{"id":61878,"date":"2023-10-30T10:17:52","date_gmt":"2023-10-30T14:17:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/healthcaredesignmagazine.com\/?p=61878"},"modified":"2023-11-09T13:44:07","modified_gmt":"2023-11-09T18:44:07","slug":"winship-cancer-institute-at-emory-midtown-embraces-new-model-for-care","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/healthcaredesignmagazine.com\/projects\/winship-cancer-institute-at-emory-midtown-embraces-new-model-for-care\/","title":{"rendered":"Winship Cancer Institute at Emory Midtown Embraces New Model For Care"},"content":{"rendered":"

Leaders at Emory Healthcare<\/a> and Winship Cancer Institute at Emory University<\/a> (Atlanta) made it clear from the beginning that they had big ambitions for their new building. They told the design team: Give us something \u201cnever before seen or imagined.\u201d<\/p>\n

The new facility, occupying 450,000 square feet in Atlanta\u2019s Midtown neighborhood, was designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill<\/a> (SOM; New York) in collaboration with May Architecture<\/a> (Atlanta)\u2014with input from 200-plus physicians, nurses, janitors, patient family advisers, and more, says SOM Principal Anthony Treu.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnybody who could possibly be involved with this project was asked to come and share, \u2018How do you do things now? And how do you want to do things differently?\u2019\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Then they dug in deep. \u201cClinical teams are so adept at working around obstacles on a daily basis that when faced with the chance to create an ideal solution, there\u2019s a natural tendency to default to what\u2019s been working for them,\u201d says Gil May, principal at May Architecture. \u201cIt took a minute, but ultimately everyone started shifting from \u2018this works\u2019 to \u2018this is what we think would be the best solution without constraints.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Opened in May 2023, the 17-story facility ultimately embraced a model organized around five \u201ccare communities,\u201d each focused on different types of cancer: breast and gynecologic oncology; head and neck tumors; sarcoma and endocrine cancers; genitourinary and gastrointestinal cancers; and lung cancer, lymphoma, and multiple myeloma.<\/p>\n

Each care community comprises two floors: the lower floor for outpatient services and the upper for inpatient care. Within those communities, the patient is quite literally at the center of the action.<\/p>\n

\u201cPatients remain in a private outpatient suite and as much of their care as possible\u2014including doctors\u2019 appointments, lab draws, infusion treatments, and support services\u2014occur in the suite,\u201d explains Dr. Suresh Ramalingam, executive director of Winship Cancer Institute at Emory University. \u201cWe wanted to create the best possible patient experience and an environment that promotes healing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Planning approach for a new cancer center<\/h2>\n

The process of translating the patient-centered cancer care<\/a> vision into a physical building was helped considerably by cardboard mock-ups of each floor, constructed one by one in a nearby warehouse during the planning stages.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt wasn\u2019t just a portion of the floor, but the entire floor,\u201d May says. \u201cThis allowed the team to spend time in the space to confirm flow, relationships, room sizes, etc. The care teams ran scenarios and exercises that drilled all the way down into details of equipment layouts, millwork, and more.\u201d<\/p>\n

The decision to group populations according to cancer types provides benefits to both patients and staff, and it started with the recognition that \u201ccancer\u201d is a big tent: \u201cNo one gives you a diagnosis of \u2018cancer.\u2019 You get a specific type of diagnosis, which looks different for each patient,\u201d Treu says.<\/p>\n

For patients, the care communities, which are connected by two-story communal lobbies, provide an opportunity to interact (as much or as little as they want) with others who can relate specifically to their diagnosis.<\/p>\n

For clinicians, it\u2019s a setup that maximizes consultation and coordinated care. \u201cCancer care often requires multiple types of treatments with specialists from various medical disciplines,\u201d Ramalingam says. \u201cThe idea was to design the space to best enable that collaboration.\u201d<\/p>\n

Patient-centered design<\/h2>\n

On the outpatient floor of each care community, the patient has a universal room where they\u2019ll be tended by various clinicians during the visit as needed.<\/p>\n

