Hospitals and health care centers

Introduction
There are some mental images of a “hospital” ingrained on our collective subconscious which are the reason people don´t want to go back to a hospital. Some of these mental images are: pale green painted walls, a hard, brown tile floor, glaring fluorescent lights, flat planar ceilings, stark white linens, the incessant din of medical machinery, the smell of sickness and medicament,etc. Those impressions are now supplanted with real experiences described as welcoming, comfortable, pleasant, caring, peaceful and healing. Hospital design is moving towards a hospitality or hotel type of expression.
The power of the baby boom consumer is being felt throughout the health care industry. This group demands that their health care be delivered in a more holistic manner—that not onlytheir physical problems be addressed but their emotional and psychological needs must be met as well. In addition, an emerging body of scientific evidence is indicating greater patient satisfaction, improved outcomes and reduced lengths of stay in this new model.

History
Mesopotamia: Medicine as a organized entity, first appeared 4,000 years ago. Mesopotamian civilization made political,education and medicine contribution to the later development of the Egyptians Hebrew, Persian and Indian cultures.
At the beginning of the 21st century, health care has become an international topic of mayor concern.

Definitions
Hospitals
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary a hospital means:
1. An institution in which sick or injured persons are given medical or surgical treatment.2. A similar establishment for the care of animals.
3. A repair shop for specific portable objects: violin hospital; doll hospital.
4. British. an institution supported by charity or taxes for the care of the needy, as an orphanage or old people's home.

We thought it was interesting to know how “hospitals” were called in different parts of the world:

Arabic: مُسْتَشْفى
Chinese(Simplified): 医院
Chinese (Traditional): 醫院
Czech: nemocnice
Danish: hospital
Dutch: hospitaal, ziekenhuis
Estonian: haigla
Finnish: sairaala
French: hôpital
German: das Krankenhaus
Greek: νοσοκομείο
Hungarian: kórház
Icelandic: Spítali
Indonesian: rumah sakit
Italian: Ospedale
Japanese: 病院
Korean: 병원
Latvian: slimnīca
Lithuanian: ligoninė
Norwegian: sykehus, hospital
Polish: szpitalPortuguese (Brazil): hospital
Portuguese (Portugal): hospital
Romanian: Spital
Russian: больница; госпиталь
Slovak: nemocnica
Slovenian: bolnišnica
Spanish: hospital
Swedish: sjukhus
Turkish: hastane
Hebrew: Beit jolim


Health center- a building or institution where medical services are offered or a group of doctors practice
Main Characteristics
ServiceManagement
A) Notable Welcome: The value of the first impression is not lost among health care organizations who are embracing this new design expression. The lobby/entry areas have become a premier location to start incorporating hospitality type design elements. The consumer will know upon walking through the front door that this is not their parent’s hospital. In new construction, multi-storyatriums are gaining popularity as a way to express the grandness of the facility but also by providing a reference point for the circulation on multiple floors which helps clarify the often daunting task of circulating through the maze of hospital corridors. Once one passes through the portal into the space, that person must feel a sense of comfort, concern and care as a result of the new designaesthetic. This can be accomplished in many ways. It is important that a friendly face is available to greet the patients and guests and to be able to answer questions and direct people to the correct location. Many facilities have been able to accomplish this through a concierge type person, either volunteer or staff, who give the welcome, have pre-printed directions to the major locations and...