Grumman|Butkus Associates, a firm of energy efficiency consultants and sustainable design engineers, has released the results of its 2023 Hospital Energy and Water Benchmarking Survey, focusing on healthcare facilities’ resource usage trends and costs for calendar years 2021 and 2022.

For the first time, the report charts and historical data are available at a dedicated website, including pull-down menus for sorting data by facility characteristics (e.g., hospitals with purchased steam or in-house laundry). These tools will make it easier for users to make comparisons between the survey data and patterns in their own facilities. Users can also choose some aspects of data presentation (e.g., $/therm vs. $/MMBtu in the fossil fuel energy chart).

Since GBA initiated the survey more than 25 years ago, hospitals’ overall fossil fuel use has trended downward, but electricity use isn’t declining as much. The average combined Btu/ft2 (electricity plus gas/steam) for participating facilities was 223,778 in 2021 and 226,081in 2022, both down from the 236,743 Btu/ft2 reported in CY2020. However, interpretation of year-to-year trends should be tempered by the realization that the respondent pool for 2020-22 would have usage patterns influenced by the Covid-19 pandemic.

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by Kristin Zeit — As a Level 1 adult and pediatric trauma center and safety-net hospital, Hennepin Healthcare in Minneapolis serves a diverse population, including many low-income, uninsured, and/or unhoused individuals seeking a broad range of care. Within the past 10 years, the healthcare system has expanded its buildings and services via a $192 million outpatient center — the Hennepin Clinic & Specialty Center (HCSC), completed in 2018 — and, most recently, an innovative new clinic called the Redleaf Center for Family Healing, serving postpartum families with mental health and other support services. As a county hospital, they face perpetual financial challenges, so when funding became available, Hennepin Healthcare was determined to do more with these new spaces.

Centralized clinics offer easier access and operations

Before the addition of Hennepin Clinic & Specialty Center (HCSC), Hennepin had 26 clinics scattered among six imposing concrete buildings of its downtown campus. For patients with multiple appointments in a day, it created an inefficient and potentially stressful scavenger hunt experience, particularly for those who didn’t speak English.

BWBR Architects (Saint Paul, MN) was hired to plan and design a new building to house all the clinics under one roof, and they chose a site directly across from the medical center’s ER and urgent care entrance. This would be the first building in 40 years to be added to the hospital, and the team made the most of the opportunity, with an L-shaped structure clad in earthy orange metal panels (echoing nearby historic brownstones) and a curving glass façade.

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The International Association for Healthcare Security & Safety (IAHSS) has announced the launch of the its Threat Assessment and Management in Healthcare Interactive Live Online Program. The program will teach healthcare security practitioners the principles and basic skills needed to address active assailant events. The program includes interactive case studies and guided scenario discussions that give learners an opportunity to immediately apply the knowledge gained in the course.

With the increase of active assailant events throughout workplaces, schools, houses of worship, and healthcare facilities, it has become more and more clear that no one is immune. Responding to an active threat after the fact is not enough to provide a safe and secure work environment. While impossible to predict who will conduct the next violent act, targeted violence itself can be preventable if you know what the risk factors and warning signs are – and how to address persons who come to our attention and appear to be on a pathway to violence. This program teaches healthcare security practitioners the principles and basic skills needed to address this growing threat.

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Inspired by the restorative connection between nature and wellness, and anchored by performance and sustainability, Natural Attraction by Stinson focuses on an affinity for the natural world around us. A walk in the woods, the pitter patter of rain, the swirling, soothing sensations of water currents, the tiny pebbles at the bottom of a flowing stream, each of these creates a positive art form now translated to high-performance textiles specifically designed for healing environments.

From soft pastels to deep saturated jewel tones, the colors, textures and patterns have been designed to complement healing environments. Upon first glance, taking cues from nature, it is easy to feel and understand that the collection is focused on a sense of calm and well-being. The simple yet sophisticated textures and patterns can be intermingled depending on the intended environment or application. The privacy curtain, Echo, has been designed to work with the upholstery surfaces. Other finishes and surfaces commonly used in healthcare have been considered.

Visit Stinson at HCD Expo booth #220.

by Danine Alati —Rooted in human-centric design, OM Seating is redefining ergonomic seating with products like OM5,Plot Twist, and Werksy — blending enhanced style and comfort to meet the demands of modern work environments.

“We think about people first,” attests Wilson Chow, CEO and president of OM Seating. “We are always striving to find better ways to design and build seating solutions that support people wherever they’re working — whether that is with traditional task seating, or for a modern-day, WFH-driven community space. We want to provide seating for all kinds of working environments — everywhere and every way people work. We truly listen to our customers: We ask, how do people actually sit — not how we think they should sit. Then we design seating that intuitively adapts to as many of these scenarios as we can.” 

Sit, spin and roll with Plot Twist

Plot Twist is a mobile, swiveling pouf with options including a connected, sit-to-stand, height-adjustable tablet that orbits around the seat for ambidextrous use. Supremely functional and utterly playful, Plot Twist is a surprisingly self-contained and multifunctional mobile work seat that easily adapts to multiple contexts. Plot Twist changes the way users think about movement, function and collaboration across all sorts of doing-thinking-gathering environments.

Visit OM Seating at HCD Expo booth # 327.

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by Sara Marberry — Have you ever been in one of Apple’s iconic city center stores designed by Foster+Partners? They are truly spectacular, delivering a retail experience like no other. And the architecture and design of these buildings is what drives that experience. Even more important, these stores are an embodiment of the Apple brand.



