The 2023 Healthcare Design Conference + Expo will be held Nov. 4-7, at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, La. The annual event will offer a variety of keynote and breakout sessions on a range of topics. Healthcare Design is previewing some of the upcoming educational sessions in a series of Q+As with speakers, sharing what they plan to discuss and key takeaways they plan to offer attendees. Session: Future-Proofing Emergency Departments – Adaptable Environments for Supporting Community Crises Speakers: Dr. Ben Bassin, healthcare

The New York City Council (New York) approved $17.5 million in improvements for NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst in New York, which serves primarily low-income and minority communities, according to the website gothamist.com. The funding includes $4.5 million for the relocation of the hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit and a $4.5 million MRI suite expansion. As part of the improvements, the 545-bed facility will also add a mother-baby lab and surgical subspecialty suite for hand surgery services and upgrade the cardiac healthcare

Bon Secours St. Francis Medical Center opened a 24-bed mother/infant unit on its campus in Midlothian, Va. The 23,000-square-foot project includes private patient rooms and bathrooms, space for baby’s bassinet, a computer for in-room charting, as well as sleeper sofas, recliners, and charging outlets for visitors. Additionally, part of the patient rooms can be separated from the unit and used for isolation or post-op gynecological patients. The unit also houses a centralized nurses’ station, staff lounge and respite room, transitional healthcare

When Americans experience a disparity in their access to healthcare, many utilize the support of community health centers. These nonprofit organizations offer high-quality medical care to patients who may not otherwise be able to afford or access care, such as primary medical care, pharmacies, dental and mental health services, and specialty clinics. According to the National Association of Community Health Centers (Bethesda, Md.), one in 11 Americans is a health center patient. Of those patients, 59 percent are publicly insured, healthcare

Cancer patients often struggle with their cancer diagnosis, eventual health constraints, and the emotional and physical roller-coaster journey required to negotiate and receive timely care successfully. An empathetic understanding of cancer patients’ journey and specific needs is critical to successful planning and design of cancer care facilities. This includes lobbies, waiting rooms, patient rooms, nurses’ stations, and exams rooms, with spaces designed to support healing, comfort, and emotional well-being. Additionally, conveniently located resources such as nutritional, financial, behavioral health, genetic, and healthcare