., Bober, T., Hale, G., Warfield, B., Collins, M. L., Merritt, Z., Steimetz, E., Nadler, S., Lev, Y., & Hanifin, J. (2019). Effect on nurse and patient experience: Overnight use of blue-depleted illumination. BMJ Open Quality, 8(3), e000692.

Working at night shouldn't mean being kept in the dark. While blue-wavelength light is bad for patient sleep, no light is bad for everyone.

In this podcast, Alana M. Carter responds to the question, "how have you and your team responded to the pandemic and what’s happening now within your firm?” She shares, “It’s interesting as leaders.

Learn about the origins and expanding use of telemedicine for virtual care; the role of the built environment in facilitating care via telemedicine; and how evidence was used to support and develop language for guidance (requirements and recommendations). 

A unique solution that retrofits existing panic device trim to create a ligature resistant door opening. Ideal for adapting original panic device components with non-compliant trim, the LR-EX Series upgrades panic device openings to meet safety standards without affecting the rating of existing trim.

Prodigy™ is designed and engineered to overcome the daunting challenge of creating a humanized environment without sacrificing safety, security and long-term performance.

Freihoefer, K., Lindval, S., Bayramzadeh, S., & Hanson, L. (2019). Implications of a Decentralized Postpartum Unit Design and Clinical Operations. HERD: Health Environments Research & Design Journal, in press.

This study shows us the failure of a “if you build it they will come” philosophy. A new decentralized environment does not mean new decentralized behavior. 

This webinar will offer new lessons learned and insights arising out of 20 mental health projects currently in design, under construction, or recently occupied encompassing over 5,000 beds in 14 States in every part of the United States. 

Diana Spellman is the  President of Spellman Brady & Company, an award winning interior planning firm specializing in timeless, meaningful environments in healthcare, senior living and higher education.