Reception & Check-in

No area will require greater consideration to design during COVID and future surge periods than waiting spaces. Rethinking processes and space design for patient and family check-in will be critical moving forward. Solutions such as telehealth can help support mobile check-in, reduce wait times, and limit the number of visitors in a space.

Design considerations:

• Allow furniture arrangements that provide clear and direct traffic flow as guests enter and move about the space.

• Create seating arrangements that support social distancing practices.

• High Performance textiles provide durable, highly cleanable surfaces on furniture to help reduce the spread of germs.

• Making sure sanitation stations with hand sanitizer, gloves and masks are visible and easily accessible to visitors is important to create a sense of safety.

• Material options such as laminates, solid surfaces, metal, polyurethane, and resin allow use of stringent healthcare cleaners and disinfectants over time and provide highly durable surfaces.

• Acrylic privacy panels on lounge seating provide a sense of privacy and security while helping to reduce the spread of airborne germs and bacteria.

• Specifying arm caps on seating in materials such as polyurethane, solid surface, and resin provide durable, cleanable solutions for high touch areas.

• A mix of different seating options give various patient populations choice in seating.

• Continuing to provide tandem seating units for families and parents with children of the same household is important.

• Furniture that offers flexibility to change as the demands of the facility shift during and after surge times will be important going forward.

• Seating designed with built-in clean out spaces assists with housekeeping efforts and infection control measures.

• Acrylic screens placed on reception and check-in counters provide safety and a sense of security for staff and guests

Short-Term Waiting

These spaces typically offer visitors a place to wait while in between services or procedures and are oftentimes smaller and in short-term use by guests. It is important to consider many of the same design principles as other waiting spaces for short-term waiting.

Design considerations:

• Continuing to design to support good traffic flow and social distancing practices is important.

• Smaller guest seating or tandem seating can provide spaces for more visitors. Specifying these types of seating with tables ganged between chairs can help with reducing transmission between guests.

• Mixing lounge seats into these spaces helps give the space a more comfortable and hospitable feel.

• Planter boxes or other pieces can provide a sense of separation and space division.

• Sanitation stations are visible and easily accessible for guests.

As administrative staff and employees return to the medical office space, it is important that health systems rethink work areas to provide safe and secure environments. 

Design considerations:

•  Repositioning or reconfiguring workstations so that employees aren’t face-to-face for additional protection.

•  Higher panels and acrylic screens create additional barriers for safety and create a greater sense of privacy.

•  Overhead storage adds additional barriers for protection between users.

•  Specifying laminate and wood work surfaces with a protective top coat that can be cleaned and disinfected regularly to reduce the spread of germs.

•  Task seating specified in durable, high performance textiles perform under high use and heavy cleaning with stringent healthcare cleaners.

•  Placing hand sanitizer dispensers at each workstation reduces the spread of germs.

•  Acrylic screens placed between staff and patients offer an additional barrier.

•  Guest seating that can be wiped down and cleaned between visitors.

Now more than ever health systems need to plan for spaces that support and retain caregivers on and off the clock. COVID has underscored the need for downtime for healthcare workers spending extended hours on the job caring for those affected.

Design considerations:

• Lockers to store personal items during work hours constructed out of durable laminates that can be thoroughly cleaned down.

• ADA Sinks and hand-wash stations with touchless faucets to reduce the spread of germs.

• Sinks are equipped with soap and hand sanitizers.

• Seating for caregivers to sit and relax.

• Break rooms and other respite areas allow caregivers an opportunity to step away and recharge from the stresses of providing care.

• Solid Surface, laminates, and other durable surfaces on tables and counters provide non-porous surfaces that can be cleaned and disinfected regularly to mitigate the spread of germs.

• Trash and recycling receptacles should be thoughtfully placed for easy access and designed to reduce the spread of bacteria and germs.

• Sanitation stations are placed in visible and accessible areas for frequent hand sanitizing.

• Thoughtful amenities should be considered to provide caregivers with comfort and services while at work.

• Digital bulletin boards or marker boards mounted in respite areas provide space for important information sharing among staff and caregivers.

• Plan for seating in dining areas that is durable, comfortable and easily wiped down and cleaned throughout work periods.

Treatment areas are essential for some patients, even during pandemic times. However, during COVID many treatment services were suspended or postponed. This move exposed the need for designing flexible spaces that can be redeployed for triage, testing, or other care.

Design considerations:

• Consider flexibility for treatment spaces. Mobile and movable products that can be redeployed for other care when needed.

• Create semi-private spaces that give patients a sense of privacy, safety and security during treatments.

• Provide secondary seating for family members attending to patients.

• Treatment recliners offer a number of amenities for patients during treatment sessions. Heated seats, adjustable headrests, reclining backs and footrests all provide a sense of comfort and support for patients.

