Laying Out Arnold Palmer Hospitals New Facility

Arnold Palmer Hospital created a plan for its new facility using different
variables,layouts, drawings, simulations and a massive planning process. The goal for this
process was toincorporate 273 new beds and 11-story hospital with a budget of $100 million.
This new facilitywill serve over 1.5 million women and children, and deliver more than 12,000
babies a year. The mission of this case will be answering the discussions questions,
but focusingin layout trategies.
The first question is concerning the variables that Arnold Palmer Hospital needs for
itslayout design. We must to consider the following variables : Security, how to protect
patientsand specially babies; Nursing Efficiency, it is crucial that nurses dont spend too much
timewalking around the facility; Meal and Supply efficiencies, food have to be delivered warm
andsupplies on time; Space, for visitors, family members and capacitation; Privacy, a very
importantvariable because this can give to the patients the serenity and peace they need;
Location, x-ray,laboratories, management, pharmacy, etc. must have a specific place in the
layout and finallyincorporate areas for medical and non-medical personnel.
The second question asks about the advantages of the circular pod design over
thetraditional linear hallway layout. One of the advantages of the circular pod design is that is
mucheasier for nurses to see and reach each room, this means that the travel time for nurses will
beminimized, but not only will save time, will give more medical efficiency for doctors and staff
ingeneral. In addition, the circular pod system can supply two rooms at the same time and this
issomething that the traditional linear hallway is limited.
The third question asks for a total distance traveled for a nurse (Thomas Smith) duringthe
day. He makes 6 round trips to each of the 12 patient rooms, 20 to medical supply, 5 break room
and 12 to linen supply, his total distance in feet will be : 6 trips x 2 (round trip) x
2x(20+30+40+50+60+70) + 20 trips medical supply x 2 x 50 + 5 trips break room x 2 x 40 +
12trips linen room x 2 x 30 = 6480 + 2000 + 400 + 720 = 9600 foot , that is in equivalent to
1.8181= 1.82 miles traveled.
The fourth question makes a difference in travel distance for the circular pod system.
Thenurse Jones distance will be : 7 trips x 2 (round trip) x 12 rooms x 14 + 20 trips x 2 x 60 + 6
tripsto Break Room x 2 x 60 + 12 trips to Pod Linen Supply x 2 x 14 = 2352 + 2400 + 720 + 336
=5808 foot = 1.1 miles. The difference in time is 0.71 miles, but we have to notice that the data
isdifferent for both nurses.
Finally, the last question, ask about the importance of Servicescapes and give
someexamples of it. Servicescapes is a term created by Professor Mary Jo Bitner and deals
withambient conditions, spatial layout and signs/symbols/artifacts. In ambient conditions,
suchsound, temperature and lighting are more than critical for Palmer Hospital. Spatial Layout,
thecircular nursing pods is the base of this new building and Signs/symbols/artifacts is crucial for
ahospital for children, for example, play areas, pictures, artwork done by children indicate that
the place is warm and safe for everybody.
In conclusion, creating a layout strategy is very important for any kind of industry.
Thesignificance of variables of a layout design, the advantages and disadvantages that can create
anew structure, and others external and internal factors like Serviescapes can determinate
the productivity and efficiency of a new facility, in this case for Arnold Palmer Hospital. Create
anew plan strategy is complex for any operation manager, our mission as students is try
tomaximize profit and minimize cost and this case gave us a very good example of it.