University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics (UIHC) wanted to accommodate new technology and provide better infection control at their Main Operating Room (OR) Suite and Pediatric Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory.
INVISION worked with UIHC to add four new ORs that were 30% larger, two new pediatric cardiac catheterization labs, and four new NICU rooms. The design team used Lean design exercises, including full scale mock-ups and simulations, to engage users and identify workflow efficiencies.
To provide better infection control, the design called for sealing around the blood gas refrigerator and moving computer equipment out of the lab as well as redesigning the existing surgery pass-throughs for better closure.
INVISION also took future modifications and maintenance into consideration, designing to make those easy to complete without disrupting operations. Although the new ORs and catheterization labs were two distinct projects, work was bid in one package and constructed concurrently to provide consistency. In this way, INVISION and UIHC captured an opportunity by combining two initially separate projects into one project, helping with efficiency, cost, and speed of delivery.
