HealthTrust Purchasing Group is a group purchasing organization supporting nearly 1,400 not-for-profit and for-profit acute care facilities, as well as ambulatory surgery centers, physician practices and alternate care sites. Interior Design Services (IDS) of Brentwood, TN, is the authorized vendor for furniture for HPG members.

The IDS booth at the vendor fair was the hot spot of the exhibit hall at the MGM Grand Conference Center. Elvis was on hand to greet the attendees and offered photo ops as a keepsake of their experience at the IDS booth at the conference. HPG members were lined up to meet Elvis and while waiting they could interact with the Nurture products on display. Elvis had a backdrop of the Folio, complete with a solid surface top and sink. The counter was a “real” setting, complete with tongue depressors, cotton balls, bandaids and swabs. 

Today the New England Journal of Medicine published an article entitled, “Public Release of Clinical Outcomes Data — Online CABG Report Cards.” It describes an incredible first in terms of publically available data on a major surgical procedure — coronary-atery bypass grafting (CABG).

The NEJM reports that the publishers of Consumer Reports (Consumer Union) has issued the results of this procedure at 221 U.S. cardiac sugery programs. This is the kind of data that for years only the participants in the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) has been able to see and review. Now this public version assigns star ratings to each surgical program that has chosen to make its data public. Consumers will also see actual performance scores in four sub-categories in addition to the overall star ratings.

As a first of its kind public report, there are sure to be many points of view on how this data will be used by consumers. But there certainly is no doubt that it is a move in the direction of accountability and transparency. The STS has provided a model for future public measures by others that can be accepted by both consumers and care providers. Imagine a future where we can all be as informed about our healthcare choices as we are about our flat screen television purchases. Well, perhaps we can hope for it to be less confusing than the flat screen market.

open source video, online video platform, video solution  Here at Nurture we have been working hard to continue to add benefits and features to our products. This week, take a quick look at what new product modules Miriam Marring has to share that are available for Sonata Casegoods. Sonata was developed through significant research of oncology environments.
Sonata’s goal has been to suppport the care provider’s work process and create a supportive and comfortable environment for the patient and partners in care. The expanded selection of modules provides more combination possibilities with a smaller footprint, allowing Sonata to create a custom solution tailored to a clinic’s needs. To read some of the results the Nurture research team found from their studies in cancer care environments Click Here.  

Key Features & Benefits:
Nurse Server:
-Front access waste-bin storage to hid the ugly, but keep it easily accessible.
-Toe pull on front access waste bin storage to promote a hands-free disposal of waste.
-Junction box cutout option on top surface to bring power where its needed.
-Orderable September 20, 2010  

Bench:
-Open storage to keep patient and partner in case belongings in sight.
-Cushion on top for a comfortable sit at patient side.
-Solid surface top to create bench end table, a table, a durable seamless top which is also an appropriate sitting height.
-Orderable in July of 2010 

Island:
-Open storage for larger items.
-A spot for smaller personal items on the upper shelf.
-Power for the care provider through a handle-free door and top surface grommet.
-Orderable July of 2010

Would you let a friend who is good at math do your taxes? They might have some skills but not the credentials to guarantee they can do a flawless job. Anytime you do this you know you are exposing yourself to certain risks. Interior design is no different. The purpose of AAHID certification is to minimize similar risks in a healthcare setting by assuring the competency of a class of professionals.  It is only a matter of time before hospitals and long term facilities demand these qualifications for themselves in much the same way that you would at home.  

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A few weeks ago, Fredrick Kunkle from The Washington Post wrote a story about a new prototype dwelling that has been capturing people’s attention. The MedCottage is a technology-equipped, temporary shelter for an aging family member. The concept of a secondary suite, sometimes called a “mother-in-law” house, has been around for many years. But the company calling itself N2Care has unveiled a concept in partnership with remote monitoring provider CloseBy Network. CloseBy Network’s key products include a series of passive sensors for gather data about activities such as opening and closing of doors and other movement inside areas of the home.

As the cost of third-party facilities for independent living, assisted living and skilled nursing continue to rise, families will be looking for more affordable solutions. And the proximity to family and friends is an important feature of a concept like the MedCottage. But as Kunkle’s article notes, the concept has its detractors including potential neighbors who may view the dwellings to be “unsightly” to experts in aging who worry about an increase in cases of elder neglect.

Already bloggers are picking up on the concept and making design suggestions. Many are hoping that the next versions will be better looking. Perhaps we will see a series of independent re-design suggestions start to appear. Kunkle also notes competitors to the MedCottage such as FabCab and Larson + Shores Architects.

