Healthcare Design - August 2021 - 51

The exterior of
MarinHealth Medical
Center: Oak Pavilion
features glazing protected
by horizontal
sunshading to reduce
solar heat gain and
increase indirect light
on the interiors. Here,
the exterior component
of solariums
located on all nursing
units can be viewed
at top left.
they are within the building at all times and
have constant access to natural light and
views, and the ability to interact with nature.
Each patient unit has access to a solarium
space or indoor/outdoor living room. The living
room can open to a large outside terrace
that can open up internally to the unit. This
constant connection to daylighting, assisted
by a wayfinding concept tied to nature (and repeated
on all floors), improves staff efficiency.
The patient experience, specifically, was
enhanced by thinking through elements
of control and personalization. What elements
of this approach stand out to you?
When patients and their families are able to
make choices that impact their experience-
things like room temperature, the ability to go
outdoors, lighting above the bed, and so on-that
returns some element of control back to the patient.
When patients and their families feel more
in control, research shows their anxieties lessen
some. And the research shows this can contribute
to more positive outcomes.
With physician approval, patients-even if
tethered to IV poles-can access the outdoors
for fresh air. Patient bedside controls are provided
for many features, including lighting and window
shades. The advanced lighting and window
shading system includes automated lighting levels
for daylighting, occupancy, shading, and preset
controls for patient care.
It's also about what's not in a room. Perkins
Eastman tried very hard to provide adequate
support space for staff to store all of the equipment
and carts required for patient care outside
of the patient rooms and hallways-the idea being
that by hiding those items that feel more
clinical, we could create a hospitality experience
instead of a clinical one.
Depending on
weather, solariums
can be opened up to
enjoy the outdoors
or closed to serve as
interior living room
spaces with views.
This project offered an opportunity to streamline operations, as
well. How did you enhance efficiency in care delivery?
The Oak Pavilion radically changes the existing patient and staff workflow,
allowing the building's layout to enhance the functionality and operational
efficiency of the hospital. Support services are stacked below surgery and
served by dedicated elevators to transport supplies. Surgical recovery areas
are six times larger than the existing areas and allow for flexibility with
both pre-surgical prep and post-surgery recovery. Because of the larger
unit sizes, we were able to have nice-sized nurses' stations decentralized
around the units. Support spaces are distributed in the middle of the floor,
accessed by staff-only corridors.
For more on this project, see page 66. 
Jennifer Kovacs Silvis is editor-in-chief of Healthcare Design. She can be
reached at JENNIFER.SILVIS@EMERALDX.COM.
AU GUST 2021
51
© TIM GRIFFITH COURTESY PERKINS EASTMAN
Healthcare Design - August 2021

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