Medical University of South Carolina
Children's Health R. Keith Summey Medical Pavilion
The concept of patient-centered care drove the entire design process for this pediatric ambulatory center, informing decisions from site selection through the final finishes. This bright, welcoming facility reduces the stress associated with a clinical visit while paving the way for new models of healthcare delivery. Flexible, multifunctional spaces were a primary design goal. Strategies included induction rooms outside of the operating room to maximize through-put while reducing stress for patients by allowing families to bypass the gowning and gloving process to stay together until the procedure begins. An orthopedic clinic transitions to an urgent care in the evening, while standardized exam pods allow rotating teams of specialists to rotate through the clinic for flexible scheduling. To best support the staff and physicians, flexible and unassigned workspaces boost communication, reduce silos among departments, and support an authentic collaborative care approach.
LOCATION: North Charleston, SC
SIZE: 98,000 SF
COMPLETED: 2019
Awards
IIDA Carolinas; ABC Carolinas Excellence in Construction – Healthcare; ASID Carolinas Chapter; ASID Carolinas: Healthcare
The Future of Operating Rooms
A joint research study between MUSC and Clemson University on the operating room of the future coincided with the early states of design for the project. As a result, the design team was integral in creating the operating room of the future while incorporating emerging research on room orientation, size, the optimal location of the operating room table, position of the anesthesiologist, daylight, and finishes.
Prototype Standards
Standardized, flexible exam rooms and pods host rotating specialists throughout the week as well; this configuration allows patients to combine multiple specialists’ appointments into one visit to the ambulatory surgical center. This approach not only customizes each patient’s visit to maximize the family’s time, but also streamlines the collaborative care approach. Collaboration between physicians and clinicians has significantly increased due to the design of the clinical pods which allow staff from different specialties to work together and create a holistic patient plan. Likewise, the staff move to the patient allowing the patient to remain in one exam room for their visit rather than relocating to see different specialists.
LS3P also transformed the registration and waiting process and design which has shaved off over 5 minutes of wait time for patients and their family members using technology, revised operational procedures, and the design and location of the registration and waiting room areas.
This building is the ultimate example of making healthcare all about the child.
Sheri Pilley | MUSC Parent
Experiential Graphic Design
To make the facility as welcoming and easy-to-navigate as possible, MUSC invested in Experiential Graphic Design (EGD) as an economical and high-impact tool for wayfinding. The team was careful to design graphics which would appeal to a wide range of patient ages from infants to high schoolers. The design deliberately provided multiple touchpoints including color, numbers, and graphic Lowcountry animal themes which would be relatable and comfortable for patients from the ‘Disney’ stage to the ‘iPhone’ stage.
A river and marsh theme befitting the North Charleston neighborhood inspired the graphic ecological elements which draw people in and through the space to the treatment areas. Because of the holistic design and thoughtful detailing of colors, themes, and circulation, the facility is easy and enjoyable for families to navigate.
