The Nightingale Awards are the industry’s first and most prestigious healthcare-product design competition. Sponsored by Contract magazine in association with The Center for Health Design and Vendome Group, LLC (publishers of HEALTHCARE DESIGN) and judged by a panel of healthcare facilities executives and interior designers, the Nightingale Awards recognize the best new products exhibited at the annual HEALTHCARE DESIGN conference. This year’s winners-announced at HEALTHCARE DESIGN.09 last November in Orlando-are presented below. Our congratulations go to all of them.

Quick Drain by Quick Drain USA

The most limiting design and problem factor is gone from the shower and bathroom. Quick Drain USA system takes care of all shower floor imperfections and water issues in any commercial environment. Large format tiles, solid slabs, resinous and vinyl flooring can all be used with Quick Drain USA system.

Quick Drain’s linear slot drains are made of 316 Stainless Steel and come in sizes ranging from 30 to 68. The visible width is 1.5. Each drain can be custom made to any size. Accessible showers do not have to cause drainage problems. Take care of water drainage issues with Quick Drain USA. For more information, visit http://www.QuickDrainUSA.com.

Overbed Tables by Hill-Rom

Hill-Rom, a market leader in patient room furniture, is pleased to announce the release of a new line of overbed tables. Our new overbed table was designed to be highly configurable ensuring that this product can be used throughout all segments in the facility. The design ensures the fit/function under the beds and throughout the patient room, with significant efforts on controlling infection through the use of hygiene wipes at the bedside. For more information, visit

http://www.hill-rom.com.

JJ Pediatric Chair by IoA Healthcare Furniture

In designing the JJ, IoA Healthcare Furniture could have easily scaled down a larger recliner; however, children are not only smaller versions of us, but they have a different genre of personality and preferences. This is why IoA has designed a new chair which embodies the needs of pediatrics. The design of the JJ strikes a balance between being playful enough for younger children, but “dignified” enough for older and preadolescent patients who would be mortified to sit on a “SpongeBob”-inspired chair. Beyond the aesthetics and scale of the chair, the functionality of the JJ offers both comfort and ease of operation allowing them to relax. A wide range of options and accessories, such as the personal game attachment and hydraulic vertical lift, are available to further enhance the experience for both patient and caregiver. For more information, visit

http://www.ioa-hcf.com.

Florabella Lounge Collection by Brandrud Furniture

Designed for Brandrud by Martin Linder of MSL Design, Florabella is designed to address issues of infection control and durability while providing superior comfort. Traditional lounge seating is difficult to clean. Its construction often allows for debris or organic material to gather between components and cushions, creating a potential source of infection and germ transfer. To address this issue, Florabella provides a unique continuous “clean-out gap” around the seat that allows material to pass-through to the floor where it can be easily cleaned.

To address durability and increase the life of the product, Florabella incorporates resilient surfaces in areas of high wear such as urethane over-molded legs and field-replaceable urethane arm caps. Additionally, the arm caps are designed to wrap around the sides of the arm insuring durability by covering more surface area where hands normally rest on the chair.

With key features targeting cleaning and durability, Florabella also provides a combination of comfort and familiarity that supports users who may be physically or emotionally vulnerable. The visual language of the chair, beginning with the classic “barrel-back” form, both physically and visually embraces the user. For more information, visit http://www.brandrud.com.

HealthFIRST Infection Control Centers by Peter Pepper Products

HealthFIRST Infection Control Centers encourage the use of personal protection products while reducing the risk of cross contamination. Wall-Mounted, Freestanding and Mobile Cart models provide dispensers for sanitizers, masks, tissues, gloves, and gowns. Optional poster holders for health-related messages, magazine/literature racks, and trash receptacles are available. Manufactured in steel in a wide range of colors and wood trim finishes. Custom configurations are also available. HealthFIRST is the ideal solution for medical environments, hospitality, corporate, government, and educational facilities everywhere. For additional information, visit

http://www.peterpepper.com. Healthcare Design 2010 January;10(1):28-30