Healthcare
Lutheran Hospital of Indiana - Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
MSKTD & Associates, Inc. provided full design services for the construction of fourteen private rooms and associated support spaces for an expansion of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Lutheran Hospital of Indiana. The project was built adjacent to the existing functioning department with little disruption. Great care was taken in the construction to contain sound and dust to prevent any adverse effects on the twenty-five premature infants residing next door.
As Lutheran's NICU serves as a referral center for critically ill infants in a 100-mile radius of northeast Indiana and northwest Ohio, the design included parent-sleeping accommodations in each of the 14 private rooms. The move to all private rooms has shown to significantly improve patient outcomes over more chaotic multi-bed wards. Lutheran Hospital is one of the first facilities in Northern Indiana offering private NICU rooms. Incorporating space for parent sleeping in the rooms is also a significant feature, allowing them to be more readily available and playing a more active role in their infant's care.
The designers used evidence-based design to utilize the latest research on how the environment impacts patient outcomes. Acoustics were a high priority in the specifying of materials as well as the staff procedures. The lighting was specified as indirect with a high level of control to allow the staff to better adjust levels to reinforce the circadian rhythms in the infant, aiding growth and development.
As Lutheran's NICU serves as a referral center for critically ill infants in a 100-mile radius of northeast Indiana and northwest Ohio, the design included parent-sleeping accommodations in each of the 14 private rooms. The move to all private rooms has shown to significantly improve patient outcomes over more chaotic multi-bed wards. Lutheran Hospital is one of the first facilities in Northern Indiana offering private NICU rooms. Incorporating space for parent sleeping in the rooms is also a significant feature, allowing them to be more readily available and playing a more active role in their infant's care.
The designers used evidence-based design to utilize the latest research on how the environment impacts patient outcomes. Acoustics were a high priority in the specifying of materials as well as the staff procedures. The lighting was specified as indirect with a high level of control to allow the staff to better adjust levels to reinforce the circadian rhythms in the infant, aiding growth and development.
