Generic Administrative Office Suites Provide Efficient Space Utilization

The traditional healthcare facility has many departments involved in the administration and management of the organization in accordance with policies established by the governing board. Most of these administrative services use generic office space with a mix of private offices, open or partially-enclosed cubicles, and open workstations to accommodate different hierarchies of staff dictated by the organizational structure and peak-shift staffing. Patient traffic to these areas is rare. As many of these departments are being forced to resize their staff in response to cost containment pressures and changing skill requirements, vacant offices and workstations are often scattered throughout the organization. At times, growing departments may need to pack multiple people into a single office, while shrinking departments have surplus space. Many departments also have dedicated conference rooms which, although infrequently used, are not available for use by other hospital staff due to an inaccessible location.

Space for administrative staff ― not involved in day-to-day patient care ― is increasingly being centralized into generic administrative office suites with a central reception area, groups of conference rooms, shared office equipment, and flexible workstations. This configuration provides the most efficient space utilization and ensures that space is equitably allocated and distributed among the departments and services that need it at any given time. The intent is to assign offices and workstations according to the immediate need allowing for the flexibility to reassign the space on a periodic basis as demand changes and staffing levels fluctuate. This prevents staff from becoming overly territorial about their space. With more sophisticated information systems, space can still be charged to department or cost center budgets based on use. Conference rooms and classrooms can be scheduled centrally based on daily demand thus ensuring optimal utilization.

The abrupt closure of many offices and workplaces during the global pandemic in the spring of 2020 ushered in a new era of remote work for millions of employed Americans ─ including hospital administrative staff. Video conferencing also replaced face-to-face meetings to allow social distancing, and these trends are predicted to outlast the current emergency health crisis. This will likely impact the amount and configuration of administrative office space and the need for conference rooms and large meeting spaces in the future.

This article is an update of a previous post.

Sizing Conference and Education Space

Conference rooms and classrooms are typically sized based on the average number of people to be seated and the type of furniture and the seating arrangement. The use of ancillary chairs along the side walls ― for people who are not sitting at the table ― will result in a reduced net square feet (NSF) per seat for conference rooms. The outfitting of conference rooms and classrooms with sophisticated audio-visual equipment may also require additional space beyond that needed for seating alone. Also, additional space is required if food service and dining are to be provided ― including counter space for a buffet service and carts and bins for the collection of reprocessable materials and trash. Conference rooms with a central table and mobile, upholstered chairs require more space per seat than a classroom-style arrangement with stackable chairs aligned around a central lectern. Egress issues and the availability of convenient toilet facilities need to be considered when large groups are assembled.

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TUG Robot Is Working Harder Than Ever

TUG RobotThe autonomous mobile TUG robots, developed by Aethon, work 24/7 to deliver drugs, laboratory specimens, supplies, linens and meals and cart away medical waste, soiled linens and trash at a variety of medical centers throughout the U.S.

The TUG robot has a map of the hospital stored in its memory and uses a scanning laser and 27 infrared and ultrasonic sensors to detect and model the environment in real time to maintain accurate position and avoid obstacles. It stands back from elevators and summons them through the hospital’s wireless network, using radio waves to open doors. It even audibly speaks while performing its tasks and automatically returns to its charging dock after completing a delivery. The UCSF Medical Center is deploying a fleet of about two dozen TUG robots at its new state-of-the-art hospital at Mission Bay in San Francisco and TUG robots are installed at 35 VA hospitals.

This article is an update of a previous post.

See the TUG robot in action.

What 19th Century Technology is Still Thriving Today?

Pneumatic TubesEvery day, all around the world, hospital staff turn to a transport network that the Internet and the latest Silicon Valley wizardry cannot match — the pneumatic tube system. Designed primarily to move paper, this cutting edge technology in the 19th century drove commercial businesses — such as postal services and department stores — whose physical size demanded something faster than standard human pace. With the arrival of the Internet, pneumatic tube systems lost their value for many industries. But this technology not only endures — but thrives — in hospitals, particularly with the introduction of wider diameter containers and use of air flow to slow down the containers for a soft landing at their destination stations so to avoid damaging sensitive lab samples.

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Hospital Data Centers Straining to Keep Up With New Demands

The hospital data center — once an onerous operational cost center — is now a critical component in delivering quality patient care, ensuring regulatory compliance, and enabling collaboration among caregivers. Hospital networks today support everything from traditional accounting to highly advanced remote surgery and diagnostic procedures using telemedicine. As use of digital imaging increases logarithmically so does the need to store more and more information — and in a wider variety of formats — that must be accessible in real time. Historically, stakeholder groups for data center projects consisted of information technology, facilities management, and security staff. Today, active participants may include the Chief Medical Officer, Chief Information Officer, compliance managers, sustainability managers, risk management staff, and a variety of physicians and other caregivers.

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Vending Machines Control Medical Supply Costs

Automated Supply CabinetWith today’s focus on lowering costs while improving outcomes, medical supplies — which account for 30% to 40% of a hospital’s total costs — are a prime target. Automated point-of-use systems for hospital supply chain management offer quick, convenient access to supplies, extensive reporting tools, and can be customized by size, security, and configuration. Inventory and supply usage are recorded, by patient, making charge capture consistent and accurate. With better control over inventory, the risk of running out of essential items is reduced and the clinical staff spend less time looking for supplies when they need them.

For example, the Omnicell® supply management system offers flexible, scalable cabinets that are either stand-alone systems or an adjunct to a medication management system. These cabinets use biometric identification, barcoding technology, and verbal confirmation for log-on, expired products, and latex warnings. A single cabinet can store seven years of data. They can be customized for the surgical suite, the cardiac catheterization lab, and other key clinical areas of the hospital. A two-cell cabinet measures 52” wide by 24” deep by 78” high.