Scarborough Hospital:
A New Environment for Emergency Care
Modern and comfortable environment key for patients, visitors and its professional and administrative staff.
"PRISM Partners collaborated with a healthcare interior design consultant and The Scarborough Hospital to provide an optimal furniture solution for the various areas throughout the new building."
The new state-of-the-art Emergency and Critical Care Centre at The Scarborough Hospital opened in July 2009. It not only provides a revolutionary approach to emergency care, but delivers its healthcare services in a modern, comfortable environment for patients, visitors and its professional and administrative staff.
The four-storey, 142,000-square-foot wing houses the hospital’s new and expanded emergency department, new satellite diagnostic imaging department, a consolidated critical care centre and new public spaces – all requiring new furnishings and finishes to meet patient care and visitor and staff needs.
PRISM Partners, the specialty healthcare consultants who led the operational commissioning, collaborated with a healthcare interior design consultant and The Scarborough Hospital to provide an optimal furniture solution for the various areas throughout the new building.
“Careful consideration specific to a healthcare environment needed to be given at every step of the furnishings and finishes selection process,” said Dimitri Lavos, PRISM Project Planner. “Harkel was selected based on their ability to meet stringent project timelines, performance and budget requirements.”
Healthcare environment solutions included:
- Office furniture finishes that satisfied stringent infection control protocols and cleaning requirements including the use of easily cleaned fabrics for public seating and patient care seating and surfaces.
- The creation of inviting, comfortable and aesthetically pleasing public waiting areas that took into consideration public traffic flow, patient wait times and long-term use.
- Selecting appropriate patient care furnishings to suit specific patient care needs such as high-back patient chairs with a flexible back.
- Providing efficient administrative environments that do not look clinical and provide an appropriate level of work surface and storage solutions.
- Creating aesthetically-pleasing offices and work areas that provide staff comfort and flexibility of use. One of the largest and busiest urban hospitals in Canada, The Scarborough Hospital is a shining example of a healthcare environment that is focused on both patient and staff..
