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Green Patient Lab 3.0 Reveals the Hospital Room of the Future
Oct 21, 2009
The latest in sustainable technology, patient healing, and staff efficiency come together in one demonstration space
Engineering and consulting company Mazzetti Nash Lipsey Burch (M+NLB) announces their partnership in the Green Patient Lab 3.0 (GPL), a demonstration project that combines the latest ideas and thought leadership in patient room design for hospitals. The only fully integrated, multi-product, patient-environment demonstration project in North America, the GPL incorporates the safest and most eco-effective technology, ideas, research outcomes, and industry products into one exhibit that has been featured at several major conferences this year.
The GPL was originally conceived by founding partners Anshen+Allen and the International Facility Management Association Healthcare Council who together envisioned it as a resource for clients and the industry to learn about the latest trends in evidence-based and eco-effective design, operational practices, patient safety, and healing environments. Today, the GPL has grown to include 35 national and international healthcare industry partners.
"We are honored to be part of such a forward-thinking demonstration project," said Jon Inman, M+NLB Principal and Healthcare Sector Lead. "The patient room of the future is about healing, sustainability, and efficiency, and these goals are integrated into the Green Patient Lab."
The GPL’s patient zone includes a bed that can fold into a chair-like position, proven to quicken recovery and assist with mobility; and room features that can be controlled by patients at the bedside. The staff zone incorporates electrochromatic glass that can be wired for remote control to ensure privacy for patients while allowing staff observation when necessary, a dedicated hand-wash sink near the room’s entry to improve infection control, and task lighting that allows for staff work but reduces disruption of a patient’s sleep. A patient-care control center enables accessibility of information, communication tools, and patient service utilities and systems to the caregiver, improving care and reducing errors. Sustainable building system infrastructure includes displacement ventilation systems and automated solar shading to help reduce energy loads. Improved lighting-control technology provides the ability to adjust lighting color and intensity for multiple uses, including lighting that simulates a 24-hour day, promoting a normal circadian rhythm and enhancing the healing process.
The GPL has been exhibited to healthcare executives, administrators, clinical and facility staff, architects, and facility managers at various conferences, including the IIDEX/Neocon Canada Conference in Toronto; the HealthCare Facilities Symposium and Expo in Chicago; and the National Association of Children’s Hospitals and Related Institutions Conference in Orlando. The GPL will be exhibited at the upcoming Greenbuild 2009 in Phoenix from November 11-13.
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