Sunday, October 18, 2009

Architecture for Radiology, LLP Featured in Article on Radiology Planning and Design Published in RSNA News

For Immediate Release (10/15/09)

Architecture for Radiology, LLP --- the only architecture firm in the world devoted exclusively to radiology planning and design --- is pleased to announce that the firm has been featured in the latest edition of RSNA News, a monthly publication by the Radiological Society of North America.

The article is entitled “Radiology Architects Forecast the Facility of the Future”, and has been published in the October 2009 edition of RSNA News. To view this article on radiology architects, go to: http://www.rsna.org/Publications/rsnanews/October-2009/RadiologyArchitects_feature.cfm.

Amongst the interesting points made in the article about planning and designing a radiology facility, whether a hospital radiology department or an outpatient imaging center, are the following:
- Radiology facilities of the future will look different from those of the present
- There is a need to look ahead, when planning a radiology facility.
- Amongst the factors driving change in radiology design: “changes in practice, technology, referrals and revenue streams”
- Convergence of surgical and medical imaging, both in full blown OR’s as well as in procedure rooms with less invasive procedures
- Trend towards additional control rooms and additional electronic equipment rooms in surgical suites
- The importance of working with radiology architects: "It is extremely important to work with a radiology architect and facilities management personnel when redesigning or building new spaces," said Dr. Horii, a professor of radiology at the University of Pennsylvania Medical Center in Philadelphia
- Importance of proper reading room design – affects diagnostic speed, accuracy and overall work performance. Focus on reading room ergonomics, as well as how radiologists work today.
- Other key issues for radiology design are good lighting, focus on workflow, and reduction of noise
- Location of radiology equipment, as well as turnover rate, are key factors in efficient utilization of radiology equipment
- Radiology planner William N. Bernstein, LEED®AP, AIA, is quoted extensively in the article, on subjects such as timing of radiology equipment selection in the design process, infrastructure support for radiology facilities, universal room design, flexibility in design process, consideration of equipment entry at the beginning of project as well as equipment replacement in the future, and the value that radiology architects bring to the process.

The firm’s principle, Mr. Bernstein, is a well-known architect and radiology consultant in radiology department planning and design. Mr. Bernstein is a graduate of the Yale University School of Architecture, who has specialized in healthcare design and construction for over 30 years.

About Architecture for Radiology, LLP: This architectural company is an award-winning architectural design firm specializing in the design and planning of radiology facilities. The firm’s staff includes experienced, radiology room designers. The firm takes pride in providing the highest level of design work, specialized in plans for radiology departments as well as plans for outpatient imaging facilities.

Radiology Consulting Services Offered by Architecture for Radiology:

Radiology Design: http://arch4rad.com/radiology-design/
Radiology Equipment Planning: http://arch4rad.com/radiology-equipment-planning/
Radiology Project Management: http://arch4rad.com/radiology-project-management/
Radiology Design Expert Witness Services: http://arch4rad.com/radiology-design-expert-witness-services/

Ways to Follow Architecture for Radiology:

Architecture for Radiology on Twitter: https://twitter.com/arch4rad
Architecture for Radiology on Blogger: http://arch4rad.blogspot.com/
Architecture for Radiology on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/architecture-for-radiology-llp
Architecture for Radiology on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ArchitectureforRadiology

For further information about planning, designing and building a state-of-the-art nuclear medicine facility, visit the Architecture for Radiology website at www.arch4rad.com

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Equipment Planning Company Spun Off by Radiology Architecture Firm

For Immediate Release (07/15/09)

Architecture for Radiology is pleased to announce that it has established a new equipment planning firm to serve its existing hospital, healthcare and laboratory clients. The firm has a history of over ten years of equipment planning expertise.

The new company --- Equipment Planning, Inc. --- is dedicated to providing quality equipment planning services to a wide range of facilities around the country. We serve a variety of clients, from large to small, public to private, medical to non-medical. The company prides itself on its ability to combine the best business and design practices available today and on its talented and diverse staff. Having had years of experience in equipment planning and project management, we can guide your facility through the process of re-evaluation and re-installation of equipment, making the job easier and the outcome better.

