In healthcare, serving people means giving special attention to patients, nurses, doctors, and other people involved in the continuum of care. Herman Miller does this by understanding and empathizing with each person’s experience. We then do our best to share these insights with product development teams through reports, hallway conversations, and workshops. The results become the award-winning designs like the Oasis Overbed Table and Compass System.

Our people-approach to design was recently recognized by Planetree, a nonprofit and long-time advocate of patient-centered care. Invited to become a member of their Planetree Visionary Design Network (PVDN), Herman Miller works with the organization and its partners to inspire and create healing spaces that begin with people.

A new Herman Miller experience is taking shape as we put the final touches on our new Healthcare Experience Center. The new space, conceived as a holistic experience that begins the moment guests arrive, was a year in the making.

The Center and its adjoining spaces are the collaborative result of healthcare experts, architects, designers, nurse consultants, salespeople, our customer experience team, and many more—a true team effort.

Covering the entire continuum of care, the Center demonstrates Herman Miller Healthcare’s human-centered approach to product development and shows the range of solutions that Herman Miller Healthcare and Nemschoff provide.

Why the debate? Mirror-image rooms like the one below share plumbing chases and medical gas and electrical lines. That’s efficient from an architectural point of view.

On the other hand, same-handed rooms like the one below don’t share chases and lines. That adds about $3,000 to $5,000 to the cost of each patient room.

Even with this added cost, an increasing number of hospitals are choosing same-handed design. They’re doing because they believe that standardized same-handed design contributes to better process and workflow. Trouble is, there’s very little evidence to support this belief.

So the debate goes on. We think it’s a healthy debate because it focuses attention on the important role design plays in patient-room settings. It’s generating new research into the merits of same-handed versus mirror-image design, too.

This is all good, but in all the research and all the talk, let’s not lose sight of the people who deliver care. Too much standardizing in the name of efficiency—prescribing, for example, their approach (either left or right) to patients—may backfire if we don’t involve them in the discussion.

Photos 2 & 3 credit: HKS Architects

It’s all about art. Kids’ art.

The idea, which originated with Dr. Bob Connors, head of the hospital, was to fill the facility with art created for and by children. And when the doors opened in January, more than 600 original creations, by nearly 9,000 West Michigan-area children, decorated the 14-floor facility.

“It was truly a community effort,” said Scott LaFontsee of LaFontsee Galleries/Underground Studios, who helped coordinate the huge effort that involved schools and other organizations as well as local artists who volunteered to help.

“When kids come to this place, they know it’s a children’s place,” said Dr. Connors, who was extremely pleased with the outcome.

Photo credit: Emily Zoladz, The Grand Rapids Press

The accreditation program provides participants with an understanding of how to incorporate findings such as the restorative effect of nature into healthcare building design decisions. For example, views of nature reduce a patient’s use of pain medication and reduce stress. We also know that private patient rooms reduce the spread of infection and improve communication between caregivers and patients and family.

Overall, I’m looking forward to putting this accreditation to work and becoming part of a community that focuses on the education and assessment of an evidence-based design process.

In fact, Doug Bazuin, a senior researcher with Herman Miller Healthcare and frequent contributor to Discover, recently had an article published by Hospitals & Health Networks about the Caregiver Goal Prioritization Pyramid. The article, called “The Pyramid of Caregiver Needs,” highlights the team’s research findings from nine hospital observations and 150 interviews.

Says Bazuin, “The pyramid reminds us to think through the multiple implications of any change or decision in a care giving process or environment. When we use the pyramid as an input into the design of a space or product, it can help to ensure we have considered all the variables and results in a better outcome for both the caregiver and the patient.”

He also is the co-founder of Continuum, an international design firm.

Here are seven questions (plus a half) for Gianfranco Zaccai:

1. What are you working on right now?

Well, I’m working on another project for Herman Miller. Like Compass, it’s in healthcare, which is a particularly compelling area to work in. When I first got out of design school, I began to focus on bringing a human touch to healthcare. That’s really vital.

There’s an overwhelming amount of technology in healthcare. Even doctors get overwhelmed by the evolution in certain disciplines. What gets lost is the human touch.

2. Which of your projects are you most proud of?

Years ago, I worked on another project for Herman Miller that never went to market, but it dealt with ways to allow people to stay at home as they aged or developed disabilities. We came up with a series of solutions for things like personal hygiene, for example. My own parents were aging at the time, so the development of the project came from observing them. When we were building prototypes, many people talked about how they needed something like it for their mothers—or for themselves. It never went into production, but those conversations indicated a need.

