Laying out

Arnold Palmer
Hospital’s New
Facility
CHAPTER 9
GROUP 4
TABLE OF CONTENTS
02. SOLUTIONS

01. SUMMARIZATION
 01. SUMMARIZATION
The main peculiarity of such a The idea was to reduce the
structure is that it increases sunlight coming from windows
the proximity of medical staff and to hang privacy curtains
to patients. between beds.

The aim is to reduce the distance that

healthcare professionals have to cover to
reach patients. Thus, the hospital consists of three
pod-like sections with an elevator at
The average time spent by a nurse to reach
the center of each of them and the
their patients decreased by 20%, thereby
main section in the form of a triangle
significantly increasing the efficiency of the that connects the pods.
nursing staff.
The main goal of layout strategy is to create a cost-
effective layout which will satisfy the competitive needs
In 2001, the hospital
of an organization.
began to face major
problems with staff In the new facility of Arnold Palmer's Hospital, the
efficiency and the lack of administration came to the idea that changing the form
space. of the layout would significantly increase the overall
efficiency of the hospital.
02. SOLUTIONS
Question 1: Identify the many variables that a
hospital needs to consider in layout design.

Efficiency – this is a major concern, thus, nursing

must have more time to do their job rather than
consuming more of it on walking.
Time-Saving – It is important to have a lesser time
walking going to rooms for close monitoring of all the
patients.
Space – for us to have enough place to move freely
and entertain visitors, friends, and families.
Privacy – it gives the patient trust and peace of mind
when he/she knows that the hospital secured their
privacy.
Location – things needed must place near the station
for immediate use.
Question 2: What are the advantages of the circular pod design over the
traditional linear hallway layout found in most hospitals?
Tripping for each room is easier and time-
saving since it requires the minimal time of
walking going to a patient’s room compared
to traditional ones which eat up
approximately 30% of your time.

Work efficiency is best since travel time is

minimized, and nurses and hospital staff will
be more productive.

Circular pods can accommodate more clients

and it is easier to monitor patients since the
local nursing station is placed in the middle of
each pod is different from the central station.
 Question 3: Figure 9.21 illustrates a
sample linear hallway layout. During
a period of random observation,
Nurse Thomas Smith’s day includes 6
trips from the nursing station to each
of the 12 patient rooms (back and
forth), 20 trips to the medical supply
room, 5 trips to the break room, and
12 trips to the linen supply room.
What is his total distance traveled in
miles?
The total distance travelled for a nurse Thomas during the day, her total distance in feet
will be: Figure 9.21 Traditional
6 trips from nursing station times (x) 2 round trip times (x) 2 (back and forth) Hospital Layout Patient
(20+30+40+50+60+70) distance each room from nursing station rooms are on two linear
+ 20 trips medical supply times (x) 2 round trip times (x) 50 hallways with exterior
+ 5 trips break room time (x) 2 round trip times ( x) 40 distance from nursing station windows. Supply rooms are
on interior corridors. This
+ 12 trips linen room x 2 round trip times (x) 30 distance from nursing station layout is called a “racetrack”
= 6480 + 2000 + 400 + 720 = 9600 foot = 1.82 miles travelled. design.
Question 4: Figure 9.22 illustrates an architect’s drawing of
Arnold Palmer Hospital’s new circular pod system. If nurse
Susan Jones’s day includes 7 trips from the nursing pod to each
of the 12 rooms (back and forth), 20 trips to central medical
supply, 6 trips to the break room, and 12 trips to the pod linen
supply, how many miles does she walk during her shift? What
are the differences in the travel times between the two nurses
for this random day?

The total distance travelled for a nurse

Thomas during the day:
7 trips (x) times 2 (round trip) x 12
rooms (x) 14
+ 20 trips x 2 (round trip) x 60 + 6 trips
to Break Room x 2 x 60
+ 12 trips to Pod Linen Supply x Figure 9.22 New Pod Design for Hospital Layout Note that
2 (round trip) x 14 each room is 14 feet from the pod’s local nursing station.
= 2352 + 2400 + 720 + 336 The break rooms and the central medical station are each
about 60 feet from the local nursing pod. Pod linen
5808 foot = 1.1 miles. supply rooms are also 14 feet from the local nursing
station.
Question 5: The concept of servicescapes is
discussed in this chapter. Describe why this is
so important at Arnold Palmer Hospital, and
give examples of its use in layout design.
The concept of servicescapes is huge at the Arnold Palmer Hospital.
Servicescapes is very important to the recovery of the patient, visitors that
come to the hospital, and the employees. The recovery of the patient is key…
o The rooms at the Arnold Palmer Hospital are painted in warm colors, the
rooms are private, there are oversized windows in the rooms, and they
have Murphy beds for visitors and family to rest on.
o In the neo-natal area, there are privacy curtains and warmer colors for
the babies. As the video pointed out, babies heal and grow faster in this
environment than compared to the traditional neo-natal areas in the
traditional hospital.
o Visitors that come to the hospital do not feel like they are in a hospital.
o The Arnold Palmer Hospital is designed such as to give everyone visiting a
sense of calmness and serenity.
o Employees enjoy the more homey atmosphere when compared to a
traditional sterile hospital environment as well.
Question 6: As technology and costs change, hospitals
continue to innovate. The reduced cost of computers
means some hospitals have moved from a central
computer at the nurse’s station to computers in the
room or on carts (see photo). What changes in overall
hospital layout would these innovations suggest?

o There will be a central source of

data, which is good for easily
finding information for every
patient.

o Reducing paperwork, decreasing

management costs, and saving
travel time for both employees
and clients.

o Saving time searching: medical

records, prescriptions,
equipment, room availability…