The ACI Boland Heal Studio partnered with Greater Regional Health on campus renovations and additions to accommodate a variety of needs at the main hospital campus. With this project, the hospital expanded their services by adding a hyperbaric chamber. This allows them to support the community in a new way and has created a safe, comfortable experience for patients.
A part of the new addition, the space has two rooms. The larger area holds the hyperbaric chamber. The secondary space has a restroom/changing area for patient ease.
The space was designed with a large footprint to accommodate growth and better support patients and staff. When asked how the design affects her experience, Gina Latham, MSN, ARNP, FNP-C, CWCN-AP, OMS, Practitioner, Greater Regional Health, said “It provides easy access and flow to equipment and supports patient care. Right now, we have one chamber in use, but room is set up for two. Even if there were two in the room, we still would not lose the big open feel.”
When using the hyperbaric chamber, patients are enclosed in a capsule. Having an open room helps them feel less overwhelmed. To increase their comfort, we also incorporated tall ceilings, as well as clerestory windows to add daylight. The chamber itself is glass, so patients can experience the larger room even when it is in use. Latham said, “Our patients enjoy the large space and express that they don’t feel ‘closed In.’ Even the most anxious and apprehensive patient did well, and he attributes this to the layout and open space.”
These rooms also incorporated Greater Regional Health’s current standards, which our team helped developed. Unique to the space are a few key safety features. We selected static dissipated flooring, and the unit can be locked down, if needed.