3. What inspires you? Where do you go for inspiration?

The way we approach any project is to get deeply into the context. So, with healthcare, we spend a lot of time in hospitals. We observe and talk to people—nurses, doctors, patients, cleaning staff. As a result, we are able to glean information that we’ve developed into a series of projects.

I also like to hike in the Italian Alps, especially the Dolomites. That’s a particularly wonderful place to be.

4. What work do you most admire by another artist or designer?

One guy I very much admire is Ettore Sottsass, founder of the Memphis collective. He was very pragmatic and was not afraid to step outside the bounds of what’s considered good design. His work was both rational and emotional at the same time.

I also admire Philippe Starck because he transforms everyday items into something you can experience in a different way. It’s very emotional design. I particularly like the flyswatter and the ghost chair.

And Renzo Piano, not only because he designs elegant buildings, but also because he incorporates elegant solutions, like bringing light into a gallery space, for example.

5. What would be your dream project?

To redesign the American healthcare system–the way healthcare is delivered, the way people collaborate, the way technology is integrated. We have a lot of Band-Aid solutions. Someone has to change the package.

And one-half: You’ve said that Compass is your favorite project. Why?

Compass deals with the sweet spot that I’m interested in—humanizing health care. If we’re successful, we will have created an environment in which providers can practice better healthcare and patients can feel that they’re well taken care of. Compass is a system that allows for efficient change, even if the hospital is 100 years old. It’s Utopian to think you can create the perfect environment for something when that something keeps changing.

6. What place in the world would you most like to visit?

Tibet, because of the mountains, but also because Asian art, architecture, and furniture is very appealing to me. I’ve been to other places in Asia, but not there.

7. What one thing do you want to accomplish before you die?

To make sure my children are headed in the right direction. Everyone has their own path to follow. I hope to do my part in preparing them to be good people and to achieve their dreams.

Photo via Syracuse University Magazine

Check out the latest Solution Essay to learn more about how Herman Miller helped two hospitals improve their processes.

The students did their own research, learning from interactions with office managers, nurses, physicians, and close family members who experienced these types of spaces and treatments.

“Research is a huge part of healthcare design. Herman Miller’s healthcare knowledge was a great assistance in our learning,” said student Melissa M. Suchowolec.

When asked to identify a key learning, there was consensus that the complexities and rigorous requirements of healthcare design were eye opening. The thoughtfulness and attention to detail would make them better designers of any space, not just healthcare.

Experiencing the students excitement, seeing their innovative designs, and hearing how this project had influenced their design thinking made this is a great collaboration and a meaningful experience for me and the Herman Miller team.

Here’s what they had to say about it:

Josh Boltinhouse
Stevens & Wilkinson, Columbia, SC
One thing that I took away from the conference was the incredible anti-microbial properties of copper. Most anti-microbial products simply don’t allow bacteria to multiply on them, but copper actively kills bacteria.

Amy Buller
Miles Associates, Oklahoma City, OK
Prior to the conference, I was aware of how important evidence-based design is to healthcare projects. What I learned at the conference, though, is that design implementations that do not produce assumed outcomes are just as important to discuss and share as those findings that do produce implicit results. I really appreciated the presenters who had the courage to share studies of multi-million dollar projects whose designs were assumed to be better for patients and staff but whose studies proved otherwise. These findings still help everyone in the design industry understand something new and should be shared.

Ryan Cameron
Visions in Architecture, Lincoln, NE
The one thing that stood out above all the sessions, demonstrations, and exhibits were the people. I cannot remember a conference of that size that I’ve been to where the people were as helpful, knowledgeable, and respectful as they were at HCD2010.

Seth Cantley
Liollio Architecture, Charleston, SC
The most important thing that I learned was healthcare sustainability is 20 times more demanding in consumption and waste than what the earth can handle. But several projects explored some great ideas that created incredible spaces, while giving back to the environment. Ideas like green public spaces in hospitals, operable windows for patients and power failure, and casework that can be easily switched as functions change are great examples that can revolutionize how we improve healthcare and the world.

Heather Greenfield
H+L Architecture, Denver, CO
One thing that I took away from this conference is just how important it is for architects and medical planners to collaborate with healthcare providers. After listening to sessions presented by medical professionals I learned that it is critical to have a medical staff member involved from day one to ensure that a well-functioning, highly technical and atheistically pleasing building is built. I believe that it the relationship should go further from just being an architect/client relationship to being a partnership between designers and healthcare professionals. I look forward to taking this insight and applying it to my career in healthcare design.

