Improving Sustainability During Hospital Design And Operation

This book describes the Sustainable High Quality Healthcare (SustHealth) project, which had the goal of developing an original multidisciplinary evaluation tool that can be applied to assess and improve hospitals’ overall sustainability. The comprehensive nature of the appraisal offered by this tool exceeds the scope of most current rating systems, which typically permit a thorough evaluation of relevant environmental factors when designing a new building but fail to consider social and economic impacts of the design phase or the performance of the hospital’s operational structure in these fields. The multidisciplinary evaluation system was developed, from its very inception through to its testing, by following a scientific experimental method in which a global perspective was constantly maintained, as opposed to a focus only on specific technical issues. Application of the SustHealth rating tool to a currently functioning hospital, or one under design, will identify weaknesses and guide users to potential low-cost short-term solutions and longer-term strategies for improvement.

This book describes the Sustainable High Quality Healthcare (SustHealth) project, which had the goal of developing an original multidisciplinary evaluation tool that can be applied to assess and improve hospitals' overall sustainability. The comprehensive nature of the appraisal offered by this tool exceeds the scope of most current rating systems, which typically permit a thorough evaluation of relevant environmental factors when designing a new building but fail to consider social and economic impacts of the design phase or the performance of the hospital's operational structure in these fields. The multidisciplinary evaluation system was developed, from its very inception through to its testing, by following a scientific experimental method in which a global perspective was constantly maintained, as opposed to a focus only on specific technical issues. Application of the SustHealth rating tool to a currently functioning hospital, or one under design, will identify weaknesses and guide users to potential low-cost short-term solutions and longer-term strategies for improvement.

"With this book, Robin Guenther and Gail Vittori show us how critical our green building mission is to the future of human health and secures a lasting legacy that will continue to challenge and focus the green building movement, the healthcare industry, and the world for years to come." —From the Foreword by Rick Fedrizzi, President, CEO and Founding Chair, U.S. Green Building Council INDISPENSABLE REFERENCE FOR THE FUTURE OF SUSTAINABLE HEALTHCARE DESIGN Written by a leading healthcare architect named one of Fast Company's 100 most creative people in business and a sustainability expert recognized by Time magazine as a Green Innovator, Sustainable Healthcare Architecture, Second Edition is fully updated to incorporate the latest sustainable design approaches and information as applied to hospitals and other healthcare facilities. It is the essential guide for architects, interior designers, engineers, healthcare professionals, and administrators who want to create healthy environments for healing. Special features of this edition include: 55 new project case studies, including comparisons of key sustainability indicators for general and specialty hospitals, sub-acute and ambulatory care facilities, and mixed-use buildings New and updated guest contributor essays spanning a range of health-focused sustainable design topics Evolving research on the value proposition for sustainable healthcare buildings Profiles of five leading healthcare systems and their unique sustainability journeys, including the UK National Health Service, Kaiser Permanente, Partners HealthCare, Providence Health & Services, and Gundersen Health System Focus on the intersection of healthcare, resilience, and a health promotion imperative in the face of extreme weather events Comparison of healthcare facility-focused green building rating systems from around the world Sustainable Healthcare Architecture, Second Edition is an indispensable resource for anyone interested in the design, construction, and operation of state-of-the-art sustainable healthcare facilities.

Green Healthcare Institutions : Health, Environment, and Economics, Workshop Summary is based on the ninth workshop in a series of workshops sponsored by the Roundtable on Environmental Health Sciences, Research, and Medicine since the roundtable began meeting in 1998. When choosing workshops and activities, the roundtable looks for areas of mutual concern and also areas that need further research to develop a strong environmental science background. This workshop focused on the environmental and health impacts related to the design, construction, and operations of healthcare facilities, which are part of one of the largest service industries in the United States. Healthcare institutions are major employers with a considerable role in the community, and it is important to analyze this significant industry. The environment of healthcare facilities is unique; it has multiple stakeholders on both sides, as the givers and the receivers of care. In order to provide optimal care, more research is needed to determine the impacts of the built environment on human health. The scientific evidence for embarking on a green building agenda is not complete, and at present, scientists have limited information. Green Healthcare Institutions : Health, Environment, and Economics, Workshop Summary captures the discussions and presentations by the speakers and participants; they identified the areas in which additional research is needed, the processes by which change can occur, and the gaps in knowledge.

This multidisciplinary book brings together medical, management, and architectural disciplines in order to formulate new approaches to the programming, planning, and design of healthcare facilities that will improve the quality of healthcare systems in rapidly developing countries, respecting local culture. It achieves this aim by drawing upon case studies on healthcare facilities and services that were undertaken in Kolkata, India, where the public healthcare system is meager and most people do not have access to health services. The approaches presented pay appropriate attention to technical aspects and organizational set-up and are designed to achieve an adequate healthcare assistance, greater production efficiency, better use of local professional resources, and careful control of construction. They are also intended to promote educational progress and future independence in construction and management of the healthcare system. The book will appeal to all with an interest in design and organizational strategies to meet new healthcare challenges in India and other emerging countries.

This interdisciplinary guide offers background, research findings, and practical strategies for assessing and improving air quality in hospitals and other healthcare settings. Positing good air quality as critical to patient and staff well-being, it identifies disease-carrying microbes, pollutants, and other airborne toxins and their health risks, and provides localized interventions for reducing transmission of pathogens. Effective large-scale approaches to air quality control are also outlined, from green building materials to hygienic HVAC and air treatment practices. Its thoroughness of coverage makes this book a vital resource for professionals involved in every aspect of health service facilities, from planning and construction to maintenance and management. Among the topics covered: Existing guidelines in indoor air quality: the case study of hospital environments Hospital environments and epidemiology of healthcare-associated infections Analysis of microorganisms in hospital environments and potential risks Legionella indoor air contamination in healthcare environments HVAC system design in healthcare facilities and control of aerosol contaminants Assessment of indoor air quality in inpatient wards Indoor Air Quality in Healthcare Facilities imparts up-to-date expertise to a variety of professional readers, including hospitals' technical and management departments, healthcare facilities' chief medical officers, hospital planners, sport and thermal building designers, public health departments, and students of universities and schools of hygiene.

Through an approach strongly oriented to socio-health contexts and healthcare facilities, with multidisciplinary contributions on the methodological and technical aspects, or legislative issues, the book provides tools and design strategies to plan and realize therapeutic places and healing gardens for care, rehabilitation, interaction, and social inclusion. It addresses all the technical and medical professionals - like Architects, Urban Planners, Agronomist, Sociologists, Epidemiologists, Public Health experts, Policy Makers, etc. - wishing to explore the link between built environment, well-being, and health, referring in particular to the direct relationship between places and therapy.

"Sustainability in Healthcare: Advances in mHealth AI and Robotics" explores sustainable methods in the healthcare industry, focusing on rural and community healthcare improvement, the use of robots for sustainability, and the implementation of AI in healthcare. It also explores additive manufacturing, mobile health, biomedical engineering, and telemedicine's role in healthcare sustainability management. The book also discusses the ethical concerns, environmental, social, and economic implications of sustainability in healthcare supply chain management and pandemic management.