Michael Ferment
PrincipalBSAFor over the past 15 years, Mike has focused on designing healthcare facilities utilizing research from the Center for Health Design to create healing spaces. His project experience ranges from complex surgical & interventional radiology renovations and additions to brand new rehabilitation patient tower expansions. Mike Ferment honed his construction and architectural skills while serving as a Engineer Section Sergeant in the United States Army, 5th Special Forces Group. Mike has experience delivering significant, complex healthcare projects for clients.
E10 – Evidence from the Field: POE-Informed Strategies for Hospital Expansion
As healthcare campuses expand to meet growing community demand, understanding how existing facilities perform in practice is essential to making infor…As healthcare campuses expand to meet growing community demand, understanding how existing facilities perform in practice is essential to making informed, future-ready design decisions. Post-occupancy evaluation (POE) provides a critical feedback loo…As healthcare campuses expand to meet growing community demand, understanding how existing facilities perform in practice is essential to making informed, future-ready design decisions. Post-occupancy evaluation (POE) provides a critical feedback loop, allowing organizations to assess how spatial design impacts staff workflows, safety, environmental comfort, and overall operational performance. This session presents findings from a comprehensive,…As healthcare campuses expand to meet growing community demand, understanding how existing facilities perform in practice is essential to making informed, future-ready design decisions. Post-occupancy evaluation (POE) provides a critical feedback loop, allowing organizations to assess how spatial design impacts staff workflows, safety, environmental comfort, and overall operational performance. This session presents findings from a comprehensive, multi-method POE conducted at UNC Johnston Health and demonstrates how the results directly informed planning priorities for campus expansion and renovation efforts. The POE evaluated five clinical departments—Labor & Delivery, Postpartum, ICU & PCU, Med-Surg, and Nursery—using staff surveys, walkthroughs, spatial analysis, and open-ended feedback. Across departments, findings revealed consistent themes related to staff work area functionality, visibility and adjacency for patient monitoring, adequacy of support spaces, and the impact of storage, equipment placement, and circulation on workflow efficiency. While patient room size and overall unit layout were frequently cited as strengths, staff satisfaction was negatively affected by undersized nurse stations, limited charting privacy, poorly located restrooms, inadequate staff amenities, and inconsistent zoning of clean and soiled supplies. Department-specific insights highlighted how localized design decisions can have system-wide operational consequences. In Labor & Delivery and Postpartum units, nurse station configuration, lighting quality, and charting orientation influenced teamwork and patient visibility. In ICU, PCU, and Med-Surg units, staff amenities, equipment access, pneumatic tube placement, and lift availability affected efficiency, safety, and staff well-being. In the Nursery, the square footage and outdated infrastructure constrained limited clinical functionality and emergency preparedness. The presentation translates these findings into actionable design strategies, illustrating how POE-informed recommendations—such as optimizing staff work zones, improving storage and equipment planning, enhancing staff amenities, and clarifying circulation—can improve performance while supporting future growth. Show MoreClick the title to see all detailsShow More
