Making a big space feel comfortable

UPMC Harrisburg - Neo-natal Intensive Care Unit

UPMC Harrisburg wanted to expand their capacity to serve more critical infants within their neonatal intensive care unit as well as engage family members as valued members of the care team. The opportunity? Transitioning a small, open-bay nursery to a private room model on the 9^th floor of their Harrisburg campus.

Our design aimed to help UPMC integrate a variety of family spaces supported by intuitive wayfinding. This also had to be done while addressing concerns over staff isolation and access to critical supplies. To optimize the large floor plate and overcome the operational challenges, the unit was organized into four neighborhoods around the family lounge at the heart of the unit.

Decentralized nurse charting stations between each pair of rooms place the nurses beside patients, and since they’re positioned at alternating diagonals down the length of the hallway, nurses can easily access a partner team member. Plus, each neighborhood had dedicated support so that supplies were close at hand.

Now, staff are less isolated and better equipped, and with the family lounge, kitchenette, and sibling play area, the redesign supports family members as an integral component of the care team.