The notion of experience design is pretty common in the retail and entertainment industries, but nobody does it better than Apple. So, I wondered what those of you who are planning and designing healthcare facilities could learn from Apple.

Human-centered design approach

Apple’s design approach is human-centered, with the goal to promote customer engagement, create a community around their products, and embody the Apple lifestyle. Healthcare providers could do this by designing facilities to better engage patients, create a community around quality care, and embody a healthy lifestyle. Common design features of Apple stores include:

• Light-filled spaces
• Glass staircases
• Access to the outdoor steps and plazas
• Brushed metallic surfaces
• Green walls and indoor trees

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CERSAIE, the International Exhibition of Ceramic Tile and Bathroom Furnishings, will take place in Bologna, Italy, the heart of the Italian ceramics industry, September 23-27, 2024. With 600+ international exhibitors, trade professionals at this year's show can expect to see thousands of debut tile products that offer new design possibilities for healthcare facilities. This year's show features another Pritzker Prize-winning speaker along with other extraordinary learning opportunities for architecture and design professionals and specifiers.

Ceramics of Italy’s Tile Competition invites design professionals to submit projects that use Italian ceramic and porcelain tile from Ceramics of Italy brands. Initially launched as two separate programs, The Ceramics of Italy Tile Competition for North American project submissions and La Ceramica Progetto for European project submissions, the two programs have been combined into one global competition to celebrate the exceptional and inventive use of Italian tile across multiple project categories. The competition will operate on an alternative basis, with one year dedicated to European projects and the following year for North American projects. The North American cycle of the competition will open later this year.

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Medical software and mobile medical equipment (MME) company TAGCarts has joined forces with Inpro, a provider of interior protection, to introduce the TAG-X Smart Rail. This wireless, contactless charging device is designed to seamlessly integrate with TAGCarts’ ecosystem of MME and software. The TAG-X Smart Rail is designed to enhance healthcare efficiency, optimize battery health, and improve staff mobility and safety.

The TAG-X Smart Rail combines patented TAGCarts technology with a durable Inpro wall guard, offering wireless charging for all medical carts and mobile medical equipment, regardless of battery size or chemistry type. This product eliminates the need for hazardous cords and costly swappable battery systems currently in use. By using existing infrastructure in healthcare facilities, such as bed guards, handrails and wall protection, the TAG-X Smart Rail can be added to any environment.

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The many aspects of future-oriented office building management will be front and center at ORGATEC 2024, taking place October 22-25 in Cologne (Köln), Germany. In conjunction with rehub and CADEMI, international trade fair ORGATEC 2024 will bring expert speakers and a unique office showcase to the stage, packed with inspiration and innovations developed by professionals for professionals.

The #OfficeXperience Focus Area in Hall 8 will showcase a wide range of the industry’s creative and sustainable office building management solutions. This new community aims to decipher trendsetting key topics beyond sector-specific boundaries and show businesses how to leverage them profitably in their facilities today.

A variety of companies and institutions have joined forces to organize the Focus Area. The following organizations will be among those showcasing their ideas and concepts aimed at addressing the requirements of the modern world of work: BRITA; Interface; Gantner; Saint Gobain Ecophon (SoundProof); Nespresso Professional; Création Baumann; the German Facility Management Association (GEFMA); the Association of German Interior Architects (BDIA); Deutsches Netzwerk Büro (German Office Network, DNB); KLIMAKUSTIK by Beiermeister; Room.Building.Partner; Florafilt; Hettich, SIGMA System Audio-Visuell; Chameleon; Spaceti; Strähle; System180 and TRILUX.

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Titus, a supplier of air distribution systems used around the world, has launched the Nexus OR (Operating Room) Suite, an all-in-one OR system that delivers clean air and high-quality lighting, while maximizing space and performance in hospital operating rooms. The fully customized system features a modular design using combinations of airflow diffusers, gel-seal HEPA filters and LED lights that allow for virtually unlimited layout options. With this flexibility, the system can be designed to meet exact OR specifications with fast and quiet installation.

"As operating rooms become more complex with advancements in technology and the continuous desire to enhance patient care, the amount of surgical and communication equipment has expanded," stated Steve Attri, product manager, Air Distribution Technologies. The state-of-the-art, ceiling-mounted Nexus OR Suite seamlessly connects air, light and more while freeing up room space crucial in today’s designs. Surgical teams will appreciate improved visibility thanks to direct, high-output LED lighting.

The Nexus OR Suite integrates OR-grade LED lighting within laminar airflow diffusers, which help isolate and protect the patient from contaminated air. It simplifies compliance with the requirements for airflow and coverage area for ASHRAE 170, which provides guidance for ventilation in healthcare facilities (including surgery rooms), along with IEC Standard 60601-2-41:2021, which outlines requirements for safety and performance of surgical luminaires.

Read more . . .

This week's Featured Book from FMLink Books is part of a collection of peer-reviewed books curated by the FMLink editorial team to provide facilities, engineering and A&D professionals with access to publications relating to the ADA/Accessibility topic.

ICC/ANSI A117.1-2017 - Standard for Accessible and Usable Buildings and Facilities is designed to help to make sure your building and business is accessible to people with handicaps or disabilities.

Interest categories include:

1. Applications and Administration
2. Scoping
3. Building Blocks
4. Accessible Routes
5. General Site and Building Elements
6. Plumbing Elements and Facilities
7. Communication Elements and Features
8. Special Rooms and Spaces
9. Furnishings and Equipment

This and other ADA/Accessibility titles are available for purchase on FMLink.