Healthcare Design - January/February 2025 - 44

be pulled to raise and lower the shade. " For an
older adult, it's very difficult to twist the wand
if you have an arthritic hand, " says CannonDesign's
Kaminski. " But that loop design makes it
more accessible. "
Christina Early
CONTINUED STRIDES
Behavioral health products have been on
Nightingale judges' radar for several years as
growing demand for services and facility improvements
continue to drive the market for
new products.
Looking at this year's entrants in the category,
Benoit says she was encouraged to see that products
are " becoming much more aesthetically
pleasing. " For example, she notes, Pineapple
Contracts' Arc bathroom line, which took home
a Gold Award in the Behavioral Health Bathroom
Fittings & Furnishings category, looks like
a piece of furniture but is seamless and safe for
patients and their caregivers. She also appreciated
Visa Lighting's Liberty Switches for having
clean lines. " It's simple yet rated for high-abuse
areas, " Benoit says. " I would specify it in any environment. "
The product was recognized with a
Nightingale Innovation Award.
Along with these improvements, several jurors
noted that there could be an opportunity
for some behavioral health furniture to be considered
for other acute care environments, to
meet a facility's need for durable and cleanable
furnishings that support a range of patients. " I
think there are spaces in medical units where
this type of furniture could be utilized, like
family lounges, " Kenson of FCA says.
Branches Health Consulting 's Dumser
agrees, adding that she's seeing more product
features such as secure clean outs, fabrics, and
color options that could make them more fl exible
for use in acute care settings and " not just
pegged as behavioral health. "
Flannery says expanding those product lines
so they're safe and appropriate for different
uses and departments could help blur the lines
between different care settings to support a
holistic facility design. " You get this cohesive
look across an entire system without thinking,
'I know I just stepped into behavioral health,
and now I know I'm in the labor and delivery
department,' " she says. " It's nicer with those
blurred lines, so everyone feels that they're being
treated the same. "
However, Cole notes that some behavioral
44
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2025
Heather Flannery
" THE ENTRIES THAT WE WERE EXCITED ABOUT
WERE ACTIVELY SOLVING PROBLEMS THAT
OUR TEAMS, WHETHER ITS DESIGN OR
FACILITIES, ARE UP AGAINST EVERY DAY. "
-LAUREN COLE, PROVIDENCE HEALTH
Pam Houston
health products come at a premium, which may limit their application on
some projects. " We don't always have the budget to support distributing
it across the facility as much as we would like. "
CannonDesign's Kaminski adds that while manufacturers have listened
to the industry's needs for safe, durable, and aesthetically pleasing
products for behavioral health environments, many options use plastic
materials to meet these needs. As the industry continues to make strides,
she says she'd like to see other alternatives. " The pandemic accelerated
interest in behavioral health, so now the monies are there and therefore
the research and development are definitely accelerated, and I think it
shows, " she says.
Margi Kaminski
FUTURE DEMANDS
Jennifer Kenson
Looking to future needs for healthcare environments, Early says she sees
an opportunity for more products and services to support renovations,
such as furniture, transitional flooring solutions, and accessories that
complement or enhance the existing built environment. " We're trying to
fi nd things that actually mirror up and functionally work in a space where
I may keep the casework, but I might change the laminate to a solid surface
or the fl ooring may change, " she says. " When you're in an old environment
and trying to renovate and update it to the new standards or branding,
it's a challenge. "
Kenson says she'd like to see more medical equipment " catch up to the
furniture industry, " such as non-plastic options for waste bins and soiled
materials containers that better complement patient room designs, as
well as more aesthetically pleasing storage options for personal protective
equipment that are " nice without having to do a custom built-in. "
As healthcare clients continue to face financial pressures amid rising
acuity care needs and an ever-changing market, Kirksey Architecture's
Crum says she is seeing more scrutiny over project budgets and price
points, driving demand for more aff ordable products. " My most recent clients
are looking for lounge guest chairs that meet the quality that healthcare
environments demand under $400, " she says. " They're looking for
very tight price points that I've never had to accommodate before. " 
Anne DiNardo is editor-in-chief of Healthcare Design. She can be reached at
ANNE.DINARDO@EMERALDX.COM .
HCDMAGAZINE.COM
HAMILTON HEALTHCARE SYSTEM (CHRISTINA EARLY); COURTESY OF HORD COPLAN MACHT (HEATHER FLANNERY); RICHARD BARLOW PHOTOGRAPHY, INC.
(PAM HOUSTON); COURTESY OF CANNONDESIGN (MARGI KAMINSKI); ALYSSA MALOOF (JENNIFER KENSON); TENSORSPARK - STOCK.ADOBE.COM

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Healthcare Design - January/February 2025

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