Remodeling Healthcare Facilities to Fit New Standards Following the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has had an undeniable impact on nearly every industry across the globe. From restaurants to retail businesses, the hospitality industry and beyond, everyone has had to take measures to quickly adapt and respond to this unprecedented situation.

It has been fascinating to watch how spaces have adjusted their architecture and layout to comply with the new guidelines. There are many new considerations that have evolved for building and remodeling healthcare facilities in particular.

In an article written by Medical Construction & Design Magazine (MCD), “The Paradigm Shift of Pandemic Proportions Guides Next-Gen Facilities,” they begin to discuss what the “post-pandemic” world will look like, including the reprioritization of safety within healthcare facilities.

Designing spaces that are flexible in function, inclusive for all building occupants, and provide a safe space for healing will be crucial. These facilities will focus on the safety of not only patients, but visitors, staff members, and operations teams, as well. 

How Temporary Containment Walls Make Remodeling Healthcare Facilities Safer & More Efficient

As we read this article about next-gen facilities and redesigning buildings, several parallels were identified regarding the benefits which our Temporary Wall Systems provide and how we can transform an existing space to immediately satisfy the need for these new considerations.

Below are some of the key ways in which our versatile containment systems can help accomplish these new guidelines for remodeling healthcare facilities to create safer, more inclusive environments for all. 

Safety 

The top priority in designing spaces for health care construction projects will be the safety of all building occupants including patients, visitors, staff, and operational teams. Curbing the spread of germs while adhering to safe distancing guidelines and creating separation between patients is crucial.

Our containment systems can be used to meet these very considerations by creating room dividers, hallway containment, isolation rooms, anterooms, general containment, and beyond. 

Cleanliness 

Designing spaces with attention to maintenance and cleaning practices with higher standards of cleanliness is also expected to be the “new norm” in healthcare construction project management. Finding ways to prevent the spread of contagious pathogens  with a renewed focus on maximum cleanability and moving toward building with surfaces that are disinfectant friendly will be imperative. 

Our modular wall system was designed and manufactured using hospital and cleanroom grade materials, allowing them to be quickly and efficiently cleaned and disinfected.  We adhere to rigorous cleaning protocols (air tool, vacuum, wipe down using cleaning and disinfecting products recommended by the CDC, etc.)

In addition, during the final step of our comprehensive cleaning process, our modular wall components are slowly passed through a UV-C clean machine within a few inches of the UV Light where the surfaces are exposed to 420 watts of UV Light. This NEW utilization of UV Light, when added to our already meticulous cleaning process, results in thoroughly disinfected modular wall components.

Stress-Reducing 

During the peak of the pandemic, it seems like every hallway and corridor of hospitals across the country were chaotic. In high-stress situations like this, it is important that the caregivers are able to remain calm and maintain healthy stress levels in order to provide a high standard of care to their patients.

Healthcare facilities are often overlooked as a place of work, but as we move forward, it’s crucial to keep in mind the effect that the environment has on the nurses, doctors, and caregivers. Providing thoughtful workflows and a clean, safe work space for workers can greatly improve efficiency and therefore less stress for all building occupants.

• By focusing on cleanliness and infection control, it can give staff members peace of mind to do their job safely.
• Providing them with spaces to take uninterrupted breaks is also crucial.

Our modular wall panels can be used to construct temporary break rooms for nurses to grab a quick bite to eat, or just clear their head for a moment. 

Adaptability 

Lastly, the importance of having multi-functional spaces that can be easily adapted for different purposes will be key in times such as the pandemic. Many healthcare facilities were scrambling to create new spaces that would be suitable for the standards.

In the future, hospital preparedness and adaptability will help immensely. Our modular wall system was carefully designed with flexibility in mind to fit in almost any space and provide hospital grade infection control. Our rentable wall panels can be installed and constructed to immediately create your specific containment needs. 

Contact Temporary Wall Systems LLC. 

While these new design considerations will be implemented in next-gen healthcare facilities, our modular wall containment systems can help to accomplish these critical features right now! How can we help your hospital construction company transform an existing space to accommodate the new guidelines following the pandemic? Give us a call today at 603-893-3532 to get started!