News Release

For Immediate Release
Contact: Susan Rubin, 312.422.3810

The PDC Conference Announces the Addition of the Green Patient Room

(Chicago, February 1, 2008) The American Society for Healthcare Engineering (ASHE) of the American Hospital Association (AHA) will be featuring the “Green Patient Room” at the 2008 International Conference on Health Facility Planning Design and Construction™ (PDC) in Orlando, FL March 10-13, 2008. Developed by the architectural firm Anshen+Allen in conjunction with the International Facility Management Association (IFMA) Health Care Council and SKANSKA, the Green Patient Room is a life-sized patient room exhibiting sustainable design practices in action.

This unique patient room details how going Green can benefit the environment, your facility, patients, visitors, and staff, while offerings suggestions on how to incorporate sustainable principles into your operations. Hospitals, and in particular patient rooms, are losing their institutional look and feel as researchers continue using the concept of evidence based design. Healthcare organizations can enhance patient care through the creation of healing and sustainable environments by incorporating Green materials and technologies into their design.

“As sustainability and going green increases as a priority on our national agenda, it also impacts the way that we think about the healthcare environment, so take a tour of the Green Patient Room at the PDC and see for yourself the sustainable design steps you can take to improve patient care and create friendlier, more efficient and healthier patient care areas to truly create healing environments, said John Wood, 2008 ASHE President CHFM, SASHE. “Each time I see the Green Patient Room, I walk away with more ways to use the concepts presented in my facility.”

Over the past few months, thousands of people have had an opportunity to visit the Green Patient Room to see for themselves how going green can enhance patient outcomes, while increasing patient, family and staff satisfaction. The design showcases how patient care can improve by increasing efficiency and reducing the anxiety of medical staff, patients and families. The Green Patient Room is divided into three unique zones: patient, family and staff. Each zone is meant to improve patient care by increasing comfort and minimizing disorder and stress:

Patient Zone

This includes the bathroom and much of the bedroom, and is designed to provide patients as much control over their environment as possible. Potentially intimidating medical equipment is discreetly located on one side of the patient bed, where it is easily accessible to medical staff, yet out of sight of patients and their families.

Family Zone

This zone is designed to encourage family stays, as studies show families who visit frequently and stay longer are more involved in patient care, helping to improve patient well being and facilitate healing. Reminiscent of a living room, the family zone features a sleeper sofa, television, desktop space and other amenities.

Staff Zone

This zone is organized to accommodate staff workflow and provide better
access to equipment by reducing clutter and improving lighting, thereby helping minimize injury and medical error.

About ASHE
The American Society for Healthcare Engineering (ASHE), a personal membership group of the American Hospital Association (AHA), represents more than 8,700 facilities managers, engineers, clinical engineering/ medical equipment managers, and professionals in the fields of facility management, healthcare design, construction and safety. With the many government regulations and other codes and standards affecting healthcare facilities, ASHE’s efforts are focused on providing its members with much needed information and education through comprehensive publications and educational programming. For further information on ASHE, please visit www.ashe.org.