Julie Havens
HOK, Chicago, IL
The conference was great! I attended many lectures focused on master planning, emergency department, and international psychiatry design, which are my areas of interest right now, and was able to see many of the products we specify in our projects within the exhibit hall.

Kimberly Matteson
MEDNATIONAL, LLC, Fargo, ND
The most memorable thing that I learned from the conference is that it reinforced the path that I am on to be involved in healthcare architecture. The speakers at the sessions were so passionate about their research and concerned to find solutions to help patients, families, and staff. To be at the ACHA and AIA AAH meetings to see what true leaders in our industry are doing to improve the profession, be innovative, and create opportunities for others was inspiring to me and reinforced that this is what I want to be a part of.

Shruti Nathan
Anshen+Allen, part of Stantec Architecture, San Francisco, CA
As architects, interior designers and planners, what comes naturally to us is the ability to innovate, but the ability to innovate with the notion of empathy is what differentiates us from others and that’s what I am striving to achieve. The most valuable lesson I learned at the conference that I hope to adopt at every stage of my practice is to step outside myself and see the world from another person’s perspective. If we invent hospitals, we can bring the right change in them at any time!

Amanda Scott
Arkitex Studio, Inc. , Bryan, TX
The most memorable learning moment of the conference for me resides in a statement from an educational session on cancer facilities. The lecture began with the architect describing all of the wonderful design elements that the facility boasted. Then the facility representative follows by saying “What do you do with a skylight if there is a Melanoma patient sitting under it?” That statement really shocked me with the fact that a healthcare design is only as good as the support it lends the patient who is using it. I want to always remember that as I design in the future.

On a much more fun note, big feathers, sequins, some Elvis, and a little Frank Sinatra are quite memorable as well. So what happened in Vegas, will actually stay with me for quite sometime and add to my thoughts of better design for the future.

Congratulations to this year’s scholarship recipients and many thanks for sharing your experience with Discover!

The booth experience is one way we were able to provide insight into how Herman Miller Healthcare and its subsidiaries Nemschoff and Brandrud are bringing a new voice to healthcare.

Thanks to everyone who was able to stop by!

As part of the scholarship program, the company will sponsor the attendance of nine individuals at this year’s Healthcare Design conference in Las Vegas, November 13-16.

I thought it would be fun to catch-up with the scholarship recipients before the conference to find out what interests them about healthcare design and architecture. And, because creating a better world is important to Herman Miller, I specifically asked them how they think healthcare design and architecture can contribute to a better world.

Check out their thoughts about the subject:

Ryan Cameron
Visions in Architecture, Lincoln, NE
It is in a designer’s best interest to provide value to healthcare architecture—value created with better design through increased collaboration, new techniques and time for reflection. Future designers will need all three if they are to create a better world.

Seth Cantley
Liollio Architecture, Charleston, SC
Healthcare already has a great impact on the community, economy, and environment. How we grow and improve this network with better human scale connections, balance with nature, and comfort technology will show our true knowledge.

Josh Boltinhouse
Stevens & Wilkinson, Columbia, SC
By improving and influencing the built environment of those who are sick or have loved ones who are sick, we’re able to take some of the worst moments of the human experience and make them better, which, in my mind, makes for a better world.

Amy Buller
Miles Associates, Oklahoma City, OK
Creating a soothing, non-intimidating environment makes hospital and doctor’s visits more manageable, not a dreaded task. By aesthetically and functionally creating healthcare spaces that people want to occupy, we are, in turn, contributing to a better, healthier world.

Kim Matteson
MEDNATIONAL, LLC, Fargo, ND
I think that reducing the recovery time of a patient or creating a peaceful place for personal reflection or designing an efficient work space can be pretty significant in the person’s life that it touches. To make this world a better place involves creating a built environment that is thoughtful, innovative, and environmentally conscious and I’m grateful to be a part of it.

Julie Havens
HOK, Chicago, IL
Through an integrated design approach across the trades of master planning, programming, medical planning, interior design, and operations planning and implementation, healthcare design teams today are looking to implement environmentally conscious facilities that eliminate waste and accelerate healing.

Amanda Scott
Arkitex Studio, Inc., Bryan, TX
From the floor to the ceiling of any design and everything in between, every element, designed to physically support, visually uplift, and emotionally reinforce the actions within fully accomplishes a betterment for that entity.