The use of social media in the world of healthcare is slowly gaining traction. And this will surely help: The Mayo Clinic has created a Center for Social Media at their Rochester, Minnesota headquarters, which will help them increase their own use of platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube, and certainly encourage other organizations to ramp up their usage as well.

            “Rochester, Minn.-based Mayo Clinic has launched a Center for Social Media, which aims to increase use of social media throughout the organization and encourage other hospitals to connect physicians and patients through tools such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports. Read More

The challenge: how to create an innovative, patient-focused facility that meets the needs of multiple programs and more than 1,200 staff members.

Architects and designers face issues like this everyday, and in Nurture’s latest case study, one particular state-of-the-art healthcare center is highlighted to show how they focused on service integration and improving their patient’s experiences.

The Sheldon M. Chumir Health Centre is one of Canada’s largest integrated community health facilities, and features thirty-seven health programs, one primary care center, and one urgent care clinic combined in 300,000 square feet and eight floors. Check out the case study to learn more about Calgary, Alberta’s healthcare success!

What do experts mean when they say a population is aging? In a study called Growing Old in America published by Gale/Cenage Learning (2008), the editors write that unlike people, “populations can age or become younger. There are key indicators of the age structure of a given population… The aging of the United States resulted from changes in fertility and mortality that occurred over the past century.”

The field of study for aging is a multidisciplinary one combing areas such as biology, sociology and psychology. There are two common specialty fields associated with the study of aging: Gerontology and Geriatrics. Gerontology usually refers to the study of the aging process and of individuals as they grow from middle age to later life, physically, mentally and socially. It often involves the study of how aging populations effect changes in society. Geriatrics, on the other hand, specifically refers to the study of health and disease in later life, including individual care programs and the wellness of their caregivers.

In the design of acute care environments, aging populations are always a major consideration. But leaders in gerontology and geriatrics such as William H. Thomas have been strongly advocating the de-institutionalization of care for seniors. A physician by training, Dr. Thomas founded the Eden Alternative in 1991, “based on the core belief that aging should be a continued stage of development and growth, rather than a period of decline.” The work of this small non-profit organization has had wide impact. Dr. Thomas developed the concept of the Green House which recently received generous funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation via NCB Capital Impact. The Green House concept creates small, warm and supportive communities for 6 to 10 elders each who require skilled nursing care.

In a recent conversation I had with leaders from the RWJ Foundation, they spoke highly of The Chelsea Jewish Nursing Home in Chelsea, MA. The Leonard Florence Center for Living has created a permanent residence based on the Green House model specifically for patients with ALS (commonly known as Lou Gerhig’s disease) or MS (Multiple Sclerosis). What may be less widely known is that a key architect and designer on these projects was himself an ALS patient in the early stages of the disease. His personal insights led to a innovative approach to these environments.

These unique visions for a more compassionate and fulfilling care model are driving the future of long term care for all ages. We expect to see continued innovation in these areas having an effect on all manner of healthcare delivery in the coming years.

In the last year, I have had 2 separate foot surgeries to remove metal screws.  I asked to have the procedures done in the doctor’s office, versus the hospital because I thought that it would be safer and that I could better manage my own care.  My doctor became a little nervous as I told him what I did for a living and we discussed infection control while he was creating a sterile field of play.  My results were great and there was no infection to deal with; I was one of the lucky ones.  Last year, while my father was in Hospice, they told us that he had MRSA and my children had to “gown up” to see him – is that really what we wanted his last sight of his grandchildren to be? Oh hell no!!  A few months ago, I sat next to a man that contracted MRSA after a routine procedure.  He has had 7 surgeries to treat the infection and had he been working (he was retired), he assured me that he would have lost his job due to time off to heal. 

The average person does not completely understand the numbers and the risk of infection or death in healthcare facilities. It is not about people making mistakes, although being human does mean that we all will; it’s a systemic problem with very complex solutions.  I just uncovered a great presentation that our research team put together on the topic, and I will work to get it CEU accredited with AIA, IIDA and EDAC, but until then, if you are interested in learning more, give me a shout.  Whether its medical error or infection, it hits us all very personally, and we all must do all that we can to help reduce these needless deaths and procedures.  Space and environments play a significant role in making major strides in infection control, so call me, I would love to discuss further.

Phyllis

open source video, online video platform, video solution

Hi, my name is Cameron and I’m on the Nurture Marketing and Communications team. I recently travelled to Ann Arbor for an out-patient procedure, and thanks to the conflux of several variables, namely it being a Monday, later in the day, and a highly rated and thus busy hospital, I was forced to wait. And wait some more.

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