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Jonathan Bailey Associates Celebrates Completion of Medical City Children's PICU and CHSU

Posted on: Wednesday, 1 February 2006, 18:00 CST

Healthcare architecture firm Jonathan Bailey Associates celebrated the opening of Medical City Children's pediatric intensive care (PICU) and congenital heart surgery (CHSU) units on Jan. 20. The $6 million project adds 20 private rooms with a full range of amenities for patients and families. The firm has created a fresh, appealing space for the efficient delivery of care that will help the hospital meet higher demand by increasing ICU capacity by 50 percent. The new units are located on the 5th floor of the campus' North Tower.

The PICU and CHSU offer unusual comforts and amenities. All rooms are private and have a shower and bath, television, Internet, DVD player and convertible chair-beds. Interiors are lively and fresh, featuring bright colors and light wood grain textures. The intention is to cheer young patients and families dealing with a difficult time. Each room is color coded with matching accents in floor coverings, furnishings and trim as well as brightly colored recessed lighting in the ceiling that creates a halo above the entrance to each room. The ceiling of the elevator waiting area is equipped with a special lighting system that mimics twinkling stars, including a shooting star that passes by periodically. This waiting area also features a photo-mosaic mural. From a distance it depicts a musical theme. Viewed up close, one sees that it is made up of thousands of photos of children (the relatives of staff and team members) and other meaningful photos. The signs for patient rooms repeat segments of this mural throughout the floor.

The layout is a model of efficiency. Patient rooms are arranged in pairs, with front windows and doors set 45-degree angles to twin nurse "mini-stations" at the entrances to make patient observation easy. Flat-screen computers are wall-mounted at each mini-station for retrieving and entering patient data. These computers are tied into a central network so that patient information can be updated from multiple locations. Supplies and medicines for the patient can be stored in each room, providing greater efficiency than a central support station. Rooms may also be configured in a number of ways to suit needs. To create an open feeling, the primary nursing and staff areas have been set up galley style, connecting the hallways that lead to patient rooms. Other spaces include staff offices, utility/supply rooms, on-call room, conference room, family consultation room and lactation room. Visitors must use an electronic visitor card for security. A patient elevator gives access to and from surgery and the Emergency Department.

Jonathan Bailey Associates has been involved in several projects at Medical City Dallas, including Medical City Outpatient Imaging, the North Tower which houses the PICU and CHSU and also Women's Services, and the Critical Care Tower that houses the Emergency Department. The firm focuses exclusively on healthcare architecture. Other projects include the design of Children's Cancer Hospital in Cairo, Egypt; renovation, expansion and construction at the Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children and the Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women and Babies in Orlando, Fla.; Colorado Springs Memorial Hospital; and Barking, Havering & Redbridge Acute Care Hospital in Romford, England.

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 Contact: Jeff Dalton VGS Marketing 972-395-9034 Contact via http://www.marketwire.com/mw/emailprcntct?id=98DD8C29CAEA76CE  

SOURCE: Jonathan Bailey Associates

Source: MARKET WIRE

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