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Cornerstone Ceremony Held for Anticipated New Viera Hospital – June 2009

Orlando— Architects, construction managers, and hospital administrators laid a ceremonial cornerstone this week on the new Health First Viera Hospital in Viera, Florida. HuntonBrady Architects, an Orlando architecture, master planning and interior design firm, was selected by Health First to design the new hospital, which will serve as the cornerstone of the Viera Health Park, a state-of-the-art Health Park that will bring a full continuum of healthcare services to the community. Viera Hospital is an acute care, full-service hospital including emergency, outpatient diagnostics, and 100 all-private beds.

HuntonBrady’s design incorporates the latest in evidence-based healthcare design to promote a healing environment for patients, families and staff Evidence-based design relies on the best information available from healthcare research and project evaluations to provide demonstrable outcomes including increased patient safety, operational efficiency, employee and patient satisfaction.

When it opens, the hospital will have 64 medical surgical beds, 20 Critical Care beds and a shelled floor that can become another 42 bed unit. All patient rooms are private and are sized to adequately accommodate family members who stay with the patient for extended periods. Caregiver zones with in the room provide distinct work surface and storage away from patient and family; charting alcoves with windows are located immediately outside of patient rooms to increase patient privacy yet provide visibility. The patient room interiors have an atmosphere that promotes healing by using natural woods, colors, and natural light.

The facility incorporates the most current technology for patient care, such as digital imaging and wireless networking for electronic data and voice applications. New technologies in the lab, pharmacy, surgery and the emergency department were identified early in the design process to improve caregiver productivity and improve patient outcomes.

The detail and character of the exterior is an example of community-influenced architecture evoking the “New Town Florida” style and spirit. The exterior, featuring a color palette based on three tones of a single color, combines with materials, texture and glass to begin a visitor-friendly continuum.

The building site design consists of a piazza courtyard configuration with the main hospital on the west end, Pro Health Fitness Center on the east end and the first of potentially three medical office buildings on the north side. Covered walkways between buildings encourage walking on this pedestrian-friendly campus. Landscaped green space on the piazza allows visitors, staff and physicians to experience the out of doors whether for exercise, dining, socializing or meditation.

HuntonBrady Architects has designed numerous other healthcare facilities including the award-winning H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center’s Outpatient Clinic and Vincent A. Stabile Cancer Research Laboratory in Tampa; the Celebration Health Medical office building in Celebration; the 440-bed Inpatient Tower and Cardiovascular Institute Expansion for Florida Hospital-Orlando and the expansion at Fish Memorial Hospital in Orange City. The firm has also designed the Florida Children’s Hospital expansion in Orlando, the new Ormond Memorial Replacement Hospital in Daytona Beach, and facilities in Ft. Lauderdale, Hialeah, Sebring and Palm Coast. They are the Architect of Record for the The University of Florida’s Cancer & Genetics Institute and Biomedical Sciences Building and the new Medical School at the University of Central Florida.

Currently, the Health First healthcare system employs more than 6,000 associates and operates three not-for-profit hospitals in the Space Coast region. They include Cape Canaveral Hospital, Holmes Regional Medical Center and Palm Bay Community Hospital. The Health First system also includes Health First Health Plans, Health First Physicians, the Health First Aging Institute, three Pro-Health & Fitness Centers, Hospice of Health First, and numerous healthcare support programs and diagnostic services. For more information about Health First , visit www.health-first.org. For information about the Viera Hospital, visit www.vierahospitalnow.com.