A Pebble payoff

“In addition to sharing programming and design issues we invited guests to participate in the transition planning activities. These activities included attendance of our monthly Fit Up/Commissioning Committee, Patient Care Committee, Support/Ancillary Committee, Orientation and Training Committee, and Executive Committee that guides and supports the entire process. One fascinating aspect of our guests' participation in the meeting was identification of the different management styles and organizational cultures between the two organizations. Another was the obvious pride demonstrated by our staff who felt honored and flattered that their work and the new facility was so significant that it attracted international interest from our visitors.

“We also introduced guests to our consultants who perform FFE/Procurement services, and others who guide the Transition Planning process. These introductions were instant networking opportunities where our guests learned new means and methods of performing planning work, and exchanged contact information for potential future collaboration.

“Even though both hospitals are distinctly different, in separate countries, and each having a unique culture and financial approach, we uncovered many commonalities. These included a commitment to creating safe and efficient healthcare environments, providing a high quality of life for patients and staff, and striving to improve clinical outcomes. To that end both Pebble Partners are conducting rigorous research to prove their hypotheses regarding EBD, as every Pebble Partner is committed to doing. All of us involved in healthcare design and construction projects have unique features and areas of expertise. We hope to have more visits, like the one the leaders of Royal Jubilee Hospital of Victoria, BC, made to Laguna Honda in San Francisco.”

These visits accelerate and facilitate the dissemination of innovative design features and EBD results to the healthcare and design communities. This information sharing has a beneficial effect on the quality of future healthcare facilities, which benefits society at large. Take a cue from Pebble Partners and do your part. Invite others to share your success and lessons learned, and listen and learn from others-healthcare will be that much better for it. HD

For further information, visit http://www.lagunahonda.org or http://www.viha.ca.