With eyes to the future, the Steward Health Care Melbourne Regional Medical Center (MRMC) of Melbourne, Florida opened its doors to the new Spinal & Orthopedic Surgical Center of Excellence in June 2021. A highly flexible facility owing to its adaptable shell space designed by Miami-based Gresham Smith, it is designed to grow and evolve with the community’s medical needs while also serving as an educational space for surgeons and physicians learning new techniques and technologies.
Gresham Smith also provided architecture, interior design and experiential design and wayfinding services for the project.
The new addition is connected to the main hospital via an interior corridor and covered walkway adjacent an outdoor patio, which is often used for respite. This landscaped space takes full advantage of the gap created between the two facilities by creating a green space for staff, patients and family members alike, with an exterior screen wall providing protection from the harsh noonday sun. Additionally, the new facility comes with its own separate entrance for visiting students and physicians.
Inside, the center’s four operating rooms (ORs) having been given a generous amount of space to accommodate new equipment as needed. They also feature seamless flooring and modular walls to eliminate any nooks and crannies and allow for easy cleaning. Additionally, the modular ceiling system organizes overhead equipment and eliminates the risk of airborne pathogens. When the ORs are not occupied, powerful UV lights are used to disinfect the areas.
This modularity further contributes to the facility’s flexibility, allowing four additional ORs to be placed as demand increases.
The 19 prep and recovery bays, meanwhile, have been organized in a racetrack configuration around the nurse’s stations, enhancing visibility for team members. Visiting personnel will also have access to a simulation laboratory for practicing techniques as well as classrooms with large monitors where the can observe operations in real time.
Another version of this article originally appeared on our sister site Healthcare Design.
