Canada (Woodstock) | Healthcare | noraplan environcare™

Woodstock Hospital seeks a safe environment

Woodstock Hospital, in Woodstock, Ontario, outgrew its previous facility, which had served the community for more than 100 years. To accommodate the city’s rapid growth, a new 350,000-square-foot hospital was built, increasing service offerings that include a 24-hour emergency department, chemotherapy clinic, dialysis unit and a critical care unit and the number of patient beds, ORs and labor and delivery rooms. When it came to selecting flooring, administrators considered several factors, including slip and stain resistance, comfort, maintenance and sustainability.

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“We wanted to ensure an ergonomically correct environment for our staff members, addressing things like slip hazards and comfort,” shares Blake Hughes, director of capital projects. “Also of high importance, we wanted to ensure that, from a patient safety perspective, the flooring was a type that was acceptable to all patient mobility concerns.”

Patients also benefit from reduced maintenance. “The smell of floor finish can be quite strong; you have to clear out a room completely. With rubber, you entirely eliminate that,” says John Schram, housekeeping supervisor.

“The previous facility was built more than 100 years ago, with multiple renovations and additions that were completed in the 1950s and 1970s. We basically just outgrew the hospital,” shares Blake Hughes, director of capital projects. The vision for the new facility was to create something “bright, cheerful and clean. Something that provides a better level of safety for the patients and staff,” explains Hughes. “We also needed the ability to expand and accommodate additional services and utilize newer technology to better serve the community.”

When considering the floor coverings that would outfit the hospital, Hughes shares, “We looked at different areas and the types of increased services we were offering – for example, dialysis. What type of flooring would be better suited for a dialysis patient, in regard to spills or chemicals? From a comfort level, we looked at the ORs and ED, where the nursing staff are on their feet during their entire shift. The goal was to minimize the amount of stress and strain and give them more comfort.”

After trials from the products recommended by Parkin Architects and research, including phone conversations with other hospitals that have had nora^® flooring installed for more than 40 years, Woodstock Hospital selected noraplan environcare™ for dialysis, ED, ORs, general corridors, diagnostic imaging, exam rooms, radiology, lab and pharmacy areas.

Reduced maintenance also factored into that decision. “Having a simplified maintenance routine positively impacts patients and staff, because the smell of floor finish can be quite strong; you have to clear out a room completely. With rubber, you entirely eliminate that. It makes a significant difference in down time,” says John Schram, housekeeping supervisor.