Heather Greenfield
H+L Architecture, Denver, CO
I believe that great design can not only make a patient feel more at home while being treated, it can also improve the way a person feels while in the space. It is through innovative healthcare design that we can really make a difference in one’s treatment, recovery and life.

Shruti Nathan
Anshen+Allen, part of Stantec Architecture, San Francisco, CA
Better informed and innovative design solutions that respond to emerging new facts and advancing medical technology has proved to not only alleviate patients recovery time, but also use fewer drug treatments, help staff retention and comfort family and visitors during stressful times. Integrating this approach with a sustainable design results in healing spaces that are environmentally, economically and socially viable… and ultimately enriches lives.

After reading these responses, it’s clear that the future looks bright for healthcare design.

I heard several presentations about the latest research surrounding architectural and environmental design for health care environments, but one story from a keynote speaker has stayed with me. It focused on how our total health goes beyond our physical health, and how biophelia—a love for the natural world—plays a large role in it.

Interior designer Barbara Huelat, with Huelat Parimucha Ltd., asked the audience to think about the last time they really felt alive and energized. She then asked us to raise our hands if that experience was in nature and about 90 percent of the hands went up. Mine did, too.

Biophilia is a familiar concept to me and Herman Miller Healthcare, but Huelat’s story is a powerful reminder of the restorative power of nature.

Four key recommendations emerged from the report:

• Nurses should practice to the full extent of their education and training.
• Nurses should achieve higher levels of education and training through an improved education system that promotes seamless academic progression.
• Nurses should be full partners, with physicians and other health professionals, in redesigning health care in the United States.
• Effective workforce planning and policy making require better data collection and an improved information infrastructure.

Judging by the number of healthcare media references, The Future of Nursing report has started an important conversation about the role of nurses in providing care.

This report will also inform our conversations with customers about environments such as patient rooms and unit cores and how they will support nurses in the future.

According to Doug Bazuin, senior researcher for Herman Miller Healthcare, the Compass design team interviewed more than 550 clinicians, administrators, facility managers, and healthcare architects and interior designers to determine what healthcare issues are most important to them. Four key concerns kept rising to the top:

1. Support changing technology
2. Improve nurse efficiency
3. Improve the family experience
4. Be healthcare appropriate

In this video, Bazuin discusses how this research was applied to the final product design.

Launched in June at NeoCon, the award-winning Compass system is ready to help healthcare professionals navigate change. That’s the benefit of going the source.

It’s back to business as usual at Chicago’s Merchandise Mart. From June 14-16, however, tens of thousands of architecture and design professionals, facility managers, and dealers and distributors traversed the halls and showrooms in the massive Mart, which spans two entire city blocks on the bank of the Chicago River.
 
After 42 years, NeoCon has developed into North America’s largest design exposition and conference for commercial interiors. It’s a time when exhibitors such as Herman Miller introduce new products and services for the workplace and discuss concepts behind future product introductions, including the eCoupled technology. Ask anyone from the office furniture industry about NeoCon and the response usually begins with an amenable smile followed by a description that includes a comparison to what the North American International Auto Show means to the North American auto industry. 

And always popular with NeoCon exhibitors and attendees are the awards. It was a thrill to be recognized this year for our product designs and manufacturing practices.  Our Healthcare division took home two prestigious awards, including the Large Showroom award in the IIDA Showroom and Booth Design Competition and a Best of NeoCon Gold in the Healthcare Furniture category for its new Compass system. In addition, the Flo monitor arm by Herman Miller company Colebrook Bosson Saunders received a Best of NeoCon Silver award in the Technology Support category and the OFDA presented us with the 2010 Manufacturer of the Year Gold award.

NeoCon also is a time for reconnecting with customers and friends, making new acquaintances, and demonstrating the qualities that differentiate us from others in our industry. Next year’s show already is on the calendar for June 13-15, and the increase in attendance this year indicates that it will remain a very popular event for this industry.

In the 21st century, the nursing leader, frequently titled Chief Nursing Officer, or CNO, inspires and influences the culture of nursing and the quality of patient care in the organization or system. He/she manages a highly complex environment and has a broad scope of responsibility and accountability for patient care departments, clinical quality, and patient and staff satisfaction. According to the American Organization of Nurse Executives (AONE), nurse leaders “design, facilitate, and manage care.”

Given the breadth and depth of their leadership skills, knowledge, and experience, nurse leaders are in the best possible position to inspire and influence the delivery of care across the full healthcare continuum—never forgetting that their most important relationships are with the patients and families they serve.

