St. Mary's Hospital added a $270,000, 4,275-sf in-patient center devoted to hospice care for the terminally ill on an upper floor of the hospital. A key criterion was that the six-bed unit replicate, as much as possible, a home environment, with 'rooming-in' accommodations.

Hyman Hayes Associates included medical oncologists and other members of the hospice team in the planning and design process to make sure that the unit reflected the needs of all disciplines involved in patient care. In addition to patient rooms, which are hotel-like with soft lighting and comfortable furnishings, the unit includes areas for staff education, a Family Community Room with cooking facilities and provisions for overnight stays, and an outpatient suite where intermittent treatments can be administered to cancer patients in a familiar setting.

We acted as project manager for the renovation, working closely with the hospital's in-house construction staff. This close working relationship resulted in the project being completed in 10 weeks.