• High performance textiles used throughout these spaces provide durable, highly cleanable surfaces to ensure proper cleaning to reduce the spread of germs.

• Where work surfaces or top surfaces are included, the use of non-porous solid surface or laminate should be considered to withstand stringent cleaning and disinfecting protocols.

• Polyurethane, resin and solid surface arm caps should be incorporated on high touch areas of seating and stand up to stringent cleaners and disinfectants.

• Mobile overbed tables can be incorporated to support patients, their technology, and other items during treatment services.

• Sanitation stations with hand sanitizers, masks, and gloves should be placed in visible and easily accessible areas.

Thoughtful design of exam spaces can allow flexibility for these spaces to be repurposed during surge periods. Having the ability to flex from exam space to treatment area to testing and triage, allows health systems to maximize use of real estate.

Design considerations:

• Nurse stations placed in close proximity to exam and pre-op spaces creates efficiency among medical staff.

• ADA sinks and hand-wash stations with touchless faucets to help reduce the spread of germs.

• Incorporating sanitation stations at the entrance to the room encourages caregivers and guests to sanitize their hands each time they enter or exit the space.

• Polyurethane, resin and solid surface arm caps should be incorporated on high touch areas of seating and stand up to stringent cleaners and disinfectants.

• Provide additional seating for family members attending to patients.

• Solid surface, laminates and other durable surfaces on tables and counters provide non-porous surfaces that can be cleaned and disinfected regularly to mitigate the spread of germs.

• Seating designed with built-in clean out spaces assists with house keeping efforts and infection control measures.

• Mobile overbed tables can be incorporated to support patients during their visits.

• High performance textiles used throughout these spaces provide durable, highly cleanable surfaces to ensure proper cleaning to reduce the spread of germs.

It's not immediately clear whether the traditional patient room will see much change after COVID-19. However, like other spaces, patient rooms should be designed with flexibility in mind to transition these spaces during surge periods. Many facilities transitioned standard med-surg rooms to isolation rooms during COVID.

Design considerations:

• Designing patient rooms by zones for caregivers, patient and their guests increases efficiency in the delivery of care.

• Designed for patient rooms, sleepover solutions support overnight guests.

• Polyurethane, resin and solid surface arm caps should be incorporated on high touch areas of seating and stand up to stringent cleaners and disinfectants.

• Provide additional seating for family members attending to patients.

• Solid Surface, laminates and other durable surfaces on tables and counters provide non-porous surfaces that can be cleaned and disinfected regularly to mitigate the spread of germs.

• Seating designed with built-in clean out spaces assists with house keeping efforts and infection control measures.

• Mobile overbed tables can be incorporated to support patients, their technology and other items during stays.

• High performance textiles used throughout these spaces provide durable, highly cleanable surfaces to ensure proper cleaning to reduce the spread of germs.

• Placing sanitation stations near the entrance to the room for caregivers and guests entering the room helps to reduce the spread of germs.

Caregiver workstations and spaces for those on the front lines of healthcare are important for providing safe work environments, and higher employee retention. As shifts transition throughout the day, keeping employees safe and recharged is important in the delivery of care.

Design considerations:

• Nurses stations strategically located throughout the facility in proximity to their patients for accessibility and visibility.

• Acrylic privacy panels placed on nurses stations provide safety and a sense of security for staff and guests.

• Wash stations, hand sanitizer, and masks are easily accessible at each nurse station to help reduce the spread of germs.

• Well designed and equipped caregiver workstations can improve the efficiency and performance of medical staff.

• Evidence shows that well-designed nurses stations improve nursing staff retention in healthcare.

• Solid surface and laminate surfaces provide surfaces that can be frequently cleaned and disinfected to reduce the spread of germs.

• Mobile work tables like our Stray table allow mobility for caregivers to move about the facility during their delivery of care.

• Digital bulletin boards or glass marker boards mounted in nursing work areas provide clear information sharing among staff and other caregivers.

• Mile Marker modular cabinetry supports the nursing staff while providing an ample amount of storage.

COVID has exposed the need for spaces that are flexible and easily reconfigurable. Virtual care will evolve new models of care, forcing facilities to reevaluate space needs. Telehealth can eliminate the need for in-person visits, reduce wait times, and support infection control measures and processes.

Design considerations:

• As little as 36 square feet can accommodate adequate space for telehealth/consult rooms.

• Consideration of privacy is important for telehealth spaces in order to maintain compliance with HIPAA laws.

• Think about lighting that ensures the highest quality video presence.

• Well planned audio and acoustics for virtual care spaces are important.

• Camera and monitor angles that support consultation at the optimal level.

• Work surfaces are generally needed for caregivers during virtual visits. Consider laminates, solid surfaces and wood veneer surfaces in a protective topcoat for durable and cleanable surfaces.

• Unused spaces during surge periods can easily be converted to support telehealth and virtual care.