University Hospitals Ahuja Medical Center

University Hospitals Ahuja Medical Center, which opened in 2011,[1] is a state-of-the-art community hospital focused on patient and family-centered care and the tenets of evidence-based design.[2] It is named in honor of University Hospitals Board Chairman Monte Ahuja, his wife Usha and their family who donated $30 million towards Vision 2010: The UH Difference.[1]"University Hospitals Ahuja Medical Center." University Hospitals.[1] Situated on 53 acres in Beachwood, Ohio, the University Hospitals Ahuja Medical Center will serve more than 540,000 residents in the Cleveland area.[1]

The UH Ahuja Medical Center is a main component in University Hospitals Vision 2010: The UH Difference strategic plan.[1] In an initiative at increasing access to health care in the community, the facility is designed to be one of the safest and technologically-advanced community hospitals in the United States.[2]

Hospital design

The UH Ahuja Medical Center will house seven floors of outpatient, inpatient and emergency services as well as a medical office building.[1] Throughout those floors, the latest wireless technology and diagnostic services will be used to increase efficiency and patient safety.[3]

All public circulation is organized to the front of the structure; therefore, regardless of where a visitor’s location is he or she can see exactly where the parking lot and entrance are positioned, in order to reduce stress and anxiety.[3]

The curved shape of the building and floor plan layout is designed to separate services from the traditional core of traffic as well as minimize travel distances for doctors, nurses and staff.[3] These initiatives will improve access to critical resources all while enhancing patient safety.

The architecture of the UH Ahuja Medical Center is designed to accommodate future expansion.[3]

Green Technology

Designers considered the environment in every aspect of the facility.[3] Among some of those features, the UH Ahuja Medical Center is organized to maximize the use of natural light—enhancing energy efficiency[3] and was made using environmentally-safe building materials.

The natural landscaping also uses native plants and materials which further conserves resources by requiring less maintenance and water.[3] As part of a recycling initiative, the development uses bio-swales—landscape elements designed to remove silt and pollution from surface runoff water—to filter, collect and redistribute water back into the site.[3]

Patient-centered care

The UH Ahuja Medical Center will house 144 beds in its initial phase, ultimately growing to 600 beds in three phases.[1] Each private room will contain a caregiver zone, patient zone and family zone.[2]

Controlled lighting and the use of materials that minimize sound throughout each unit are part of a patient-centered design.[2] The elements in this design create a homelike environment.[2]

Additionally, inpatient rooms are acuity adaptable.[2] Incorporating this model into hospital space minimizes the need to transport patients–-ultimately decreasing the chance of medication errors and the spread of nosocomial infections.[2]

Awards

Modern Healthcare Design awarded Array Healthcare Facilities and HKS Inc. Honorable Mention for the UH Ahuja Medical Center in the 2008 Design Awards unbuilt category.[4]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 University Hospitals Ahuja Medical Center official site
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 Malick, Patricia D. Array Healthcare Facilities Solutions. Personal interview. 20 May 2009.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 Kraus, Shannon. HKS, Inc. Personal interview. 14 May 2009.
  4. ↑ "Modern Healthcare Design Awards." Modern Healthcare.

External links