Legend says the phrase “the devil is in the details” was coined by an architect. Whether or not this is true, it’s fitting for the profession, especially those who design healthcare facilities. An enormous amount of coordination and detail is required to design a medical facility. However, many of the details most important to patients, visitors, and staff—such as furniture locations with optimum views; nurse stations with convenient computers, printers, phones, and storage; exam tables with the proper relationship to wall-hung diagnostic instruments and required electrical outlets, etc.—are most often neglected during the project planning phase. These oversights can result in a less-than-stellar final product that is completed late with multiple change orders and budget overages. The best way to secure a successful outcome is to tackle the devil head on and integrate the design of furniture, fixtures, and equipment at the very beginning.
Furniture, fixtures, and equipment (FF&E), which includes everything from tack boards to linear accelerators, are too often viewed as a building’s “finishing touches.” In truth, these items, if not properly orchestrated, can be the root of all evil for a healthcare project. Their absence (or excess) can lead to costly schedule and budget overruns. The key to successful FF&E integration—keeping the devil at bay—is early planning and the proper use of tracking and coordination tools. This requires commitment and input from medical equipment planning, architectural/interior design, dietary planning disciplines, and the increasingly important information technology (IT).
The Tallahassee Memorial Cancer Center is a state-of-the-art medical facility designed by SSOE Group and developed by Health Care REIT. The goal of this project was to create a facility that offered the most advanced treatments and technologies, while providing a relaxing and comfortable environment for patients and their families. Additionally, the cancer center wanted to incorporate sustainable initiatives and achieve LEED certification. To meet these goals, numerous details had to be considered throughout the design process, including the specification and installation of all FF&E required in a comprehensive cancer center. Together, the owner/developer, Health Care REIT, and architect/engineering firm, SSOE Group, devised a unique and disciplined approach to integrate FF&E into the project. Through the use of defined methods and tools, the team was able to deliver the project significantly under budget and ahead of schedule.
Often, Medical Equipment Planners (MEP), interior designers, dietary planners, and IT engineers are not included in the initial planning phases of a project. Frequently, owners, tenants, or project sponsors underestimate FF&E requirements and how they influence the overall building design and budgeting process.
For example, it is necessary to define each room’s function, required equipment, technology, and furniture to determine the room’s size, orientation, and location. When FF&E is not considered up front, architects are forced to make educated guesses, which in the end can lead to rework during design, rework during construction, or, in the worst case scenario, a healthcare facility that does not meet the needs of patients and staff.
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