“Communication is key” is a common phrase used among coworkers in any industry, but arguably, no industry understands it more than healthcare. Whether it be consulting with another doctor about a patient’s care or connecting with visitors, hospitals and other healthcare facilities are communicating for the betterment.

However, communication goes beyond just patient care. As more facilities require more space, designers and architects have begun regularly communicating with healthcare staff to create areas that best work for them while also minimizing disruptions of care. By keeping the lines of communication open, patient safety continues to remain a top priority for anyone who comes into a healthcare facility.

Healthcare Facilities Today recently spoke with Ryan Ramsey, senior medical planner, Perkins&Will and Kyle Raschkow, healthcare market lead and senior project executive of BNBuilders on how early engagement with qualified professionals is of the utmost importance for patient safety during a renovation project.

HFT: How do you coordinate with healthcare staff to minimize disruptions to patient care?

Ryan Ramsey: During project kickoff, we identify key department and facility stakeholders who will be responsible for assisting with patient and operational safety from the design phase through construction.

Kyle Raschkow: It all starts with our lead supervisor building a relationship with caregivers, specifically the charge nurse for units that are affected by construction activities. This includes units that could be floors away, as noise and vibration can travel throughout a given facility. It’s imperative that we check in with the charge nurse at the beginning of every shift to remind them of work activities and discuss if anything has changed in their units since the last shift that might alter the previously approved work plans. Once we get the green light, we start construction for that shift and have regular check-ins throughout the day to monitor for disruptions that might be adversely affecting patient care.

HFT: What emergency procedures do you have in place in case of an incident during construction? 

Raschokow: Incidents on a hospital campus can come from construction projects or occur outside our work zones, so it’s imperative that crews are trained on what code vernacular the hospital uses and its meaning, as these can vary widely from hospital to hospital. Our policy is for all foremen to complete a Job Hazard Analysis (JHA) prior to mobilizing and a Pre-Task Plan (PTP) prior to any daily work activity to identify if hazards might be encountered. If an incident were to happen in the construction zone, the JHA’s and PTP’s identify the procedures and tools necessary to rectify or mitigate the incident. Some of the emergency procedures include training for all workers in case of evacuation and identification of all shutoff valve locations for medical gas, plumbing, and fire protection if an emergency shutoff is required.

HFT: How do you evaluate the project upon completion to ensure all safety measures were effective?

Raschokow: Our preference is to have weekly ICRA meetings with the interested parties of project management, infection prevention, and security and safety to receive near real-time feedback that our safety measures are effective. We also recommend a higher level ICRA closeout meeting with a broader audience at the end of the project to discuss what went well and how we can improve. We then take this feedback and distill it down to main points to celebrate our achievements and discuss what can be worked on to enhance the client experience. In every project, there is always room for improvement!

Mackenna Moralez is the associate editor for the facilities market.