Health Care Guide Press Releases
University Medical Center of Princeton at Plainsboro: Healing By Design
| CONTACT: Andy Williams, (609) 897-8989 anwilliams@princetonhcs.org University Medical Center of Princeton at Plainsboro: Healing by Design
PLAINSBORO, N.J. (April 12, 2012) – When University Medical Center of Princeton at Plainsboro (UMCPP) opens on May 22, it will be among the most technologically advanced, patient-centered and environmentally friendly hospitals in the country. From the overall layout of the 636,000-square-foot building down to the smallest details in all 231 single-patient rooms, every investment and design decision was evaluated on its ability to promote healing, comfort and safety. Coverage opportunities for reporters and photographers are detailed below: THE PROOF: OUR MODEL PATIENT ROOM The design of each patient room is based on a groundbreaking study—supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation as part of the Pebble Project research initiative with The Center for Health Design—that involved building a working model room at University Medical Center at Princeton (UMCP). During the two-year study, more than 250 design changes were made based on feedback from physicians, nurses, and other staff who worked in the room and patients who stayed in the room. The research results will be shared with hospitals worldwide. WE HAVE THE TECHNOLOGY… From the floor sweepers that disinfect without harsh chemicals to the fully digitized surgical suites equipped with voice-activated lights and equipment, every aspect of the new UMCPP incorporates the latest technologies. High-tech highlights include:
GOING GREEN The new UMCPP will be powered, heated and cooled by an adjacent cogeneration plant—developed in partnership with NRG Energy Inc. of Princeton—that is twice as efficient as traditional energy plants. Other green features include:
THE HEALING POWER OF ART Research shows that viewing certain types of art can promote healing, reduce patients’ stress levels and even decrease their need for pain medication. With this in mind, UMCPP launched the Art for Healing initiative, which features more than 200 original paintings, sculptures, photographs and other works of art throughout the hospital. Art for Healing now includes work by nearly 30 artists, including Princeton sculptor Gordon Gund, and it is expected to grow. NURTURING THE SPIRIT To supplement its mission of healing the body, UMCPP also devoted a space to the spiritual needs of patients, visitors and staff. The Chapel of Light features multicolored windows that shift and tint the daylight entering the room. The chapel also includes a beaded wall ornamentation that represents several major faiths and a floor with tiles that appear to shimmer in response to light and movement. The chapel was supported by a generous gift from a donor. KID FRIENDLY Rooms in the new Regan Family Center for Pediatric Care are designed to be calm havens for children and include a family zone with comfortable seating and a sleep sofa for visitors. Blood tests and other procedures are conducted in a separate room so children feel safe and secure in their own space. As part of an existing partnership, physicians from the world-renowned hospital, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), are on-site at UMCPP 24/7 to care for pediatric patients and newborns and to provide consultation for children in the Emergency Department. MEETING THE UNIQUE NEEDS OF THE ELDERLY UMCP was among the first hospitals in New Jersey to open an Acute Care for the Elderly (ACE) Unit, which is designed with room features that enhance vision and depth perception and equipped with low-to-the-floor beds that reduce the risk of falls and also include monitors to measure weight loss. The new UMCPP includes a larger ACE Unit and an area of the Emergency Department (ED) designed for older adults. Rooms in the ED have a window and slip-resistant floors. In addition, they are each equipped with a toilet so patients don’t need to leave the room to use the bathroom. OH, BABY! The new Center for Maternal and Newborn Care at UMCPP will provide exceptional maternal and neonatal care through its team of physicians and nurses, supported by collaborations with CHOP and Penn Maternal Fetal Medicine. The center will include a Neonatal Intermediate Care Unit with several private rooms where parents can stay overnight with their newborns. EMERGENCY! The new Emergency Department (ED) features specialized areas for older adults, children and patients with behavioral health issues, along with a dedicated radiology suite and a Rapid Medical Evaluation Area to treat those with less severe injuries. DESIGNED FOR PATIENT SAFETY AND SATISFACTION From the wall-mounted handrail leading from the bed to the bathroom to the bacteria-resistant flooring and a reading light that was placed according to patient feedback, every detail of the new UMCPP was designed to promote patient safety and satisfaction. Excellent clinical outcomes and high patient satisfaction rates have always been very important, but they have now become even more imperative, as reimbursement rates from Medicare are now impacted by data and surveys on clinical outcomes and patient satisfaction. It is expected that other payers will soon follow Medicare’s lead on this. PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE, INNOVATIVE VISION – President and CEO Barry S. Rabner The new UMCPP clearly bears the stamp of Barry S. Rabner, President and CEO of Princeton HealthCare System, who steered the $523 million hospital project from initial planning through design and construction. The son of Holocaust survivors—his mother was a nurse in the Russian Army during World War II—Rabner grew up in Passaic and began his career in healthcare during high school, when he was an orderly in a nursing home. Following college, a year at the Sorbonne in Paris and graduate school, Rabner started on the career path that eventually led him to Princeton. He has led a rehabilitation hospital, served as an executive at a large Philadelphia healthcare system and held various other leadership positions along the way. In the past year, Rabner’s efforts to develop a state-of-the-art, sustainable hospital and $1.2 billion healthcare campus earned awards from smart growth organizations, election to the Board of Directors for The Center of Health Design, recognition as one of the most influential executives in healthcare and business in New Jersey, and speaking engagements throughout the U.S. and internationally. He has also hosted delegations from Denmark, Turkey and China—countries that are studying UMCPP as they undertake major initiatives to upgrade their own healthcare infrastructures. BRINGING HER WORK HOME – PHCS Vice President Pamela Garbini With 30 years’ experience in the building industry, Pamela Garbini’s latest project—managing the construction of UMCPP—hits close to home: in Plainsboro, to be exact, where Garbini lives with her husband and daughter, while also finding time to be an active community volunteer. An engineer and Vice President of Construction and Facilities for PHCS, Garbini is one of few women in a traditionally male-dominated field. Yet she is right at home overseeing construction of every aspect of the enormous, state-of-the-art hospital. A PEBBLE PARTNER The new UMCPP is a participant in The Center for Health Design’s Pebble Project, a unique and dynamic collaborative, where forward-thinking healthcare providers learn, research and share information to create better healthcare facilities that improve patient and worker safety and clinical outcomes, while maximizing environmental performance and operating efficiency. Pebble partners use evidence-based design features to improve outcomes including reducing patient falls, improving response time, reducing medication errors, and increasing patient satisfaction. On Tuesday, April 17, close to 200 healthcare and design professionals from some of the nation’s most innovative organizations will tour the new UMCPP to see firsthand how evidence-based design research influenced the construction of the new facility. The tour will be preceded by a panel discussion and is part of the Spring 2012 Pebble Partner Colloquium being held in Princeton April 16 through April 18. The panel discussion begins at 8 a.m. on April 17 with introductory remarks by Rabner. The new hospital is located on Plainsboro Road in Plainsboro, N.J. ABOUT THE CENTER FOR HEALTH DESIGN The Center for Health Design (CHD) is a nonprofit organization that engages and supports professionals and organizations in the healthcare, construction, and design industry to improve the quality of healthcare facilities and create new environments for healthy aging. CHD’s mission is to transform healthcare environments for a healthier, safer world through design research, education, and advocacy. |
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