Demystifying Strategic Decarbonization Planning

Mar 21, 2022 12:45pm ‐ Mar 21, 2022 1:45pm

Credits: None available.

The national dialogue surrounding climate change and health has significantly matured and increased in urgency. Hospitals and health systems are increasingly under pressure from communities, staff and boards to have a strategy to address the hospital’s climate impacts and risks. This is many hospitals’ first foray into sustainability, which can be daunting. This session is designed to help demystify the decarbonization planning process by exploring Lucille Packard Children’s Hospital of Stanford Children’s Health's multi-phase effort to develop and implement a carbon neutrality strategy.
Learning Objectives:
  • Describe the structure of a successful decarbonization strategy.
  • Identify both owner and consultant perspectives on the strategic decarbonization project at LPCH.
  • Explain the importance of visual, quantitative data to an effective decarbonization strategy.
  • Explain the human and environmental health drivers of decarbonization in health care.
  • N/A

Pandemic Plugload Data = NEW NEC Demand Factors

Mar 21, 2022 12:45pm ‐ Mar 21, 2022 1:45pm

Credits: None available.

In 2020, a plug load monitoring project funded by the NFPA Research Foundation was modified (due to the pandemic) to consider patient care areas in hospitals. More than 12 months of data was collected at the branch circuit and panel level at several hospitals across the country. This data provides insight into electrical load during a potential surge event and is, therefore, relevant to the conversation. The data is largely in line with previous research. The results suggest opportunity to change the demand factors and as a result reduce the calculated load design requirement for hospitals. By PDC 2022, we will have published the final peer review paper with the most complete data set (including surge data) and updated the codes. This session will share insight into this research and the implications for hospitals.
Learning Objectives:
  • Describe the need for actual plug load data in hospitals during a surge event.
  • Describe the approach for conducting this plug load study and analyzing the results.
  • Assess the findings and their implications for hospital owners, engineers and the National Electric Code (NEC).
  • Explain how NEC demand factors are evolving in response to this research.
  • N/A

Level I Trauma Rooms: Challenges and Opportunities in Designing for Safety and Efficiency

Mar 21, 2022 12:45pm ‐ Mar 21, 2022 1:45pm

Credits: None available.

Presenters will share findings from a collaborative project between Kent State University and Cleveland Clinic on Level I trauma rooms. The project examines four issues that can compromise efficient and safe care: workflow, interruptions, technology integration and sensory stimuli. Trauma resuscitations consist of procedures that require immediate action for diagnosing & stabilizing injured patients. In a complex environment, maintaining an efficient workflow is challenging. Interruptions can contribute to errors that can cost a patient’s life. Effective technology integration can facilitate task completion. Finally, excessive sensory stimuli, such as noise, can hinder efficient care. Systematic literature reviews, focus groups and multidisciplinary design thinking sessions were utilized as a deep dive to understanding problems in trauma rooms. The next phases of the project included design and development where the research team integrated research into a design studio to develop design variations for the trauma room. To evaluate the design, a full-scale physical mock-up and an augmented reality application were developed and utilized for scenario-based simulations with clinicians. The analysis revealed overlaps among the four categories of issues under study. Findings from this study will inform stakeholders on design strategies that allow for a holistic user-centered design in support of safety and efficiency of care in trauma rooms.
Learning Objectives:
  • Identify design issues in Level I trauma rooms that lead to adverse events and inefficient care.
  • Identify work system components that support or impede the role of the physical environment in improving safe and efficient care in Level I trauma rooms.
  • Recognize complex interrelationships among workflow, interruptions, technology and sensory stimuli in Level I trauma rooms.
  • Examine the design strategies that can be applied to trauma rooms and similar complex environments such as ICUs and ORs.
  • N/A

AIA/AAH PDC Student Challenge 2022 Presentation

Mar 21, 2022 12:45pm ‐ Mar 21, 2022 1:45pm

Credits: None available.

