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Public Proposal Period Open for 2010 Guidelines for Design and Construction of Health Care Facilities
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For Immediate Release |
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Washington, D.C., May 30,
2007 — The Heath Guidelines Revision Committee (HGRC), with the support
of the Facility Guidelines Institute (FGI) and the American
Institute of Architects (AIA), seeks proposals from the public for
the development of the 2010 edition of the Guidelines for
Design and Construction of Health Care Facilities. More than
forty states use the Guidelines document to regulate the
design and construction of health care facilities. Architects,
engineers, and health care professionals also use it on a daily
basis as a guideline or reference.
The Guidelines recommend minimum program, space, and
equipment needs for clinical and support areas of hospitals,
ambulatory care facilities, rehabilitation facilities, and nursing
and other long-term care facilities. The document also addresses
minimum engineering design criteria for plumbing, electrical, and
heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems.
To keep the Guidelines current with changes in medical practice,
medical technology, and the administration of health care, a new
edition of the document is published every four or five years. The
content of the book is updated through a consensus process that
offers two opportunities for public participation—a proposal
period for suggesting additions, deletions, or changes to the
existing text and a comment period for recommending modifications
to the committee-generated draft document. The HGRC is the
consensus body that takes the information provided through this
public process and develops it into the final language of the
document.
HGRC Chairman Douglas Erickson, FASHE, observes, “The
Guidelines belong to everyone working in health care.
Therefore, all professionals from clinicians, administrators,
support service providers, facility managers, and safety
professionals to architects, design engineers, interior designers,
contractors, and state and federal authorities having jurisdiction,
as well as consumers of health care, need to be involved in writing
proposals to improve the built environment for patients, staff, and
visitors.”
At this time, all interested parties are invited to propose
changes—either revisions or additions of new material—to
any part of the 2006 edition of the Guidelines. Later in the
revision process, the public will only be able to comment on
proposed changes. This is the only opportunity to propose changes
to any portion of the text.
The public proposal period will extend from May 1 to September 30,
2007. The HGRC will consider all proposed revisions and additions
for inclusion in the next edition of the Guidelines, to be
published in 2010.
“The Guidelines revision process provides
opportunities for simplifying language to increase clarity, as well
as for updating the document to reflect advancements in technology
and changes in medical practice,” said HGRC Chairman Emeritus
Joseph Sprague, FAIA, FACHA, FHFI.
During the current revision cycle, the HGRC is addressing patient-
and staff-related building design and construction issues such
as:
• Use of patient lift devices
• Imaging technologies used in operating rooms
• Bariatric accommodations
• Sound design and vibration in health care environments
• Single-bed rooms beyond medical/surgical and obstetric
facilities
• Environment of care
• Infection control
• Health care facility engineering
Sections of the book scheduled for updating include the chapter on
small hospitals (new in the 2006 edition of the Guidelines) and
sections on imaging, emergency, obstetric, and psychiatric
facilities in both the hospital and ambulatory care parts of the
book. As follow-up to the expansion of the outpatient facility
material in the 2006 edition, chapters on freestanding urgent care,
office surgical, renal dialysis, and endoscopy facilities, among
others, will be carefully reviewed.
Any member of the public may propose changes on these topics or any
others by visiting the FGI Web site at www.fgi-guidelines.org.
The “Changes to Guidelines” link will lead visitors to
the “Proposals and Comments” page, where they can
register to make proposals. Each proposal must be accompanied by a
justification or rationale explaining why it should be considered.
Registered users of the proposal site will be able to view
proposals made by others, as well.
Following the period for making proposals, the HGRC will convene to
consider all proposals that have been received. A report capturing
the results of this meeting will record whether proposals are
revised or rejected, including the committee’s rationale for
any changes or rejections. The result of this meeting will be a
draft 2010 edition of the Guidelines.
The second public opportunity to participate in the Guidelines
revision process will come with publication of the draft 2010
edition and the report showing how the proposals were addressed. A
public comment period will be held from May 15 to September 30,
2008, during which any member of the public may submit written
comments on any proposed change to the 2006 edition. Comments may
be made by anyone, in writing (preferably using the proposal and
comment page of the FGI Web site), and must include justification
and contact information. The HGRC will convene another meeting to
address all comments received. Subsequently, the final draft of the
2010 edition of the Guidelines for Design and Construction of
Health Care Facilities will be available for limited public access
before publication. The HGRC will review the final manuscript and
vote on whether to accept it. Once the balloting has been
completed, the AIA will publish the 2010 edition.
For further information about the Guidelines and the revision
process visit:
www.fgi-guidelines.org
and www.aia.org/aah_gd_hospcons
About The American Institute of
Architects
For 150 years, members of the American Institute of Architects have
worked with each other and their communities to create more
valuable, healthy, secure, and sustainable buildings and
cityscapes. AIA members have access to the right people, knowledge,
and tools to create better design, and through such resources and
access, they help clients and communities make their visions
real.
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