Healthcare Design - November 2021 - 52

with HDR (Arlington, Va.), Cullen says it was important during planning
and design to not only discuss how to meet increased patient volumes and
design a facility that would be optimal for patients, families, and staff , but
also address how cancer treatments are changing and anticipate future
care needs. For example, he says, some bone marrow transplants, which
have traditionally been done as inpatient, are increasingly being performed
in an outpatient setting, while new infusion methods and new cellular
therapies also are starting to gain traction. " We try to look not only
at what our cancer patients' needs are now but also anticipate where the
fi eld is going so we'll be able to provide these novel treatments for our patients
in a wonderful setting 10 to 15 years down the road, " Cullen says.
interior environments, pushing to develop a
patient-centric experience that has a less clinical
and more hospitality-inspired aesthetic. The
brand standards developed for the new cancer
pavilion create an overall design vocabulary that
covers everything from furniture and finishes
to artwork, lighting, signage, donor walls, and
plantings and will be used to inform future cancer
care projects, as well.
A hallmark of that effort, Kenyon says, is a
BUILDING ADDITIONS
As the cancer care sector focuses on delivering updated facilities to address
evolving clinical approaches, several new treatment spaces are rising to the
forefront. For example, UMGCCC's new facility has expanded outpatient
capabilities, including extended hours and increased monitoring support
to meet the anticipated rise in transplant services in the outpatient environment,
Cullen says.
Oncology urgent care centers are also being incorporated into more projects
as a way to address the specifi c needs of cancer patients as well as help
keep immune-compromised cancer patients out of the general emergency
department, including at both UMGCCC and the Henry Ford Cancer Institute's
Brigitte Harris Cancer Pavilion in Detroit, which opened in January.
As these new spaces are introduced in more cancer centers across the
country, existing care environments, such as infusion and exam rooms,
also are evolving. For example, in infusion treatment spaces, Jabbawy says
he's seeing more facilities move away from a sea of bays with lower partitions
to environments that support more privacy, allow patients to sit with
family members, incorporate views to the outdoors, and give some control
over the environment. " The whole notion of choice becomes important,
and it's driving signifi cant square footage increases [in these departments], "
he says.
At UMGCCC's Roslyn and Leonard Stoler Center for Advanced Medicine,
Cullen says the project team tested diff erent designs and layouts for
infusion before choosing to off er a mix of semiprivate cubicles with some
private rooms for patients who are sicker or request a more private setting.
Ann Kenyon, vice president and health studio leader at SmithGroup
(Detroit), which provided medical planning, architecture, interior architecture,
and engineering services on the Henry Ford project, adds that
there's also an emphasis on making infusion spaces feel less clinical in nature
to deliver a more comforting setting. For Henry Ford, that meant designing
the infusion bays with custom millwork to hide clinical elements,
such as sharps containers and trash bins, from patients' view.
As for exam room updates, at the Henry Ford cancer pavilion, rooms are
designed for both care delivery and consultations, with the diff erent members
of the clinical team coming to the patient rather than the patient moving
around to various locations to see clinicians. " Not only does that give
the patient peace of mind and comfort, but it improves patient satisfaction.
They can tailor the visit [to the patient's needs], " she says.
MAKING A STATEMENT
While more projects continue to expand services and improve experience,
they're also implementing branded approaches to further help differentiate
themselves from competitors. For example, Kenyon says that
SmithGroup worked with the Henry Ford Cancer Institute to rebrand its
52
NOVEMBER 2021
For conference and
registration details,
visit HCDexpo.com.
SPOTLIGHT ON
HCD EXPO
To learn more
about trends
in cancer care
design and hear
case studies on recent
projects, check
out these sessions at
the 2021 HCD Expo
& Conference, Oct.
23-26 in Cleveland.
E16: A River Runs
Through It: Integrating
Landscape into
the Patient Experience,
Sunday, Oct.
24, 11:15 a.m.12:15
p.m.
E34: All Hands On
Deck: Designing a
New Comprehensive
Cancer Center,
Monday, Oct. 25,
9:45-10:45 a.m.
E36: Have A Good
Trip: Designing for
Psychedelic Treatments,
Monday,
Oct. 25, 9:4510:45
a.m.
E45: Developing an
Evolving Facilities
Brand at Memorial
Sloan Kettering,
Monday, Oct. 25,
2:00-3:00 p.m.
E82: How to Translate
the Future of
Cancer Care Into a
Facility, Tuesday, Oct.
26, 1:15-2:15 p.m.
wood and blue wall located in the lobby called
the " DNA wall, " which is designed to symbolize
the human touch that's involved with the cancer
treatment process coupled with the innovation
and high-tech treatment, with both materials
laid out in a DNA pattern to identify the precision
medicine that's delivered at the facility.
Similar blue colors and wood elements are featured
in other areas of the cancer center, such as
the infusion area and the Tumor Board Room,
a multidisciplinary staff treatment planning
area, creating a cohesive design statement that
supports the overall branding. " Developing a
design language fosters a common aesthetic and
patient experience no matter which facility the
patient is receiving treatment at, " Kenyon says.
Experts add that artwork, specifically, is becoming
a more common layer in delivering a
sense of comfort, as well-especially considering
how much time people may spend in cancer centers,
Jabbawy says. " Not just for infusion. Even if
they're coming for radiation therapy, it's a recurring
thing, " he says. " So there's a level of trying
to engage these patients and de-stress them. "
But instead of using beige and warm wood tones,
which may be associated with homey design, he
says eff orts should focus on creating positive visual
elements that can help take patients out of
their internalized stress. " There's a level of color
engagement, contrast, interest, and variety that
you need to work on because not everything appeals
to everyone, " Jabbawy says.
SmithGroup's Kenyon agrees, adding that an
art program can also help strengthen the connection
between a facility and the population it
serves. " It's a difficult journey to go through, so
any support that we can provide the patient as
they are going through this challenging time is
important, " she says.
Anne DiNardo is executive editor of Healthcare
Design. She can be reached at ANNE.DINARDO@
EMERALDX.COM .
HCDMAGAZINE.COM
http://www.HCDexpo.com http://www.HCDMAGAZINE.COM
Healthcare Design - November 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Healthcare Design - November 2021
