September 19, 2019

We’ve come a long way since the multi-patient rooms and winding, windowless corridors of hospitals past. It’s no secret that healthcare providers are shifting away from traditional inpatient facilities to invest in hospitality like amenities, state-of-the-art outpatient clinics, free-standing emergency departments and telemedicine. However, as the cost of care continues to rise and many health systems look for long-term solutions to minimize inpatient services while maximizing the patient experience, the number of services provided by healthcare systems has vastly grown.

As the healthcare landscape continues to evolve, healthcare systems have a unique opportunity to think bigger. What if rather than continuing to develop medical campuses around people requiring treatment for illnesses, they begin creating mixed-use destinations that support wellness-focused lifestyles? By integrating elements such as fitness centers, healthy food options and community spaces, providers can do more than just treat symptoms—they can prevent them.

The 115,000-square-foot, two-story BayCare HealthHub (Bloomingdale) in Valrico, Florida, which completed this past spring, is a good example of a holistic health environment. Let’s take a closer look at how BayCare, in collaboration with Gresham Smith’s designers, helped create a state-of-the-art wellness destination designed to support the health of the local community.

 

BayCare HealthHub

 

A Simple, Streamlined Experience

From the moment patients walk through the front door, they have a streamlined experience. The expansive, open lobby has several central registration stations, which serve as the sole check-in points for all health and wellness services. After checking in, visitors aren’t asked to sit in a waiting room—they’re escorted to their exam room by a friendly BayCare team member. By decreasing door-to-doctor time, the experience is entirely focused on the patient.

Even the care experience is streamlined. Exam rooms have dual access, meaning patients enter from the public corridor and caregivers enter from a care team collaboration space. The “back of house” space allows care givers to collaborate in an efficient, fully integrated environment, minimizing the distance needed to travel between workstations, offices and exam rooms and giving patients the privacy they desire.

 

BayCare HealthHub Lobby

 

360⁰ Care

The wellness center integrates traditional healthcare services with preventative care, providing a variety of services in one convenient location and encouraging holistic health. BayCare HealthHub houses primary care, pediatric primary care, rehabilitation, imaging and laboratory services while offering fitness classes, a kitchen for demonstrating healthy cooking, wellness-minded retailers, walking trails, a serenity garden and open green space.

By offering the programs, environments and preventive care known to protect and restore health, health systems can lower rates of disease and disability, thereby reducing future health care costs. Integrating health and wellness seems like a no-brainer to me!

 

BayCare HealthHub Gym

 

Health Tech

At the HealthHub, patients can take control of their health with technology. Remote monitoring and wearable technology are making healthcare convenient. Patients can spend less time seeking healthcare services and base decisions about wellness on real-time data. With improved information sharing and interoperability, everybody wins from a patient care perspective.

Located in the first floor lobby, the BayCare TechDeck is equipped with health technology coaches specifically trained to provide support for a variety of wellness devices and applications that help patients monitor activity and steps, body fat percentage, heart rate, sleep habits, weight and body mass index, and more.  This service provides the bridge for those who are interested in medical monitoring technology but are unsure where to start.

 

BayCare HealthHub TechDeck

 

As healthcare delivery continues to transform as at rapid pace and health systems look for ways to cut costs, I predict that providers will begin pursuing preventative care for the communities they serve. The BayCare HealthHub (Bloomingdale) is a great example of an environment for healing and wellness and I’m excited for the ways this model will influence healthcare delivery in the future.