In healthcare environments, the patient’s needs should come first. But the friends and family members who accompany the patient to healthcare facilities are important contributors. The Healing Centers Report says, “Family support and involvement in patient care can enhance clinical outcomes and increase satisfaction with the hospital experience.”[i] Hospitals that consider visitor needs, as well as patient needs, are more likely to see these benefits.
Designed by Jess Sorel, the Palisade Collection from Nemschoff puts the guest first. In its 2014 debut, Palisade included furnishings for patient rooms that encourage guest participation in the healing process by creating a sense of belonging, a connection to the broader care team. This year, Nemschoff is unveiling new additions to the Palisade Collection that extend these inclusive qualities to lounges, waiting rooms, and public spaces, areas where innovation has been largely ignored. Palisade gives people of all ages and abilities choices for accommodation, as its unifying visual language gives interiors a cohesive look.
With a design based on consideration of the emotional and physical needs of people in healthcare welcome and waiting spaces, the collection breaks the "sameness" found in most institutional settings, allowing space planners to achieve an interesting topography and a residential vibe. Across the guest areas, Palisade accommodates postures from lounging to perching—even playing. And power access is integrated at all times. Products are made with high-quality, durable materials to withstand the test of time and traffic. The Collection is intentionally designed to accommodate scooters and wheelchairs.
The seating addresses individual, group, or booth settings. The tables range from occasional to work-intensive. The screens subdivide space to offer privacy and a sense of security and help guide traffic patterns. Every component is aesthetically complementary to the others.
This continuity brings a new level of expression to welcome spaces—and a new opportunity to delight guests in a place where they normally have low expectations. This is key for health systems embracing the importance of their brand and acknowledging the role of their facilities in shaping the experience.
Flexibility is another important consideration for health systems. Driven by technology requirements and evolving best practices in treatment, healthcare environments not only need to keep up with the demands of today but must also rise to tomorrow’s challenges—and do so with a constant eye on improving outcomes.
Designing healing spaces to be adaptive gives healthcare organizations the flexibility to address these challenges in both the short and long term. Originally launched at Healthcare Design, where it won a Nightingale Silver Award, Mora is a versatile alternative to casework designed to fit together precisely for a clean, architectural look and the capability to customize.
“Space and form dramatically impact our mental, social, and physical well-being,” says Mora designer Colin Nourie. “They positively or negatively impact people in a variety of ways.”
Nourie’s perspective led to an important question: How can aesthetics actually add to the functionality of a space? This became the provocation led him to design Mora, Herman Miller’s broadest-use and most personalized casework system.
The idea behind Mora is orderly fashion. In terms of being orderly, Mora is a beautiful, intuitive way to organize, with storage choices that keeps some supplies concealed and others readily accessible. Mora also puts digital tools—including the wires—in their place, so a caregiver and patient maintain eye contact without the distraction of technology, which helps elevate the experience for everyone.
As for style, Mora is all about the details. On the wall, Mora fits flush, for a clean, architectural appearance. The edges are laser cut, making them consistent and precise, every single time. And Mora goes a step beyond the case with a backsplash and sink—important additions to any infection prevention program.
In short, Mora delivers what traditional millwork solutions cannot: value, precision, quality, and durability; cost and aesthetic scalability; flexible customization; and solutions that work across the healthcare landscape, including uniquely dimensioned spaces.
About Nemschoff
Nemschoff provides innovative furnishings for healthcare and other high performance environments. With equal emphasis on style and performance, Nemschoff solutions combine a legacy of upholstery craft, user-centric features, and unparalleled comfort, into industry-leading designs that have become the preferred choice for environments where quality and craftsmanship endure. Founded in 1950, with headquarters in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, Nemschoff believes that people make a difference, things should be built to last, and design can improve the way we work, heal, and live.
nemschoff.com
About Herman Miller
Herman Miller is a globally recognized provider of furnishings and related technologies and services. Headquartered in West Michigan, the 112-year-old company has relied on innovative design to solve problems wherever people work, live, learn, and heal. With recognizable designs as part of museum collections worldwide, Herman Miller is a past recipient of the Smithsonian Institution's Cooper Hewitt National Design Award and has been ranked number one on Contract Magazine’s list of “Brands that Inspire” for four straight years. Known and respected for its leadership in corporate social responsibility, Herman Miller has earned numerous global sustainability and inclusivity awards including the Human Rights Foundation’s top rating in its Corporate Equality Index for 11 years in a row. In fiscal 2017, the company generated $2.28 billion in revenue and employed nearly 8,000 people worldwide. Herman Miller trades on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol MLHR.
hermanmiller.com/about-us
@hermanmiller on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter
[i] http://www.biomedsearch.com/article/Fable-hospital-20-business-case/268403477.html
Related Links