Healthcare Design Caters to Research and Millennials

Hinrichs says the education of patients and staff is now occurring within the same facility.

SAN FRANCISCO— Kevin Hinrichs, LEED AP, has been named principal of Taylor Design , an employee-owned architectural, environments and strategies firm. Hinrichs will continue to serve as director of Taylor Design’s office in San Francisco, but now operates as the principal-in-charge, overseeing all aspects of the company’s Northern California operations, from business development to management of the office. Taylor Design is known for ensuring a positive client experience in the firm’s core markets of healthcare, education and science and technology. Hinrichs joined Taylor Design’s San Francisco office team in 2013 as project director. His 17-year career is highlighted by collaborating with healthcare and science clients to deliver strategy-based designs, solving a variety of business, organization and built-environment needs. Hinrichs recently discussed trends in healthcare design with GlobeSt.com. GlobeSt.com: Tell us more about the current trends in healthcare design such as the academic medical center which is a fusion of healthcare, science and education. Kevin Hinrichs: Academic medical centers have always supported translational medicine, in which biomedical research can be more directly applied to patients in a healthcare setting (the “bench-to-bedside” idea).  Recent trends have brought direct research into the healthcare setting, requiring spaces where scientific or social science research can occur in an active clinical environment. Additionally, the education of patients and the continuing education of staff is now occurring within the same healthcare facility as part of a continuum of care. A parallel trend has brought traditional medical centers into alignment with academic research facilities. For example, there is a movement for healthcare organizations to train and educate the next generation of the healthcare workforce to raise the general level of community health. GlobeSt.com: How is the aging baby boomer population affecting design? Hinrichs: The aging population definitely has an impact on the types of services offered by healthcare clients; more importantly, the differing health needs of the aging population are changing the demand for services offered.  However, the generation that is impacting design more than any other is the millennials. This age group constitutes a vast number of young healthcare “customers,” and their demands for patient experience are completely different from those of the baby boomers, making their service expectations quite distinct. Because millennials are tech savvy, they are less reliant on others and are much more willing to engage in tele-medicine, online medical care, kiosk check-in and self-rooming. This change in mindset has had a dramatic effect on the design of clinics. GlobeSt.com: How is the Affordable Care Act affecting design? Hinrichs: The Affordable Care Act has made healthcare more accessible to millions of Americans. As a result, healthcare organizations are shifting away from marketing to large institutions, and instead are marketing directly to the consumer. With more consumers now in a position to personally select their providers, competition is fierce between healthcare organizations in many geographical markets, not only in San Francisco. To attract and retain patients, today’s healthcare facility designs are not only aesthetically pleasing and welcoming, but they also provide space to house amenities like valet parking and areas for educational and wellness services, such as classrooms and fitness facilities. Additionally, consumer-centric healthcare designs are aimed at efficiencies that enhance workflow, decrease patient waiting times and put patients at ease, such as a centralized registration area for multiple appointments and providing space that accommodates both exams and consultations in the same room. GlobeSt.com: Where do you see design trends in 10 years? Hinrichs: Commercialization and competition will continue to impact healthcare facility design in the future.  With this in mind, healthcare organizations should focus on creating well-developed patient experience objectives, branding themselves in a way that provides consistency across their organizations, and providing services that attract both elderly and younger customers. Advancements in technology such as tele-health will continue to provide remote access to healthcare, and will also maximize effective facility usage by addressing issues such as energy monitoring and patient tracking.