The Health Facilities Design and Testing CoEE has been awarded a U.S. Department of Defense subcontract entitled “Patient Room of the Future.” The first two contract phases provided more than $790,000 in funding. Project partners include Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and IoA Healthcare Furniture. The physical prototype room was completed in July 2008. Researchers are now analyzing how nature views impact health, headwall design performance and lighting design concepts.

Center Director David Allison of Clemson University says the unique partnership between universities and health systems has the potential to redefine hospital design and the patient/staff experience in America. “We will build a storehouse of knowledge on the best practices in health facilities design and testing, which can then be used to improve the public health and economic fortunes of South Carolina.”

Research findings and intellectual property generated by the Center for Health Facilities Design and Testing will have commercial applications across the United States and the world at large. The potential to redefine clinical environments is very real, and in many respects, is already happening in South Carolina, thanks to Health Sciences South Carolina.