Spring 2008 - Memorial Hospital of South Bend

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Designing the Formula for Healing Memorial Children’s Hospital joins the Center for Health Design’s Pebble Project ® PULSE › Memorial Health System › 574-647-6800 The Center for Health Design is a national organization dedicated to creating the best possible environment for healing through evidence-based design, partnering with health care organizations’ clinical research and facility design teams, with a focus on healing. The goal is to improve environmental factors that contribute to patient, staff and family satisfaction, as well as increase safety and lower medical errors. Health care organizations and architectural firms across the nation have partnered with the Center to document their findings, improve health care processes and learn from each other. The Pebble Project is the pivot point for gathering research and sharing the conclusions so that future generations will continue to receive the best health care in the most supportive environment. Robert White, M.D., director of the Regional Newborn program Memorial Children’s Hospital, together with Robert White, M.D., and his team of neonatal experts, recently joined the Pebble Project to contribute their knowledge about premature infants and their families to the pool of research. 016
Dr. White has been working with premature babies for more than 26 years and serves as chair of the international committee that writes standards for newborn ICU design. Premature infants are born before their nervous systems are fully developed. Therefore, their outward reactions are not the same as a baby born full term. They don’t have the startle reflex that fully developed newborns have to sudden noises, nor do they cry at the same stimuli. The youngest babies that Memorial’s NICU has treated were born at 23 weeks gestation, and the smallest survivor weighed only 12 ounces. With this inability to cry or react the same way that full-term babies do, the Memorial NICU team monitors the children in other ways such as measuring responses in brain EEG patterns. With all of the monitoring devices on the children, they are able to see the effects the environment has on the babies with more sensitivity. The slightest changes in sound, light, temperature and touch can all affect the healing rate of these tiny children. Dr. White and his team are currently exploring the effect of mother’s milk on the growth and development of premature babies. Not only does mother’s milk contain the essential nutrients that babies need, but research at Memorial is showing that even the time of day that the mother expressed the milk can lead to varying levels of important hormones in the milk, such as melatonin and cortisol. This is just one of the many reports that may be created and It’s this kind of dedication that will ensure that future generations, not only in our own community but throughout the nation, will benefit from better health care. – Mary Malone shared within the Pebble Project, so that other health care providers are able to learn from these findings. Many of the principles that have been discovered in Memorial’s NICU are also applied in other intensive care units. Correct lighting and a low noise level are crucial in the care of critically ill and fragile patients no matter their age. Keeping the lights dimmed at night creates a restful environment. Natural light in the day with windows and sunshine is also beneficial in creating the best environment for healing. Visual input can also affect patients and their families. Studies show that a contented patient heals more quickly, and if the patient’s family is also relaxed and comfortable, it creates a better sense of well-being for the patient. Creating pleasing, comfortable, colorful spaces is a goal intended to further improve the health and happiness of patients, families and the staff who care for them. Mary Malone, of Malone Advisory Services, is a current board member of the Center for Health Design and a resident of South Bend. She says, “Memorial’s participation in the Pebble Project has a two-fold impact: The first is that the organization is committed to using evidence-based design to create the best possible outcomes for their patients, quality financial performance and a positive environment for the care-giving team. The second is that Memorial will be partnered with an elite group of health care organizations, architects and designers who are also committed to sharing their research and giving back to the community. It’s this kind of dedication that will ensure that future generations, not only in our own community but throughout the nation, will benefit from better health care.” SPRING / SUMMER 2008 › www.qualityoflife.org 017
Page 1 and 2: SPRING / SUMMER 2008 We’re Celebr
Page 3 and 4: Mixed Berry-Almond Gratin Ingredien
Page 5 and 6: NEWS BRIEFS learning and security f
Page 7 and 8: important as the programs themselve
Page 9 and 10: An Investment Memorial Medical Grou
Page 11 and 12: A NEW ERA New surgical suites part
Page 13 and 14: “I can’t overemphasize the rigo
Page 15: COMFORT WHEN IT’S NEEDED MOST “
Page 19 and 20: CLASSES & SERVICES Memorial offers

Spring 2008 - Memorial Hospital of South Bend

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