News Release: Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago kicks off National Pebble Project Workshop on Hospital Design

Chicago…Dozens of hospital leaders, architects, designers and industry partners from all over the country will be convening in Chicago this week for a Pebble Project Workshop.  The Pebble Project is a unique and dynamic collaborative where healthcare organizations, architects, designers and industry partners work together to identify environment designs and solutions that measurably improve patient and worker safety, clinical outcomes, environmental performance and operating efficiency.  The two-day workshop will begin May 8 with a tour of Pebble Project member Lurie Children’s, a state of the art children’s hospital that opened in June, 2012.    

“We are honored that the Pebble Project Workshop will begin with a tour of Lurie Children’s where we can showcase our world-class building that was designed with the patient in-mind,” said Diana Halfer, MSN, Administrator of Clinical and Organizational Development. “We also will be presenting four evidence-based design projects conducted by our researchers which include the hospitalization experience for children and families, the impact of the design of the patient care units on communication and teamwork, noise levels in the pediatric intensive care unit, and the effectiveness of virtual training in preparing employees and physicians for the move.”

The national workshop will also include presentations by the University of Maryland Medical Center’s study on whether unit design and a standardized medication room can decrease medication errors in the Surgical Intensive Care Unit and Northeast Georgia Health System on achieving a sustainable building.

The Patient Experience: the Built Environment, and Patient-Centered Care Workshop
will be held May 9-10 in Chicago at the The Hyatt Magnificent Mile.  For more information contact Public Affairs at Lurie Children’s, 312-227-4600.