Our healthcare experts—many of whom are registered nurse managers with clinical and administrative experience—work to help our customers increase the quality and performance of healthcare facilities. They understand the complex relationships in healthcare delivery systems—from patient care to code compliance, from staff retention to construction planning. Together with our product offering, they translate their expertise into workable solutions.

The AONE conference was the perfect opportunity for Herman Miller Healthcare to help fulfill the vision of AONE: “Shaping the future of health care through innovative nursing leadership.” Our experts gleaned knowledge from the CEUs and networking opportunities, while our booth displayed a range of product solutions from our family of healthcare brands to help make the workplace better for nurses and facilitate patient care:

Nemschoff—Brava glider and Brava patient and lounge chair; Serenity III Treatment chair with heat and massage feature; SleepOver bench

Brandrud—Centé and Nala patient chairs

Herman Miller Healthcare—Aeron stool, Decentralized Caregiver Workstation, Mobile Technology Carts and Procedure/Supply Carts

In addition to the healthcare research I do at Herman Miller, I’m familiar with these issues outside of work because my wife, Lindsay, has been a nurse for four years. Since we’re in the midst of National Nurses Week (May 6 through 12), I would like to share some insights about life in the nursing profession.

Nursing is often a thankless job that requires massive amounts of dedication, commitment, patience, and skill. While I work a standard Monday through Friday 8-5 job, my wife works any day of the week (including weekends), 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. I get major holidays off; she gets two of the four major holidays off, and it changes every year. I sit in front of a computer most of the day; she stands, walks, lifts, tucks, charts, cleans, dispenses meds, and starts IVs. And that’s not all. Besides these demanding physical tasks, nurses tackle the emotional challenges of dealing with sick patients and their families. They need to display quick and critical thinking from their library of knowledge to make life-saving decisions for their patients. They deal with the complexities of relationships and collaborate with multiple members of an interdisciplinary healthcare team. Ultimately, they focus on helping people heal.

At Herman Miller, we aim to alleviate their burden and simplify nurses’ tasks by providing them with easy access to supplies and ergonomic solutions in the healthcare environment. That allows nurses to direct 100% of their focus on the patient rather than dealing with insufficient equipment and processes.

This year’s theme for National Nurses Week is “Caring Today for a Healthier Tomorrow.” Thanks to my wife and all the nurses—retired and practicing—I can look forward to a healthier tomorrow.

As to hearing, there was a lineup of buzz-worthy keynote and plenary speakers. They included former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle and former Air Force fighter pilot Brian Shul, whose aircraft was shot down over Vietnam. They, and CEO of the American Hospital Association Richard J. Umbdenstock, tackled issues related to navigating healthcare transformation and how to respond to them.

As to seeing, a big highlight was the Gallery of Architecture for Health. It showcased cutting-edge healthcare design trends from over 200 exhibitors from around the country. Front and center in the exhibit hall, Herman Miller Healthcare displayed a range of product solutions from our family of healthcare brands:

Nemschoff—Brooklyn Lounge and Patient Chair, Bedford Casegoods, Sleepover Bench and Serenity III Treatment Chair

Brandrud—Centé and Nala Patient Chairs

Herman Miller Healthcare—Aeron Stool, Decentralized Caregiver Workstation, Mobile Technology and Procedure/Supply Carts

If you missed the Summit, you can get a look at many of these products next month at the AONE Annual Meeting and Exposition in Indianapolis, IN.

Almost every material or object has a texture. These items and surfaces are tangible. They have weight, density, and a composite quality. We have tactile reactions to products and artifacts that can be drivers for our purchasing decisions and triggers for memories.

But can an experience have a texture? Does a conversation or a presentation have a tactile signature? How might we qualify the interactions and knowledge shared at a conference?


Find out between October 31 and November 3. Herman Miller Healthcare, along with our subsidiaries Nemschoff and Brandrud, is participating in Healthcare Design 09—a four-day, solution-focused experience aimed at delivering successful outcomes for healthcare facilities. Search for our live media team stream on Twitter under #hcd09. Follow users @healthcarehm and @hermanmiller to get started.

Additionally, we’d like to invite you to a special Twitter power hour event on Monday, November 2, from 4-5 p.m. EST when we’ll host a live Q+A on Lean Healthcare Practices.

In the days following the conference we’ll synthesize our learnings and let you know the results. Until then, please share your ideas and feedback and, of course, examples of your favorite textures.