Customers often ask how they can "integrate the technology into the space, make it easy to share with the patient and family but not create an investment that's going to be obsolete when the technology changes," says Carlson.

Nurture recently introduced Pocket, a mobile work surface. The product is capable of accommodating a variety of technology and is customizable in height and additional features.
Years ago, customers relied on WoWs - Workstations on Wheels - that were moved throughout the hospital but today facilities are looking for mobile workspaces to be used within one room, says Carlson.

"[Customers] do not want to move it from room to room because of the concern of infection control and the spread of infectious disease," she says.

Another popular Nurture product is Sync, a caregiver station that focuses on collaboration of the clinical team and technological integration. Sync was designed "specifically for the threshold between patient rooms, right out in the hallway," says Carlson. The station is also available in a centralized version, enabling the clinical staff to use even tight spaces in an efficient manner.

As electronic health records become a standard in hospitals nationwide, Carlson expects to see an increase in demand for products that embrace the role of IT in the health care system.

A new home for the old
Before old furniture can be swapped for new, facilities need to find somewhere to put it. Fortunately, a little creativity makes it easy to find a place for products that are being replaced.

"Not everybody gets money for their projects these days," says Brigham's Madden. "Some of the furniture that we're taking out is only three or four years old, so we try to recycle internally first. Then we'll either trade-in or recycle our furniture, depending on how old it is with a local vendor, who refurbishes equipment and then resells it."

A similar process takes place at the Henry Ford Health System. Between its six hospitals and dozens of clinics, Marvin says she always finds a way to take a cabinet or a wardrobe unit from a patient's bedroom and make it a part of an exam room or an infusion space.

Manufacturers also work with facilities to get rid of old furniture. Nurture assists customers with finding potential buyers for old products or donating the furniture for charitable reuse purposes by organizations in need. The company also strives to get as much recyclable materials as possible out of the products that are no longer needed.

End-users on the West Coast can take advantage of Nurture's network of organizations that recycle various materials from old furniture, says Carlson. The company connects facilities with the recycling partners upon request.

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