Expanding the limits of care

The Emory Johns Creek Hospital Facility Expansion included a vertical expansion to the existing four-story hospital, elevating the environment for patients, caregivers, and the community.

Photo by Rion Rizzo, Creative Sources Photography

Transforming health care facilities takes intentionality, thoughtfulness and great listening skills. TMPartners (TMP), in conjunction with Frandsen Architects, combined all three for the Emory Johns Creek Hospital facility expansion, elevating the environment for patients, caregivers and the community. The five-year project included a hospital vertical expansion, renovation and vertical expansion to an existing medical office building, surgery addition and renovation, intensive care unit (ICU) modernization and a central energy plant expansion. 

On the existing hospital, the two-story vertical expansion added a fifth and sixth floor of patient care spaces. The team literally “pushed the envelope” by cantilevering out the floor plate, allowing upgrades like increased visibility, improved support space access and enhanced patient rooms for nursing units. Mechanical space was moved to rooftop penthouses, allowing four additional beds to be added. The expansion’s exterior includes enhanced lighting for a contemporary look that can be changed to correspond with different events.

A primary project goal was to enhance the environment of care. The expansion’s interior was designed with a hospitality feel for maximum comfort. Patient rooms include patient-controlled lighting, contemporary wallcoverings and floor-to-ceiling windows with views of the Georgia hills, adding natural light. 

The modernized ICU includes a “floating” bed that allows caregivers 360-degree access to the patient.

Photo by McCarthy Building Companies

The ICU modernization brought a new room design that provided caregivers with 360-degree access to the patient, solving a major challenge in the existing ICU room design. A floating bed concept was developed that enhanced flexibility. The bed could be positioned to allow for a full view of the patient or visibility to the outside window. Design elements were also incorporated to help better address patient delirium, including grounding features such as a full-wall mural and an open concept with nested toilets.

To make sure the design was as effective as possible, constant communication with the client and end-users was essential. TMP created physical and virtual mock-ups of both patient and operating rooms so that end-users could test the design, walk through the care process and provide feedback. These sessions heavily informed final design decisions. For example, the floating bed concept for ICU rooms was born out of challenges expressed during a mock-up exercise, which served as an excellent way for caregivers to share their thoughts in an open forum with colleagues and collaborate on processes. 

TMP also helped the client implement a core goal of fall prevention for the new bed tower through thoughtful fixture and furniture placement, additional grab bars, enlarged bathrooms and doors to improve access and control, and curbless showers in the bathrooms.

With a commitment to provide world-class, compassionate care for the community, the Emory Johns Creek expansion fulfills its mission today with a nod to the future.

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