It was some doctor show on cable: Nurse McCarthy bustles into the hospital room, says “Good morning!” brightly, and crosses the brilliantly polished linoleum floor to the window. Humming to herself, she sweeps open the curtains to the view of the brick wall across the airshaft, then goes to the patient on the right and checks his dressing, clucking and offering encouragement. After a few moments she does the same with the patient on the left, makes a note on his chart, and leaves. She’s probably been there less than 10 seconds, and I’m thinking, She just killed two patients.
Consider this: During the remainder of this decade, health care providers will be building thousands of structures — building, re-building, re-purposing, infilling, for new and rapidly shifting purposes. Details matter.
Despite its continued use as a political bludgeon, health care reform will likely be implemented, at least in its broad outlines. The truly deep changes that are transforming us into the Next Health Care are proceeding apace in any case, with different business models and revenue streams, which means new physical settings.