Catering to Your Needs

Equipment Planning, Inc. is prepared to cover any and all of your equipment planning needs. Our services include, but are not limited to, equipment and facility assessment, budgeting, schematic design, drafting of construction documents, assistance procuring and installing equipment, and planning for improved workflow. We can work with you from beginning to end of a project, or we can help just where you need it most; we can manage and oversee the entire equipment planning process, or we can work as consultants to facilitate it.

A Unique Perspective

As a firm dedicated to seeing the big picture, Equipment Planning, Inc. does not just seek to satisfy its customers: we seek to exceed their expectations. Our knowledge and expertise stretch far beyond equipment planning, so we can help you both meet the necessary expectations and improve your facilities in the process. Better spaces can mean better workflow, so we will do everything we can to acquire and install better equipment as well as design and retool the spaces to meet your ever-changing needs.

Practice Makes Perfect

Without experience, we wouldn’t be able to provide you with the comprehensive services that are available today. Our experience allows us to provide you with some of the most knowledgeable and resourceful techniques available today.

Cost Savings

Equipment Planning, Inc. also seeks to minimize costs and save you money. We benefit from having happy clients, so one of our most important goals is not only to help you acquire the best equipment at the cheapest prices, but to keep your operational costs to a minimum. Our experience with project management and design for improved workflow qualify us to recommend cutting-edge technologies and design options that will save you money in the long-term.

An Objective Approach

Unlike many equipment planning services, Equipment Planning, Inc. seeks only to benefit our clients: Equipment Planning, Inc. team members do not have ties to equipment manufacturers, vendors, or contractors. We do not accept gifts, not even lunch, from these suppliers, which allows us to provide absolute objectivity when selecting equipment and installation services. Our only goal is to make each project as simple and inexpensive as possible for the client.

The president of the company, William N. Bernstein, LEED®AP, AIA, is a well known radiology architect. He was educated at the Yale University School of Architecture, where he received a Master of Architecture. He is a member of the American Institute of Architects, American College of Healthcare Architects, Construction Specification Institute and Project Management Institute. He is one of the few architects in the United States to receive the American Hospital Association Construction Management Certificate. He has written many articles on hospital and healthcare design and construction, and his healthcare and lab projects have won numerous awards and been published widely.

For further information about healthcare equipment planning services or laboratory equipment services for your company or institution, please contact:

William N. Bernstein, LEED®AP, AIA –
President
Equipment Planning, Inc.
E: info@EquipmentPlanning.org
W: www.EquipmentPlanning.org

Thursday, June 11, 2009

New Article to Be Published on Trends in Radiology Design and Operations

Architecture for Radiology, LLP --- the only architecture firm in the United States that specializes exclusively in radiology facility planning and design --- is pleased to announce the upcoming publication of an article on recent trends in radiology design and radiology planning.

The article will be published in the Hospital Newspaper.

The article discusses the latest trends in radiology design and radiology planning, including the following issues:

- The fields of radiology and design for radiology have undergone numerous changes due to groundbreaking advances in technology,
- Development of digital imaging and PACS (picture archiving and communication systems)
- Rethinking the radiology environment from the point of view of patients, radiologist and staff, with the general goals of radiology facilities which increase patient and staff comfort, patient privacy, staff safety, and greater efficiency, speed, and through-put in the radiology workflow..
- Significant increases in worker productivity and improvements in the radiology workflow
- Eliminating film developing facilities, and also eliminating --- or at least drastically reducing --- the need for physical storage of hard copy films.
- Increases in legibility and reliability of scans
- Quicker responsiveness to patients.
- Reading room design.
- Ergonometrics for the new digital reading room
- Contemporary reading room must allow for future adaptability.
- Making the radiologists’ reading stations more comfortable, easier to use, and allowing for more control over the environment. Some more specific reading room design initiatives are listed below:
- Limiting Distractions
- Climate Control
- Seating and Positioning Adjustability
- Lighting specifications
- Unification of Systems
- Advances in scanning technologies. Among the most significant: 3.0T MRI’s are the upcoming standard in MRI design, multi-slice CT’s are the same for cat scan design, and digital mammography in the latest in mammography design.
- Mobile scanning equipment, such as portable CT
- Improvements in patient’s experience
- Philips “Ambient Experience”
- Relative growth of private practice radiology over academic, hospital-based radiology
- Opportunities for further development and improvement in the design of radiology facilities
- Patient comfort within the scanning machines s
- Advantages to separating healthy outpatients from very sick inpatients
- Separating women into a women’s center vs. co-mingling male and female throughout
- How the equipment will be changed out in future vs. concern exclusively with initial equipment access to space
- Green design --- eco-friendly design that is good for the environment as well as the patient --- is working its way through the healthcare environment, including the radiology department.
- Increased use of interventional radiology and surgical codes

