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      BRIDGING THE PHYSICS OF BUILDING WITH THE PHYSIOLOGY OF HEALTH CARE: GREENING HEALTHCARE FACILITIES

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          Abstract

          On October 26–28, 2005, in Pittsburgh, PA, key members of the building industry, green design community, health-care industry, academic institutions, and government agencies gathered in a targeted dialogue to consider the feasibility of forming a consortium to improve how healthcare facilities are planned, designed, constructed, and maintained. The roundtable formally documented the drivers and expectations of participants; instinctual, emotional, and intellectual reactions of participants to healthcare facilities greening; and the strengths, opportunities, and challenges posed by the task of greening healthcare facilities. Three areas of consensus emerged clearly from the discussion: (a) All participants supported the formation of a consortium focused on the greening of healthcare facilities; (b) All believed the mix of expertise will make this consortium unique; and (c) All believed that the development of a shared research agenda among the building industry, healthcare providers, and academia is vital.

          The proposed greening healthcare consortium envisions: (1) Providing a network for sharing existing research and findings related to greening of healthcare facilities; (2) Facilitating collaboration between healthcare projects, current research, and hospital performance data; and (3) Providing an informed basis for healthcare design and construction decision-making. Based on input from the roundtable discussions, eight research thrusts were identified that the proposed consortium would be ideally positioned to address based on the competencies and positions of the members. These eight research thrusts are: (1) establishing the relationships between facilities and clinical outcome; (2) defining cost-value relationships regarding green building; (3) understanding the basis for decision making; (4) compiling a data repository; (5) developing active and passive research methods; (6) investigating interdependencies; (7) minimizing or eliminating waste; and (8) implementing research.

          The active inter-industry discourse promoted by this consortium between the healthcare industry, building industry, and academic institutions allows for a unique dynamic to be harnessed between the “physiology” of healthcare and the “physics” of healthcare facilities. This will enable the delivery of healthcare projects and the quality of healthcare to be continuously improved and enhanced. The operational framework for the proposed consortium would rely on projects from the building and healthcare industries serving as case studies for gathering information and incorporating the developments of research at academic institutions.

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          Author and article information

          Journal
          jgrb
          Journal of Green Building
          College Publishing
          1552-6100
          1943-4618
          1943-4618
          Spring 2006
          : 1
          : 2
          : 164-176
          Author notes

          1.Grad. Asst., Dept. of Arch. Engrg., Penn. State Univ., University Park, PA.

          2.Asst. Prof., Dept. of Arch. Engrg., Penn. State Univ., 211 Engr. Unit A, University Park, PA 16802, 814-863-2080 FAX 814-865-4789, mjhorman@ 123456engr.psu.edu .

          3.Division Director, Center for Environmental Oncology, Univ. of Pittsburgh Medical Ctr., Pittsburgh, PA 15213, 412-623-5783 FAX 412-623-3201, barrm@ 123456upmc.edu .

          4.Grad. Asst., Health Policy & Mgmt. Dept., Univ. of Pittsburgh.

          5.Assoc. Prof., Dept. of Arch. Engrg., Penn. State Univ., 220 Engr. Unit A, University Park, PA 16802, 814-863-2079 FAX 814-865-4789, driley@ 123456engr.psu.edu .

          6.Director, Ctr. for Housing & Urban Devt., Texas A&M Univ., 3137 TAMU, College Station, TX 77843-3137, 979-845-7070 FAX 979-862-3174, jvanegas@ 123456tamu.edu .

          7.Asst. Prof., Dept. of Bldg. Constr., Virginia Polytechnic Inst. and Univ., 122G Burruss Hall, Blacksburg, VA 24061, 540-818-7732 FAX 540-231-7339, apearce@ 123456vt.edu .

          Article
          jgb.1.2.164
          10.3992/jgb.1.2.164
          4de7485e-587c-460f-9070-cb578c3ffb6d
          ©2006 by College Publishing. All rights reserved.
          History
          Page count
          Pages: 13
          Categories
          RESEARCH ARTICLES

          Urban design & Planning,Civil engineering,Environmental management, Policy & Planning,Architecture,Environmental engineering
          health care,consortium,research agenda,Green facilities

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