Cumulus’ innovative design for the new Michael Lawrence Turk Emergency Rapid Assessment Centre (RAC) at UHN’s Toronto General Hospital was recently showcased in Healthcare Design Magazine.
Located in downtown Toronto, the RAC was designed to help manage increasing patient volumes in the Emergency Department and aims to transform both the patient and staff experience. The stress associated with accessing emergency care can often be elevated by environmental conditions such as loud noises and difficulty navigating a new space or - a common headline these days - prolonged waits.
The Cumulus team drew on evidence based and biophilic design principles to guide the design process. Natural effect materials, landscaped views, controlled acoustics and intuitive wayfinding are a few of the design features that resulted from this approach. To ensure improved throughput patient bays have been outfitted with recliners - which takes advantage of “vertical treatment” - an innovative approach to healthcare based on research findings that patients treated vertically experienced improved satisfaction with faster diagnosis, treatment and discharge. Additionally, the recliners are supplemented by a series of exam rooms.
As showcased in Cumulus’ extensive healthcare portfolio, patient-centered design drives our healthcare projects. Check out more of our work here.