The AIA/AAH PDC Student Challenge 2020 is an exciting annual event designed to stimulate critical inquiry, creative ideas, and multi-disciplinary interaction between students, and design professionals. It will highlight the brilliance and innovation of our future healthcare architects, engineers, and construction managers. Students from four different universities and disciplines will bring their creativity and ideas to this fun and evocative design charrette.

During this time, students will present work completed during the three-day-long AIA/AAH PDC Student Challenge 2020 for critique by a multi-disciplinary jury and the winning team announced.

This year’s participating universities include:
University of Kansas – Healthcare Architecture
Kent State – Healthcare Architecture
Penn State University – Architectural Engineering
Texas A&M University – Construction Management
Louisiana State University – School of Nursing
Learning Objectives:
  • Review and discuss the current state of today's professional education in the fields of architecture, health care design, architectural engineering and construction management
  • Identify key issues that will help groom better health care design leaders of the future
  • Explore the success that comes from multi-disciplinary and inter-professional collaboration between architects, engineers and contractors
  • Discuss highly successful student projects developed during a 48-hour student charrette under the guidance of expert faculty and industry advisors
  • N/A

Moving the Needle Toward Environmental Sustainability and Decarbonization

Mar 21, 2022 2:15pm ‐ Mar 21, 2022 3:30pm

Credits: None available.

With health care accounting for 10% of all U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, environmental sustainability and decarbonization of health care are at the forefront of the climate action conversation. Climate deadlines and calls to action dominate the evening news and legislative agendas. However, the idea of decarbonizing the entire health care sector is more than a little overwhelming. Hospitals and health systems have a vested interest in the climate conversation not only because of climate change’s impact on public health and critical health care delivery infrastructure, but also because the complex energy and resource needs of hospitals and health care systems directly contribute to the health care’s carbon footprint. In this session, AHA and ASHE health care sustainability experts will provide an overview of the complex concepts of environmental sustainability and decarbonization through the AHA policy lens, demonstrate tasks to empower attendees with practical ways to get started, and provide perspective on changing culture and engaging teams to work together in a joint effort to move the needle.
Learning Objectives:
  • Describe key concepts pertaining to the complex subject of environmental sustainability and decarbonization of health care.
  • Explain the American Hospital Association’s policy perspective.
  • Discuss effective strategies to begin to build momentum toward achieving targets and goals.
  • Demonstrate methods for influencing culture, desiloing organizations and engaging cross-functional teams.
  • N/A

Codes and Standards Forum: Connecting the Dots Between Code Revisions and Planning

Mar 22, 2022 6:00am ‐ Mar 22, 2022 7:00am

Credits: None available.

Revisions to codes and standards are a necessary progression to ensure that facilities stay up to date with best practices and technology. Determining what the changes are and how they apply to the built environment is the cornerstone of any construction project. The design of spaces needed to provide the best patient care has also changed due to a variety of reasons, including code and operational changes. This forum will discuss some of the code changes and progression for health care environments and how that could affect the initial planning and strategies to create a successful project.
Learning Objectives:
  • Familiarize attendees with changes to the International Building Code (IBC) and Life Safety Code that better align the documents for compliance with CMS regulations and Conditions of Participation.
  • Examine requirements of suites per the applicable codes and how they are beneficial.
  • Illustrate how suites can be useful when utilizing the new patient care unit provisions in the 2022 FGI Guidelines, within the allowable parameters of the Life Safety Code and IBC.
  • Discuss the 2022 FGI Guidelines requirement for Individuals of Size and where these requirements are required in different facility types.
  • N/A

Emerging Professionals in Healthcare Design & Construction: NEXT GEN Forum

Mar 22, 2022 6:00am ‐ Mar 22, 2022 7:00am

Credits: None available.

