Architectural Tips to Make Your Facility both Welcoming and Secure

​Architectural features that can make hospitals both safer and more inviting for patients were the focus of the cover story in the April 2017 issue of Health Facilities Management. When healthcare organizations address security risks during design, the article said, they can reduce costs, improve employee and patient satisfaction, and increase safety. A Detroit hospital discussed in the article "considered everything from external illumination to furnishings" to create an environment that was simultaneously "calm" and "secure" in its busy emergency department (ED). The ED was given its own parking lot and exterior lights were put in, as was an illuminated glass lobby that could be seen at night. A subwaiting area with a bathroom was put in for people waiting to pass through metal detectors and receive security clearance.