New Braunfels Community Health Commons in New Braunfels, Texas, designed by Earl Swensson Associates, is a full-service hospital and the centerpiece of Resolute Health’s integrated healthcare delivery network. Opened in June 2014, the medical center sits on a 56-acre wellness campus. The 365,000-square-foot hospital component of the medical center contains 158 beds (includes shelled beds) and has the capability to expand to 300 beds.

The multi-purpose Resolute Health wellness campus features green spaces, walking trails and gardens, community centers, physicians’ offices, retail shops that promote healthy lifestyles, restaurants that offer healthy dining choices, a fitness center, a planned day spa, women’s diagnostics center, and an integrated medicine center. With the capacity to respond to the whole individual, an emphasis is being placed on bundling services for consumer convenience. As an example, the facility’s integrative care team consists of a dietitian, fitness coordinator, physical therapist, licensed clinical social workers, and pharmacist consultant who work together to create a care plan for patients of the Resolute Health Endocrine & Diabetes Institute and Institute for Longevity, the latter of which provides care for seniors.

Transparency was an architectural concept that was carried throughout in the design of the hospital. To provide a transparent connection to the health campus, clear glazing and high horizontal mullions were utilized to allow an almost unobstructed view of the exterior landscaping and courtyard areas. These outdoor spaces were designed as outdoor rooms to serve as additional areas of refuge for patients and visitors. The green spaces are woven into the campus for easy wayfinding and as orientation elements.

The facility has begun collecting data to demonstrate that this type of healthcare approach can lower costs, improve outcomes, and increase customer experience.