The above article was written by the Ian Janer and William N. Bernstein, LEED®AP, AIA, of the well-known radiology design firm of Architecture for Radiology. The firm’s principle, Mr. Bernstein, is a well-known architect and radiology consultant in radiology department planning and design. Mr. Bernstein is a graduate of the Yale University School of Architecture, who has specialized in healthcare design and construction for over 30 years.

About Architecture for Radiology, LLP: This architectural company specializes in radiology planning and design. The firm is an award-winning architectural design firm specializing in the design and planning of radiology facilities including experienced radiology room designers.
The firm takes pride in providing the highest level of healthcare and hospital design work, with additional expertise in sustainable radiology facilities, energy saving measures for radiology facilities, cost reduction strategies for radiology facilities, radiology facility safety and patient safety.

Radiology Consulting Services Offered by Architecture for Radiology:

Radiology Design: http://arch4rad.com/radiology-design/
Radiology Equipment Planning: http://arch4rad.com/radiology-equipment-planning/
Radiology Project Management: http://arch4rad.com/radiology-project-management/
Radiology Design Expert Witness Services: http://arch4rad.com/radiology-design-expert-witness-services/

Ways to Follow Architecture for Radiology:

Architecture for Radiology on Twitter: https://twitter.com/arch4rad
Architecture for Radiology on Blogger: http://arch4rad.blogspot.com/
Architecture for Radiology on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/architecture-for-radiology-llp
Architecture for Radiology on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ArchitectureforRadiology

For further information about planning, designing and building a state-of-the-art nuclear medicine facility, visit the Architecture for Radiology website at www.arch4rad.com

Friday, May 29, 2009

New Article Published on Radiology Office Planning and Design

For Immediate Release (05/27/09)

New Article Published on Radiology Office Planning and Design

Architecture for Radiology, LLP --- the only architecture firm in the United States that specializes exclusively in radiology facility planning and design --- is pleased to announce the publication of an article on how the concept of universal room design can address the commonplace problem that decision-making on the purchase of major medical equipment often lags the schedule for upfront planning and design of the radiology department or radiology practice.

The article has been published in the June 2009 edition of Hospital Newspaper.

The article is entitled: “Utilizing Universal Room Design in Fast Track Healthcare Projects Involving Major Medical Equipment Purchases”.

The article discusses the latest hospital planning and hospital design trends, in the area of radiology offices, including the following issues:
- Why does the architect need the equipment specs?
- Types of engineering infrastructure involved in a radiology project
- What happens when radiologists and/or radiology administrators change their minds about equipment specifications
- How much impact do changes to medical equipment specifications have on a design and construction project schedule and budget?
- If you do change your mind about a major medical equipment purchase, when is the best time to do it working with consultants radiology such as Architecture for Radiology?
- How can the design of what is called a "universal room" mitigate to some degree the costs (both financial and in terms of schedule delay) of equipment changes?

The article was written by the firm’s principle, well-known radiology architect, William N. Bernstein, LEED®AP, AIA. Mr. Bernstein is a graduate of the Yale University School of Architecture, who has specialized in healthcare design and construction for over 30 years.

About Architecture for Radiology, LLP: This architectural company specializes in radiology planning and design. The firm is an award-winning architectural design firm specializing in the design and planning of radiology facilities including experienced radiology room designers.
The firm takes pride in providing the highest level of healthcare and hospital design work, with additional expertise in sustainable healthcare facilities, energy saving measures for hospitals, cost reduction strategies for healthcare facilities, healthcare facility safety and patient safety.

