This report originally appeared in the December 2010 issue of DOTmed Business News

This fall, New York Hospital Queens opened the doors of its brand new, seven-story West Wing building. Today, patients walk through a light-filled atrium and a spacious lobby to find their way to 80 hospital beds spread out across two floors and a state-of-the-art Ambulatory Surgery Center, which boasts 10 operating rooms.

To furnish the $210-million modernization initiative, John Ricotta, the project's assistant manager, perused nearly a dozen showrooms, to research options that would meet his facility's needs.
Ricotta knew what he was looking for in the products - durability, infection prevention, ease of maintenance and a balance of comfort and design.

A manufacturer's ability to swiftly respond to any issue was also an important factor in his selection process. Ricotta chose to go with the companies that could easily repair products on site, "so you don't lose that piece of furniture for a long period of time," he explains. "The manufacturer can come in and swipe out a cushion or a fabric very quickly."

Hospitals in need of minor furniture updates often turn to resellers and refurbishers, such as OMED of Nevada LLC. Victor Landeros, the company's warehouse manager and international sales director, says business has been strong because many providers are opting for refurbished products.

"It looks like we're doing a lot better than previous years," says Landeros.

Enjoy your stay
One of the emerging trends in the hospital furniture market is the shift in design aesthetics. Facilities are looking to create a more welcoming environment for patients and their visitors by choosing furniture that moves away from the typical look of a hospital and moves closer to resembling a hotel's atmosphere.

Facilities are choosing more upholstered, wooden and comfortable furniture with features such as rounded surfaces and edges, says Bobbi Marvin, manager of interiors with the Henry Ford Health System, a nonprofit health care enterprise with facilities throughout Michigan.

In its patient rooms, the health system customized the furniture to make the space look more residential by selecting products with certain elements, such as wooden chairs with legs.

The range of options provided by manufacturers makes it easy for facilities to stay on top of the trend. Andrew Madden, director of materials management with Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, Mass., has been in the industry for 30 years. The array of choices in exam room furniture today, he says, is bigger than ever.

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