The 2021 Center for Health Design Touchstone Awards recognize HGA’s commitment to Evidence-Based Design research with clients to achieve improved workflows and patient outcomes in healthcare design.
Two HGA-designed projects have been recognized by the Center for Health Design with Touchstone Awards for Evidence-Based Design (EBD) research excellence, including Gold for SSM Health, South Madison Campus in Madison, Wisconsin, and Silver for an Inclusive Patient Room & Unit Design conceptual research study.
Research highlights include:
SSM Health, South Madison Campus – Gold
The South Madison Campus replacement clinic, currently under construction, includes SSM Health pediatrics, family medicine, internal medicine, women’s health, cancer care, and orthopedics programs. The interior planning features an open configuration that enhances team-based collaborative care, eliminates siloed episodic care, and increases patient throughput with universal exam rooms.
To gather data, Tanya Singh Chadha, AAIA, EDAC, Medical Planner, and Kara Freihoefer, PhD, EDAC, Director of Research, conducted a pre-occupancy evaluation of the existing SSM Health Dean Fish Hatchery facility in Madison. They adopted a mixed-method approach that included shadowing, Gemba Walks, staff surveys, and patients and family advisory task force to evaluate the current operational state and identify improvements. Stakeholders were engaged during each phase of design to pilot test design interventions and run care scenarios with the use of full-scale mock ups and augmented reality. The research subsequently informed the design of the replacement clinic.
The South Madison Campus also received a 2021 EDRA CORE Merit Award.
Inclusive Patient Room & Unit Design – Silver
This research study focused on improving inpatient room design for patients with comorbid behavioral health and medical conditions. Led by Terri Zborowsky, PhD, EDAC, Design Researcher, the interdisciplinary research team consisting of medical planners, architects, clinicians, psychologists/psychiatrists, nurses, and facilities planners engaged in a series of interactive workshops to envision the ideal inpatient room.
Applying animation, virtual/augmented reality, online questionnaires, secondary research, and other research tools, the team identified six Critical-to-Quality needs (CtQs) to guide design solutions, including improve staff safety; improve patient safety; increase patient and staff satisfaction; promote family-centered care; increase staff efficiency; and create a healing, calming environment.
The data from this study filled a gap in current industry research and provides a foundation for future work in behavioral health and comorbidity inpatient rooms.
About the Touchstone Awards
Sponsored by The Center for Health Design, the Touchstone Awards recognize Evidence-Based Design (EBD) in increasing value, improving outcomes, and engaging stakeholders in the design of healthcare projects. A panel of industry experts across healthcare, architecture, and academia evaluated the winning entries.
Three HGA-designed projects previously have been recognized with Touchstone Awards, including Gold for the 7 North Tower Medical Surgical Unit Build-out at Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee; WI; Silver for Kentucky Children’s Hospital (KCH) Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) for University of Kentucky HealthCare in Lexington, KY; and Silver for the B4/4 Neuroscience Intensive Care Unit at UW Health University Hospital in Madison, WI.
The Touchstone Awards will be presented at the Healthcare Design Expo + Conference in Cleveland, Ohio, October 23 – 26, 2021.
For more information, visit the Touchstone Awards.