In addition to the core disciplines of radiation oncology, radiology, surgery, pathology, hematology and medical oncology, and pharmacy, the room might also support consultations with everyone from dieticians and patient care coordinators to audiologists, genetic counselors, and financial navigators.<\/p>\n

Designing a room that could handle all that activity took some careful consideration. \u201cIt sounds simple on the surface, but the devil is in the details,\u201d May says. \u201cFor example, in a traditional model with an infusion center, the compounding pharmacy is adjacent to the infusion center and the chemo drugs are just walked to the patient. But in a decentralized, universal room approach, how do you get drugs from a central pharmacy to 11 other floors?\u201d<\/p>\n

The solution: a dedicated dumbwaiter with controlled access to satellite pharmacy receiving rooms on each floor.<\/p>\n

Pods of universal rooms are anchored by common spaces dubbed \u201cliving rooms,\u201d where patients and their families can interact if the mood strikes, even during an infusion treatment.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe learned that one moment an infusion patient may want privacy but the next, that same patient may want to be social,\u201d May says. \u201cThis provides the patient with a choice.\u201d<\/p>\n

The main corridor for the outpatient units follows the perimeter of each floor along the exterior windows, with the patient and family room groupings on the interior. This set-up resulted in a light-filled suite with daylight for all patients and clear circulation orientation.<\/p>\n

Clerestory windows and translucent glass doors in the universal rooms bring daylight into those spaces, as well, without compromising privacy.<\/p>\n

Staff considerations<\/h2>\n

The design of each care community allows for an enhanced experience for both patients and providers. \u201cOne of the net results of shifting the corridors to the perimeter was that we could also create an uninterrupted provider zone right down the middle of the cancer center. It creates a connected, collaborative space exclusive to providers, while at the same time a more comfortable and dignified experience for patients,\u201d says Treu.<\/p>\n

The uninterrupted caregiver zone provides discreet access to patient spaces along the length of the building. These zones have doors into the\u00a0 living rooms and associated treatment spaces, allowing providers to come and go within these areas unobtrusively.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt takes the patient side and makes it seem less clinical and allows the provider zone to be more secure and private for the staff,\u201d Treu says. \u201cPatients are shielded from much of the logistics of supplies and samples being moved back and forth. Staff can get to most places in the cancer center without crossing into patient circulation.\u201d The same central-spine thinking was applied to inpatient floors, as well.<\/p>\n

Balancing warm aesthetics and modern materials palette<\/h2>\n

Aesthetically, the design team aimed to balance comfort and familiarity (considering the amount of time patients spend there for recurring visits) with reassurance that the care being provided is high tech and state of the art.<\/p>\n

Warm elements that evoke hospitality, including white oak finishes, a subdued color palette, and emphasis on natural light, are thus juxtaposed with \u201cbright, clean, modern, and precise materials with polished metals and glass,\u201d Treu says.<\/p>\n

The design team extends the concept of community beyond the center\u2019s walls with a double-height, glass-fronted, street-level lobby, where amenities such as a patient boutique, wellness center, retail pharmacy, and caf\u00e9 have been grouped.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe cancer center is part of this community, and it\u2019s not a place of illness. It\u2019s a place of treatment and health,\u201d Treu says. \u201cWe wanted people to be able to see into the building. There is nothing to hide.\u201d<\/p>\n

Winship Cancer Institute\u2019s Ramalingam agrees. \u201cWe hope that our presence there inspires hope,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Kristin D. Zeit is a contributing editor for Healthcare Design magazine and can be reached at kristinzeit@gmail.com<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Winship Cancer Institute at Emory Midtown project details<\/h2>\n

Project: Winship Cancer Institute at Emory Midtown<\/p>\n

Location: Atlanta<\/p>\n

Project completion date: May 2023<\/p>\n

Client: Emory Healthcare<\/p>\n

Client Program Manager: CBRE Healthcare<\/p>\n

Total building area: 450,000 sq. ft.<\/p>\n

Total construction cost: Approx. $400 million<\/p>\n

Cost\/sq. ft.: Approx. $890<\/p>\n

Architect: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM)<\/p>\n

Clinical Architect: May Architecture<\/p>\n

Construction Manager: Batson-Cook Construction<\/p>\n

Structural Engineering: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM)<\/p>\n

