Getting It Right – from the Beginning

Another 10 months will go by before patients start using the new private rooms in Miami Valley Hospital’s Southeast Addition.

But in the basement of another building across campus, the hospital team has already been preparing for that day for more than two years.

There, dozens of times, people have examined a full-scale model of the new patient room and caregiver work areas, giving their suggestions to make the design and function of these spaces the best they can be. Nurses and physicians have weighed in. Housekeepers and maintenance staff. Physical therapists, patient transport staff and many more.

By design, every patient room in the new building is identical except for the color of its accent paint. The deliberate uniformity enhances patient safety. It helps the care team be efficient, saving unnecessary steps and time. It also simplifies construction and ongoing maintenance.

The challenge is to get everything right from the beginning. Once designed, the basic footprint and features of patient rooms are set for the life of the building. That’s why the project architects encouraged us to let as many people as possible look, explore and offer feedback.

The first mock-up room was a plywood affair laying out the basic room dimensions and the position of the patient bed, bathroom/shower and furniture. Some 35 refinements later, the model is nearly exact.

One notable omission is the floor-to-ceiling window that will flood every room with natural light and keep patients connected with the world outside.

Which brings me back to the basement location of the model room. By a happy accident, it’s directly below the Interfaith Chapel, symbol of the religious zeal and community pride that gave birth to Miami Valley Hospital nearly 120 years ago.

MVH employees and volunteers funded the chapel’s construction in preparation for the hospital’s 100th birthday in 1990. How fitting that 20 years later, preparations for the next chapter in our history are taking place so close to the symbolic heart of Miami Valley Hospital’s legacy of outstanding patient care.

Mary Boosalis

Comments

One of the first things I noticed about the Southeast Addition was the floor to ceiling patient windows. This is such a nice touch to help patients not feel isolated and aid in their recovery. I've been reading about your new addition and am thoroughly impressed!
Posted by: Ann Teliczan    at 3/25/2010 7:52 PM

It's exciting to see how MVH has incorporated the thoughts and opinions of others such as nurses and physicians,housekeepers, maintenance staff, physical therapists, patient transport staff and many more to look, explore and offer feedback in the new Southeast Addition. I enjoyed reading the history and how events have been so symbolic over the years. Thanks for sharing this!
Posted by: Jeanne Porter    at 5/9/2010 8:58 AM