St. Anthony Regional Hospital

Carroll, IA

The goal of St. Anthony Regional Hospital is to create a place for healing and recovery — a place where patients come first. Their most recent project was a medical/surgical unit addition and renovation, creating private rooms for all patients, while reducing noise and congestion. A secondary goal of the facility is to retain quality staff and make the facility efficient and effective, facilitating a closer relationship between patient and caregiver.

After extensive research and benchmarking with the client, the facility was designed for a decentralized nursing concept. Transitional planning with the staff was essential to the success of the new staffing patterns and responsbilities. A significant advantage of the decentralized plan is the reduction in noise, reducing stress for patients and staff alike.

The existing third floor was renovated to accommodate four nursing units, and an addition created three new nursing units. The two portions are fused with a monumental three-story atrium. The atrium, complete with a water wall and comfortable spaces for gathering, provides a main entry for the entire campus, serves as a primary orientation space.

Patient rooms are designed in zones — the nursing work zone, the patient zone, and the family zone. The nursing zone has storage for basic equipment and needed. The family zone has a daybed and a large window for natural light and connection to the outside, and is linked to the patient zone by a shared side chair.