Project category: Project in progress (October 2007)

Chief administrator: Cheryl L. Herbert, President, (614) 566-3407

Firm: Karlsberger, (614) 461-9500

Design team: Gregory C. Mare, AIA, Team Leader; Robert L. Grundey, AIA, Project Manager; Jane H. Peters, AIA, ACHA, Senior Architectural Designer; Wesley D. Hawkins, AIA, Senior Architectural Designer; Quentin Elliott, Associate AIA, Project Architect (Karlsberger); Rosalyn Cama, FASID, Interior Design Consultant (CAMA, Inc.)

Illustration: Karlsberger

Total building area (sq. ft.): 325,000

Construction cost/sq. ft.: $308

Total construction cost (excluding land): $100,000,000


Participating as a Pebble Project with The Center for Health Design, this 94-bed hospital has the mission “to create a community hospital that revolutionizes healthcare delivery by optimizing the medical, spiritual, and emotional well-being of patients, families, and staff.” Designed from the perspective of customers and employees, the hospital fits into the landscape of the community with a natural rhythm that breaks down the fear and intimidation of a hospital visit.

Staff recruitment and retention are paramount to the success of this new community hospital. The environment has been designed to support this goal and includes plenty of natural light and easy access to outdoor gardens. The hospital expects to see lower staff turnover, increases in patient satisfaction, reduced patient falls, and decreased infection rates.

One major distinguishing feature is the use of like-handed exam/treatment rooms, operating rooms, and patient rooms, where everything is located in the same place from one room to another. This standardized approach should reduce the risk of medical errors and is one of several patient safety features. All inpatient rooms are acuity-adaptable, enabling most patients to remain in one room during their stay.

The 340-sq.-ft. inpatient rooms have been designed with input from patients, families, staff, and physicians. The materials and colors used create a pleasant, less institutional environment. Glass tiles and colored stripes on walls and floors continue a theme of flowing water and beams of light introduced at the entrances to the building.