Client

Steward Health Care

Location

Melbourne, FL

Expertise

Healthcare

Services

Architecture, Interior Design, Experiential Design and Wayfinding

Located in Melbourne, Florida, Steward Health Care Melbourne Regional Medical Center (MRMC) opened its doors to a 42,000-square-foot expansion, creating a Spinal & Orthopedic Surgical Center of Excellence. Gresham Smith provided architecture, interior design, and experiential design and wayfinding services for the project, which gives MRMC the ability to perform complex procedures in a state-of-the-art environment, as well as the flexibility to increase its capacity as the community’s needs evolve. In addition to providing Brevard County and its surrounding areas with exceptional care, the facility also enables surgeons and clinicians to learn about the latest surgical techniques.

42k
square feet
4
operating rooms
exterior view of the main entrance to the building
building lobby and reception desk

The one-story addition is connected to the hospital via an interior corridor and an outdoor covered walkway, which is adjacent to a patio that provides respite for patients, staff and family members. An exterior screen wall shields the space from Florida’s afternoon sunlight, while a dedicated entrance welcomes visiting surgeons and students. Inside, the modern, clean lobby features integrated lighting and dynamic video display, as well as a distinctive blue wallcovering that pays homage to Steward Health Care’s signature cobalt blue logo.

an operating room with tv screens on the wall

The Spinal & Orthopedic Surgical Center of Excellence boasts four new state-of-the-art operating rooms. With an eye on the future, shell space will allow four additional operating rooms to be added as demand increases. Designed to protect patients from any possible infection, each OR features wall-mounted equipment as well as seamless, heat-welded floors that eliminate hard-to-reach nooks and crannies for easy cleaning. To mitigate the risk of airborne pathogens, a modular ceiling system organizes overhead equipment, while HEPA filters purify the incoming air, screening out microscopic contaminants that could put a patient at risk during surgery. Also aiding infection control, items such as video monitors are set into the walls so nothing is left overhanging to gather dust or bacteria. The surgical suites feature powerful ultraviolet lights that activate when the ORs are unoccupied to kill bacteria and viruses in a continual sterilization process.

nurse station and patient beds in the post anesthesia care unit

The hospital’s new post-anesthesia care unit (PACU) features 12 new that receive patients immediately after surgery, as well as 10 private areas for patients who are awake and ready to be discharged. The prep and recovery bays are arranged in a racetrack configuration around two centralized nurse stations and support areas, which enhances visibility for care teams while providing easy access to recovery rooms and support spaces.

classroom with tables and desk chairs and a large monitor on the wall

Other key components of the Spinal & Orthopedic Surgical Center of Excellence include a simulation laboratory for learning new surgical techniques, as well as a classroom equipped with large monitors for observing surgical simulations in real-time. More than just extra space, this comprehensive expansion and its strategic layout allows patients to benefit from the most advanced technologies and surgical techniques available today—all centered around patient safety and excellent outcomes.