Civil Engineering and Landscape Design: Kimley-Horn Associates<\/p>\n

Signage\/wayfinding: Herter Design Group<\/p>\n

Programming: MPR International<\/p>\n

MEP & Lighting: Newcomb & Boyd<\/p>\n

Medical Equipment Planning: Introba (FKA Ross & Baruzzini)<\/p>\n

Kitchen Planning: Rippe Associates; Minneapolis<\/p>\n

Hardware: Phillips-Langley & Associates<\/p>\n

VT and Materials Management: Lerch Bates<\/p>\n

Expediting: Southern Expediting<\/p>\n

Acoustics and vibration: Cerami & Associates<\/p>\n

Fa\u00e7ade system: Permasteelisa<\/p>\n

Glass: AGC Interpane<\/p>\n

Doors: AD Systems, Stanley Access, C.R.Laurence<\/p>\n

Parking Garage Doors: Overhead Door<\/p>\n

Roofing: Carlisle<\/p>\n

Waterproofing: Polyguard, Xypex, BASF, Hydrotech, Henry<\/p>\n

Fire protection: Hilti<\/p>\n

Insulation: Owens Corning, Rockwool<\/p>\n

Interior finishes: Flooring: Nora, Terrazzo & Marble Supply, Smartwood, Stonhard<\/p>\n

Interior Glass Partition: Transwall System<\/p>\n

Operable Partition: Modern Fold<\/p>\n

Shade: Mermet, Cascade Coil<\/p>\n

Ceilings: USG, Armstrong<\/p>\n

Carpet: Interface<\/p>\n

Felt: Wolf Gordon<\/p>\n

Tiles: Porcelanosa, Daltile, Marazzi, Crossville, Casalgrande Padana, WOW Design<\/p>\n

Decorative Glass: McGrory Glass<\/p>\n

Protective Wall Covering: Acrovyn, Marlite, In-Pro<\/p>\n

Toilet Partition: Ironwood<\/p>\n

Smoke Curtain: McKeon<\/p>\n

Wallcoverings: Carnegie, Maharam, Accutrack Systems<\/p>\n

Laminates: Formica, Wilsonart<\/p>\n

Landscape products: Hanover Paver, Wausau, Ohio Gratings, Landscape Forms, Belgard, Victor Stanley, Escofet<\/p>\n

Art\/pictures: Distinctive Art Resources<\/p>\n

AV equipment\/electronics\/software: Diversified Doors\/locks\/hardware: Assa Abloy, Rajack<\/p>\n

Handrails\/wall guards: InPro, Acrovyn<\/p>\n

Surfaces (solid surface material): Corian, Caesarstone<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Project details are provided by the design team and not vetted by Healthcare Design<\/em>.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The 17-story facility in Atlanta organizes care around different cancer types and offers a new approach to the concept of community.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13605,"featured_media":61883,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[542,537],"tags":[],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"Winship Cancer Institute at Emory Midtown Embraces New Model For Care","url":"http:\/\/healthcaredesignmagazine.com\/projects\/winship-cancer-institute-at-emory-midtown-embraces-new-model-for-care\/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"http:\/\/healthcaredesignmagazine.com\/projects\/winship-cancer-institute-at-emory-midtown-embraces-new-model-for-care\/"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/healthcaredesignmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/winship-lobby-150x92.png","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/healthcaredesignmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/winship-lobby.png"},"articleSection":"Cancer Care","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"HCD Guest Author"}],"creator":["HCD Guest Author"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"HCD Magazine","logo":""},"keywords":[],"dateCreated":"2023-10-30T14:17:52Z","datePublished":"2023-10-30T14:17:52Z","dateModified":"2023-11-09T18:44:07Z"},"rendered":"