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Selling an Evidence-Based Design for Waterford Hospital

Nathan Burt and Ann Scheck McAlearney

Campean Health is a Midwestern healthcare system composed of five hospi­ tals, ten affiliated hospitals, and an extensive ambulatory care network. Given favorable demographics and a strong bottom line, Campean Health has re­ cently decided to construct a new hospital in Waterford, a suburb of the larger Grouse Creek metropolitan area. In all, Grouse Creek currently contains three major hospital systems and a children’s hospital, but despite steady popula­ tion growth, new hospitals have been scarce. The Campean Health facility would be the region’s first newly constructed hospital in over 22 years.

The Waterford suburb was considered an ideal site for the new hospital due to the wealth of the surrounding area and the growing population. In fact, Waterford boasted the highest number of children per household for the Grouse Creek metropolitan area. Contributing to tl1e location decision was the fact that Campean Health currently drew few patients from the Waterford area to its otl1er hospitals due to the presence of closer competitor hospitals. Campeon’s projections suggested that Waterford Hospital could draw 70 per­ cent of its patients from among those presently receiving service outside the Campean Healtl1 system. In addition, Campean predicted tlut tl1e new hospi­ tal would be received favorably by local physicians, including those practicing at other Campean Healtl1 facilities. Planned to be a 90-bed community hospital, Waterford could serve as a feeder hospital for the system’s large flagship hos­ pital, Lakeside Hospital, while accommodating the preferences of physicians interested in expanding their practices to include the Waterford community.

The Charge

Prior to breaking ground for tl1e new facility, Katl1erine Humphries, RN, had been appointed president of Waterford Hospital. Humphries had worked as CEO of another Campean Health hospital for three years, and had estab­ lished a strong reputation as a transformational leader. She has been charged by the board of Campean Health and the Campean Health CEO to lead the initiative to design, construct, staff, and operate the new community hospital in Waterford. At the present time, the Waterford Hospital site is nothing more than a field, located across the street from an existing Campean Health ambulatory care center.

Humphries has been given relatively free rein to design the hospital. Humphries’s years of experience as a registered nurse and as an operations leader have given her valuable insights into the delivery of care and ways that it can be improved. She is aware that elements of evidence-based design have been shown to improve care quality for patients and workplace climate for caregivers, and she is eager to consider this approach.