Four Creative Solutions From Other Industries To Be Utilized In Healthcare Design

Across various industries architects and designers are adapting their designs to accommodate new needs like additional space or include durable materials ideal for increased cleaning.

These new fundamental needs have inspired designers to seek innovative solutions that help the peace of mind for those accompanying the space. Learn from these four industry applications and how they can be utilized in healthcare design.

1. Cleanable Sound Barriers

As social distancing barriers come in many forms are being implemented in corporate offices, it can be replicated in healthcare design as well. The commonly seen plastic barrier divider or fabric curtain may allow for easy cleaning but does not have great acoustical properties. The best of both worlds come in the form of a fully encapsulated panel that absorbs high levels of sound are ideal. For hygienic wall panels or acoustical ceiling tiles, check out Saint-Gobain Ecophon Hygiene™ that is great for absorbing sound with the ability to sterilize too. They are even bleach-cleanable and have proven reliable to aid a turn over a patient room with optimal clean. An excellent option for healthcare to control sound beautifully with an ease of cleaning.

2. Freshness From Wall To Wall

Many international hotel brands have amplified their cleaning protocol and are finding new ways to comfort guests outside of their homes. With every surface material being disinfected frequently, it’s important to source materials that do not breakdown with excessive cleanings. An area that may have been overlook in the past are the walls in hotel rooms, lobbies and hallways. Select a highly durable wall solution like DuPont™ Tedlar™ Wallcoverings is an excellent solution. Tedlar™ Wallcoverings are mold and mildew resistant and can withstand even the harshest chemicals without cracking the surface.

3. Fade-Resistant Exteriors

With project budgets tightening, the need to keep designs timeless with a contemporary feel is increasingly important. A fade resistant exterior using an architectural fabric that is long lasting helps with less frequent renovations in the future. From Napa Valley wineries to East coast universities, Shelter-Rite® by Seaman has created structures that protect people and their facilities for decades. Reimagine elements of healthcare facilities, such as a sparkling white tent entrance to a medical center or a trendy tensile fabric stretched overhead in an outdoor hospital corridor or café. The UV-fade protected colors allow designers to match the exterior of the buildings or tie the interior shades to the outside

4. Disinfecting Every Surface, Even Mile High

Just like hotels, the airplane industry is coming up with new ways to comfort travelers with increased cleaning after every flight. Major airlines are making headlines with the new cleaning chemicals being adopted to combat the COVID-19 virus. Yet what may come as a surprise to many frequent flyers, is that the cabin surfaces are protected with a superior film that slows the growth of bacteria. From the sidewalls to the bulkhead partition, these areas are covered by Tedlar® PVC films. The thermoform capabilities of Tedlar® are ideal to the many curves and bends on the airplane interiors. This same film can be applied to the case goods in medical facilities, or the flooring of the hospital.

 

Source: healthcare design

 

 

 

North Texas Walmarts Are Launching Oak Street Health Clinics

Chicago-based Oak Street Health announced its arrival in North Texas earlier this year, and now the value-based network is partnering with the world’s largest corporation. Walmart will be launching Oak Street Health in three of its supercenters in Dallas-Fort Worth this year.

Walmart Supercenters in Arlington, Benbrook, and Carrollton will soon transition their Walmart Care Clinics to Oak Street Health centers.

“As we grow Walmart Health locations in other markets, we think Oak Street Health’s innovative value-based healthcare model will help us continue to deliver on our live better promise at these locations,” said said Marcus Osborne, senior vice president of Walmart Health via release.

A rendering of the Benbrook Walmart with Oak Street Health clinic (IMAGE CREDIT: Oak Street Health)

The clinics will offer comprehensive and preventative primary care and urgent care services. Extended hours for walk-ins and same day appointments are part of the plans as well. All patients are welcome to the clinic, but Oak Street says its focus is on the Medicare population. There are 60 Oak Street locations around the country and the clinics’ patients have experienced a 41 percent reduction in hospital visits and a 49 percent reduction in emergency room visits compared to Medicare benchmarks.

“It is our mission at Oak Street Health to rebuild healthcare as it should be, and that aligns directly with Walmart’s history of providing accessible and equitable health care in communities across the country,” said Mike Pykosz, CEO of Oak Street Health via release. “We look forward to becoming a positive addition to the neighborhood in these new markets and providing an unmatched healthcare experience in a convenient location.”

 

Source: D CEO Healthcare Magazine

Medical Groups Eye Winter Park’s Skycraft Site For New Office Development

An iconic Winter Park property — that’s been targeted for redevelopment for months — may soon land a buyer.

“Several medical office groups have signed letters of intent to buy the Skycraft Parts & Surplus Inc. property at 2245 W. Fairbanks Ave.,” said Glen Jaffee, senior associate at Cushman & Wakefield, who is marketing the site.

A company was under contract to buy the site, but the deal fell through due to Covid-19. The property has been on the market for less than a year.The Skycraft building may be razed to make way for up to 25,000 square feet of office space on the site.

“No plans have been submitted to the city of Winter Park, but a company is expected to go under contract for the site in the next month,” Jaffee said. “Medical doesn’t go away. There’s always going to be an interest and a need for medical use.”

The site is attractive because it’s in the affluent city of Winter Park and it’s next to Interstate 4, which has 157,000 vehicles a day. That access to I-4 means people from all over the region may be more willing to drive to the site for medical services.

Skycraft Parts & Surplus Inc. currently owns the 0.76-acre property, which features a 6,492-square-foot commercial structure built in 1978, according to Orange County records. The property’s market value is $1.2 million, Orange County records showed.

It’s the latest redevelopment project either proposed or recently completed along Fairbanks Avenue, which is located in an in-demand Winter Park retail area. That’s because retail space on Fairbanks is a bit more affordable than along nearby U.S. 17-92.

“The Fairbanks corridor is going to continue to see a significant uptick in new development, repositions and re-skins,” said Matt Weinberger, vice president of office and industrial advisory services at Millenia Partners, who isn’t involved with the Skycraft property.

More Medical

There may be more medical space that rises nearby. In July, Winter Park-based Raja Investors LLC purchased 954 S. Orlando Ave. for $3.5 million, according to Orange County records. The entity is tied to medical company Orlando Neurosurgery at 1605 W. Fairbanks Ave., state records showed. One of the entity’s managers is Dr. Ravi Gandhi, a physician with Orlando Neurosurgery. Dr. Gandhi wasn’t available for comment. The property’s seller was Krlkm LLP, and the 0.84-acre property features roughly 16,800 square feet of commercial space.

It’s the latest investment for Gandhi whose Winter Park-based Verax Fairbanks LLC in May 2018 paid $3.5 million to buy a 1.6-acre, vacant city-owned site at 1111 W. Fairbanks Ave. A roughly two-story, 20,000-square-foot medical office building was built on the site, and Orlando Health Women’s Pavilion opened as a tenant in June 2020.

Retail Stats

The Winter Park/Maitland retail submarket is one of the most in-demand areas in Central Florida. The submarket features 1.5 million square feet of retail space and a 1.8% average vacancy rate, Colliers International Central Florida reported. That’s well below the Orlando area’s 5.8% average vacancy rate, showing demand for retail space. In addition, the submarket’s average retail rental rate of $36.41 per square foot is nearly double the Orlando-area average of $18.87 per square foot, showing big demand for retail.

 

Source: Orlando Business Journal