The physical environment of a health care facility can help or hinder a health care organization’s clinical and financial performance. In fact, hundreds of studies support this position and directly connect the physical environment of the hospital with quality of care, patient and staff satisfaction, productivity, and overall financial performance. Acknowledging this link, Hardin Medical Center (HMC) in rural Savannah, Tenn., carried out a project to improve its infrastructure with limited access to capital resources. This session will discuss the results of this project and the lessons learned, and will enable you to:

Track and measure the effects of the physical environment on patient and staff satisfaction, productivity, outcomes, and financial performance.
Leverage clinical outcomes into a funding model for hospital renovation, especially for a rural medical facility with limited access to capital resources.
Find areas of opportunity for specific improvements to the physical environment and estimate the resulting cost savings.
Describe the relationship between the physical environment of a facility and patient outcomes.