This blog was featured in MC+D’s December 2018 E-Newsletter. Read that version here.  As part of a multi-site Behavioral Health Initiative (BHI) for Mercy Health, Array converted a shuttered med/surg floor at Lourdes Hospital in Paducah, Kentucky. This project was not without the inherent challenges of making a non-behavioral health space compliant, safe and comfortable […]

Project photography presented in a before-and-after format to allow readers to witness the med/surg-to-behavioral health transformation. CHALLENGE To properly care for their constituents, Mercy Health committed to a system-wide Behavioral Health Initiative to increase inpatient beds and partial hospitalization services. The most appropriate space at their Paducah, KY, facility was a shuttered med/surg unit which […]

Many of us will need to evaluate senior care for a loved one at some point in our adult lives. We also may need there to be a behavioral health component as part of that care model. My intuition of what contributes to a healing environment for this diverse population was verified during recent visioning […]

As a healthcare architect, I am often on-site at hospitals and health centers. Most projects give me the opportunity to get to know the facility’s staff and experience a bit of their day-to-day. One of the most rewarding parts of my job is the staff’s recognition that their needs have been fulfilled as they prepare to occupy […]

Challenge To support the community, Children’s National identified a growing need for additional pediatric behavioral health inpatient capacity. The space needs to embody healing in a safe, supportive environment catering to a wide age range, patients from four to 17 years. Solution The Unit is designed to appeal to both patients and families with a […]

The US healthcare landscape is ever changing due to the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Modifications to the law change healthcare delivery and provide access to insurance coverage to a large population of the previously uninsured. One of the largest underserved populations includes those with mental illnesses. In 2013 alone, an estimated 43.8 million US adults […]

Challenge With a diverse group of older residents requiring inpatient behavioral health services, the client prioritized converting and expanding a small med/surg unit to accommodate a higher census as well as correcting unit deficiencies such as sight lines, patient/staff safety and adequate space for therapeutic sessions and activities. To facilitate healing, it was desirable to […]

Featured in Behavioral Healthcare, July 2014. The design solutions for behavioral health facilities often requires unique innovations for common problems faced by caregivers on a daily basis. The best solutions are often the ones that are simple, elegant and, above all, durable. Patient Belongings A common problem we hear from our behavioral health clients is […]