University of New Mexico Hospitals

Looking aheadA future-focused approach builds a foundation for UNM HospitalsÔÇÖ Barbara and Bill Richardson Pavilion, Jenn Monroe reports. Being the only public hospital in any city brings with it a number of challenges. Add that it is the only teaching hospital in the state, and you have the venue for University of New Mexico Hospital in Albuquerque.  ÔÇ£Our medical care is cutting edge, and the UNM School of Medicine faculty treat our patients. ItÔÇÖs top-notch healthcare,ÔÇØ says Lyn Kehoe, internal communications manager. ÔÇ£But being both public and teaching affords us many challenges, especially financially.ÔÇØ Still, that didnÔÇÖt stop UNMH from building and opening the new Barbara and Bill Richardson Pavilion in June 2007. Four years of planning and three years of construction resulted in an on-time, on-budget, $200 million, six-floor, 450,000-square-foot facility that houses the UNM ChildrenÔÇÖs Hospital, as well as the only Level 1 trauma center in the state. It also features adult ICU, neuroscience, trauma and childrenÔÇÖs care, three new obstetrical operating rooms, a large ER and separate pediatric ER, and six operating rooms dedicated to pediatric cases. The building was designed for medical staff to work smarter, not harder. It also contains $20 million in new equipment that allows for increased specialization.Aesthetically, itÔÇÖs a ÔÇ£beautiful building,ÔÇØ according to Kehoe. ÔÇ£ItÔÇÖs designed to fit into the landscape of New Mexico outside and for exceptional patient care inside,ÔÇØ she says. ÔÇ£The design was really thoughtful, with a lot of special touches.ÔÇØThese touches are evident in the two floors that house the UNM ChildrenÔÇÖs Hospital, which include themed nursing stations (for example, Star Wars) and a fiber optic ceiling. The patient rooms are larger and family-friendly, with an additional bed for a parent to spend the night. ÔÇ£It was built with families and children in mind,ÔÇØ Kehoe says. ÔÇ£It was designed to have as little impact as possible on the children and as much impact as possible on their care. These kids are dealing with some serious medical conditions.ÔÇ£I sense a lot of pride in this building,ÔÇØ she continues. ÔÇ£I see employees who are really happy in their environment.ÔÇØThis positive work environment for the 5,300 total staff members (a number that does not include the doctors) stems, in large part, from the approach to construction and renovation taken by Mark Kistner, executive director of facilities and support services, and his team. ÔÇ£The challenge is that we have more expectations than money to meet them,ÔÇØ he says. ÔÇ£We meet that challenge by working with leadership and staff, listening and understanding not only what they need, but their priorities.ÔÇØFor Kistner, the focus must be on the future, and thatÔÇÖs the perspective he took for the Pavilion project. ÔÇ£Our horizons have to continue to expand,ÔÇØ he says. ÔÇ£ThatÔÇÖs easy to say, but harder to do. We had to move away from less productive thought processes and focus on ÔÇÿwhat is it you need, and why?ÔÇÖ We needed to change the mental planning process to one that considers, ÔÇÿWhat youÔÇÖre doing today may not have anything to do with what youÔÇÖll do in five years.ÔÇÖÔÇØ This exceptional vision was spearheaded by hospital CEO Steve McKernan, who recognized that the acclimation of the people in the new environment was as important as the improved facility.For example, todayÔÇÖs UNMH supervisors need to have the same skills that department heads have. ÔÇ£We were a facility in which people at the supervisory level were able to take a hands-on approach to solving problems,ÔÇØ Kistner says. ÔÇ£Now they have to step back and become better at resource allocation and communication skills.ÔÇØWith the Richardson Pavilion project, administrators asked everyone to focus on the activation of the building very early on. ÔÇ£Our focus was ÔÇÿwhen done, weÔÇÖll be moving in,ÔÇÖÔÇØ says vice president of clinical affairs Robert Katz, MD. ÔÇ£This required us to think about staffing, that the room setups are different, that the patient rooms are larger, an increased distribution of materialsÔÇömany new processes that affected the workforce. We encouraged people to think about them a year before we were in the building.ÔÇØEquipment received this type of planning as well. ÔÇ£As equipment was identified, we began finalizing installation,ÔÇØ Dr. Katz says. ÔÇ£It took a lot of communication and collaboration to think beyond today.ÔÇ£Patient care was foremost,ÔÇØ Katz adds. ÔÇ£We built mock-up rooms in a warehouse five minutes away so staff could get a look at them and make suggestions for a more efficient workspace. All of this affected the way the design came together.ÔÇØBuilding the Pavilion wasnÔÇÖt solely about new construction. Two wings of the existing hospital were demolished, and the original facility underwent renovations. Today it is dedicated to inpatient care. Communication again was key and was aptly handled by UNMHÔÇÖs chief nursing officer, Sheena Ferguson. ÔÇ£Everyone knew what was going on,ÔÇØ Kehoe says. ÔÇ£Sheena made sure everyone understood what was going to happen. And all of this occurred while we continued to offer a full house of patient care. ThatÔÇÖs always a factor in what we are doing and our approach.ÔÇØWhat UNMH is doing next is opening its new, 190,500-square-foot cancer center this fall and planning for expanded outpatient care at new clinics around the city. If the Pavilion is any indication, UNMH is on a growth trajectory. ÔÇ£We grew about 100 percent into the new building,ÔÇØ Kehoe says of the Pavilion, ÔÇ£and the new facility has allowed us to offer so much more to our community.ÔÇØKistner agrees. ÔÇ£The building was full the day we opened,ÔÇØ he says. ÔÇ£When I go into the facility and walk through on any given day, IÔÇÖm glad to have been a part of the concept from start to conclusion. To be here and be part of bringing that about is a good feeling.ÔÇØ┬á