Engaging and unifying the next generation of health care design & construction leaders will equip them to lead the advancement of the healthcare built environment. We would like to invite you to join us in a conversation about and with the next generation of our profession. This forum is intended to spur interaction between the future leaders of our profession and to unite them as a force for improving the future of health care design & construction. The forum discussion will also link these future leaders with the current leaders of our profession to create opportunities for mentorship and continued growth.
Learning Objectives:
  • Identify issues relevant to developing future leaders in health care design & construction.
  • Discuss how emerging design professionals can contribute to the professional dialogue in healthcare architecture, engineering, construction, research & nursing.
  • Evaluate resources available to emerging professionals in healthcare design & construction.
  • Discuss opportunities for emerging professionals within the field of healthcare design & construction.
  • N/A

Positioning for Carbon Neutrality: National Academy of Medicine Guidance

Mar 22, 2022 7:15am ‐ Mar 22, 2022 8:15am

Credits: None available.

Today, we know that the health care sector represents roughly 20% of the U.S. economy, 10% of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions and 5% of global greenhouse gas emissions. The National Academy of Medicine (NAM) is calling upon health care to adopt a new norm: 50% carbon emissions reduction by 2030 (2010 baseline) and 100% by 2050. This session, will provide an overview of the NAM and their approach to health care decarbonization, including some of questions the action collaborative is currently diving into. An interactive discussion will follow, examining how we can help inform the NAM in their work with valuable audience input on how the field is being impacted by decarbonization goals.
Learning Objectives:
  • Explain who National Academy of Medicine is.
  • Explain what the National Academy of Medicine is doing with respect to Healthcare Decarbonization.
  • Support health care in evolving to better adapt to and mitigate its climate impacts.
  • Help NAM implement changes beneficial to the industry and to the climate.
  • N/A

Suites: Design Challenges and Creative Solutions

Mar 22, 2022 7:15am ‐ Mar 22, 2022 8:15am

Credits: None available.

Review the requirements for patient care suites based on NFPA 101, Life Safety Code and the International Building Code, then hear firsthand how suites were added to a design concept at Frederick Health Hospital to avoid major design and construction delays. In this session, the changes and updates to suite requirements in the 2012 edition of NFPA 101 and the 2015 and 2018 editions of the International Building Code will be outlined and potential risks associates with suites will be discussed.
Learning Objectives:
  • List the advantages of suites for a health care facility.
  • Identify the differences in suite requirements between NFPA and ICC codes.
  • Assess potential facility layouts to determine if creating suites is feasible.
  • Describe the challenges creating a suite can pose on a facility.
  • N/A

Mapping Uncharted Territories: One Team’s Journey to Resiliency

Mar 22, 2022 7:15am ‐ Mar 22, 2022 8:15am

Credits: None available.

Resiliency is the capacity to adapt to changing conditions while maintaining a team’s morale and determination. This session explores the effective use of design-assist, phasing, logistics and expectation management and how establishing these best practices early on can contribute to team and project resiliency. This powerful leadership group will discuss how they navigated uncharted territories during the design and construction of Memorial Hermann, The Woodlands Medical Center's bed tower expansion. Due to the unprecedented growth and a new Level II trauma center designation, the hospital needed to expand capacity to support the surrounding dense suburban communities of North Houston. The team will explore the complex development of a new 385,000 SF bed tower, vertical expansion of the hospital’s existing garage, sky bridge and central utility plant, and 150,0000 SF of major backfill renovations. You will gain insight in how to develop a unique plan sensitive to the safety and welfare of all parties through the examination of the team’s building tools used to overcome these unexpected disruptions.
Learning Objectives:
  • Use early team engagement to optimize and condense complex objectives to increase facility capacity and delivery of care.
  • Keep continuity and mitigate risk during design and construction phases with forensic findings, phasing and logistics.
  • Build a comprehensive communication plan to maintain expectations with hospital leadership and governance jurisdictions, and minimize disruption to hospital workflow.
  • Adapt to new work environments, communication methods and natural disasters, while continuing to support your on-site community.
  • N/A