Diane Jacobsen, MPH, CPHQ, Director, Institute for Healthcare Improvement;
Blair L. Sadler, JD, President and CEO, Children's Hospital and Health Center

      This session will review current published evidence that correlates optimal physical design and improved care related to quality, safety, and outcomes. The business case for optimal design will be explored: why a modest increase in construction and remodeling costs can produce significant long-term financial savings. Practical approaches for identifying and optimally utilizing existing “wasted” bed capacity through process redesign will also be discussed.
      After this presentation you will be able to:

• Summarize the meta-analysis of over 700 published articles on evidence-based design and its direct correlation to improved clinical outcomes and staff recruitment and retention.
• Discuss the compelling business case (capital costs vs. operating savings and increased revenue) for building optimal hospitals.
• Describe how to identify unused capacity and a process to optimally utilize existing capacity that will improve patient flow, patient discharges, and delay the need for construction.