Radiology Consulting Services Offered by Architecture for Radiology:

Radiology Design: http://arch4rad.com/radiology-design/
Radiology Equipment Planning: http://arch4rad.com/radiology-equipment-planning/
Radiology Project Management: http://arch4rad.com/radiology-project-management/
Radiology Design Expert Witness Services: http://arch4rad.com/radiology-design-expert-witness-services/

Ways to Follow Architecture for Radiology:

Architecture for Radiology on Twitter: https://twitter.com/arch4rad
Architecture for Radiology on Blogger: http://arch4rad.blogspot.com/
Architecture for Radiology on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/architecture-for-radiology-llp
Architecture for Radiology on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ArchitectureforRadiology

For further information about planning, designing and building a state-of-the-art nuclear medicine facility, visit the Architecture for Radiology website at www.arch4rad.com

Sunday, May 10, 2009

Architecture for Radiology Receives New Outpatient Radiology Center Commission

For Immediate Release (05/11/09)

Architecture for Radiology (the only architecture firm in the world focused exclusively on radiology design and construction) is pleased to announce that it has been selected to design a new outpatient radiology center, within a prominent community health center, in Boston, MA.

The project includes radiology planning and radiology room design of multiple radiology modalities including ultrasound room design, digital mammography room design and digital radiography room design. In addition, there is a separate women's center will have typical support space such as dressing rooms, offices, reception and waiting.

An important consideration in the planning of this radiology renovation, is the requirement that the radiology center remain in continuous operation throughout the renovation. This requires careful consideration of the flow and functionality of the radiology department, and a phased plan for the project.

The project will be designed to reinforce the important role of the community health center in the health of the surrounding community.

About Architecture for Radiology, LLP:

Founded in 1996, this radiology consulting firm specializes exclusively in radiology design and construction. The firm is run by William N. Bernstein, LEED®AP, AIA, a well-known radiology architect. The firm is highly experienced with state-of-the-art radiology practice including leading edge equipment, planning strategies, and PACs implementation. Amongst the firm’s specialty radiology consulting services are: radiology master plans, hospital radiology departments, outpatient radiology facilities, and radiology room design including: ct room design, MRI room design, mammography room design, linear accelerator room design, cat scan room design, and
nuclear medicine room design.

The firm’s radiology work has been published extensively --- see section below on Radiology Publications.

Representative Radiology, Healthcare and Laboratory Publications:
- "Design of a State-of-the-Art Research Radiology Center"© William N. Bernstein, Hospital Newspaper
- "Universal Room Design Can Mitigate Change Costs", © William N. Bernstein, Aunt Minnie.com
- “The Planetree Approach”, © William N. Bernstein, Hospital Newspaper
- “Trading Spaces”, © William N. Bernstein, Advance for Imaging and Oncology
- “Ten Points of the New Healthcare Design", © William N. Bernstein, Hospital Newspaper
- "Facility Planning Implications of the New MRI Safety Guidelines", © William N. Bernstein, Hospital Newspaper
- "Finding the Right Space for a New Imaging Center", © William N. Bernstein, AuntMinnie.com
- "On the Front Lines: A NYC Hospital Engineer's First Hand Account of Sept. 11", Health Facilities Management, © William N. Bernstein (with Michael Rawlings)
- "Floor Planning In a Nutshell", © M. J. Tamas, Advance for Administrators in Radiology
- “Architects Double-Team the Future of Radiology with Experience and a Can-Do Attitude”, © P. Rohland, Advance for Administrators in Radiology
- "Renovated Space, Skywalk `Reconnect' - 4 Floors Up", Health Facilities Management

Radiology Consulting Services Offered by Architecture for Radiology:

Radiology Design: http://arch4rad.com/radiology-design/
Radiology Equipment Planning: http://arch4rad.com/radiology-equipment-planning/
Radiology Project Management: http://arch4rad.com/radiology-project-management/
Radiology Design Expert Witness Services: http://arch4rad.com/radiology-design-expert-witness-services/

Ways to Follow Architecture for Radiology:

Architecture for Radiology on Twitter: https://twitter.com/arch4rad
Architecture for Radiology on Blogger: http://arch4rad.blogspot.com/
Architecture for Radiology on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/architecture-for-radiology-llp
Architecture for Radiology on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ArchitectureforRadiology

For further information about planning, designing and building a state-of-the-art nuclear medicine facility, visit the Architecture for Radiology website at www.arch4rad.com