This blog was featured in MC+D's December 2018 E-Newsletter. Read that version here. 

As part of a multi-site Behavioral Health Initiative (BHI) for Mercy Health, Array converted a shuttered med/surg floor at Lourdes Hospital in Paducah, Kentucky. This project was not without the inherent challenges of making a non-behavioral health space compliant, safe and comfortable for patients and staff. What made it rewarding was the cooperative effort of the design team to make this renovated space as ideal a setting as the other BHI endeavors for Mercy (Batavia and Oregon, OH), which included new construction and a larger footprint.All the same healing features, such as sensory rooms and group dining, were achieved for this space as at the other, larger locations. The project also benefitted from the bulk purchase of specialty products such as ligature-resistant hardware. Not only did this architect/builder collaboration benefit the system financially by purchasing for all sites at once, but also ensured supplies would be on-hand and ready for install, allowing the project schedule to be maintained.

Since the project location provided limited natural light, which we wanted to keep for patient spaces, the design incorporated a feature not seen in many renovations. In the sally port and visitor waiting spaces, the designers added a tray ceiling element with concealed lighting fixtures to mimic a skylight. The brightness brought into the space would have been impossible otherwise as the sally port and waiting were placed in the converted elevator lobby and away from natural light sources.

I welcome you to read the more in-depth case study below, which details each space within the unit. 

This article was authored by Jon Sell, a former employee at Array.