SHCA designs 'destination' facility

Real Estate Weekly,  Jan 30, 2008  by James Case

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The North Shore--LIJ Health System is constructing a BioskiUs Education Center at its Center for Advanced Medicine in Lake Success, NY.

The Bioskills Education Center will be a "destination facility," educating and training surgeons from around the region and world on the latest surgical technology and techniques.

Technological advances in medicine are occurring at an astonishing rate, resulting in evolving surgical techniques that are becoming both more precise and less invasive. To offer an ever-broadening set of medical / surgical options to patients, surgeons are investing more time in periodic training to stay abreast of the advancing technology and methods. Ongoing developments in such areas as image-guided surgery, endoscopy, orthopedic joint replacement technology, graft substitutes, and robotic procedures have created a high demand for programs that help surgeons improve their skills and repertoire of techniques.

Responding to this need, the North Shore-LIJ Health System is constructing a new, state of the art "Bioskills" surgery training center that will provide both classroom and laboratory training opportunities. Surgeons will be able to train in a laboratory environment that closely simulates an operating room. In addition, the center will employ advanced training equipment as well as interconnectivity to facilities around the world.

The Bioskills Education Center will serve all surgical services. North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System's Institute for Orthopedic Science will be utilizing the BioskiUs Education Center for advancing the field of orthopedics as it pertains to evolving technology in joint replacement.

Designers and manufacturers of artificial joint prosthesis and minimally invasive instrumentation will utilize this facility to train surgeons on the surgical techniques and indications for use of these evolving products. Surgeons with unique expertise will conduct classes as well as provide hands-on instruction of surgical skills. Post-operative rehabilitation will also be discussed for optimum patient outcomes.

This Bioskills Education Center, designed by Swanke Hayden Cormell Architects, consists of two key instructional areas; a laboratory that simulates an operating room and an adjacent classroom/lecture facility.

Both are served by advanced audio visual capability allowing classroom observation, as well as connectivity to off-site locations and/or live interaction with surgeons in the Bioskills lab who are demonstrating surgical procedures.

The Bioskills laboratory area features five work stations equipped for use with cadaveric specimens and/or synthetic models.

Each work station has ceiling mounted booms containing an operating light video camera, flat screen monitor as well as power and services, mirroring today's operating rooms. Instrumentation, tissue management devices, and medical imaging systems are also available.

The flat screen monitors at each work station allow participants to observe the procedure taking place at the demonstration station or view the procedure being worked on at their work station.

This training technique is extremely advantageous as it lows an individual to observe a procedure while reinforcing the lesson with hands-on training.

Teleconferencing capability will enable physicians and others at off-site locations to participate in on-site training sessions.

With a mind toward future growth and expansion, the North-Shore-LIJ Health System created the Center for Advanced Medicine, conveniently located at 450 Lakeville Road, Lake Success, New York. The Center for Advanced Medicine is located in a former manufacturing plant that has been converted for a new occupancy use--business and healthcare

It is a comprehensive, multidisciplinary facility devoted to outpatient care and education.

A combination of factors makes the Bioskills Education Center attractive to health care professionals. First, it has a prime location across the street from LIJ Medical Center and about 2 1/2 miles away from North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset.

This location and the facility's streamlined layout, provides a level of convenience and that works well with the demanding schedules of today's physicians. Its unexpetted use of highly articulated architectural forms, finishes, and design features gives the facility a fresh and innovative look.

The project team was comprised of North Shore-LIJ administration and facilities-design department professionals, the Bioskills Education Centers administrative and technical team, Swanke Hayden Connell Architects, MEP and structural engineers as well as equipment and medical device manufacturers all of whom were involved in the design and planning process.

The result of this transformative collaboration is a surgical training facility that is organized into four distinct zones: A surgeon support area containing the administration spaces, reception area with on-line computer terminals, and locker rooms with showers; a classroom/lecture room with adjacent audiovisual room and library; a Bioskills lab containing five training stations simulating operating room conditions; and finally, the lab support spaces with tissue preparation room, instrument processing rooms and storage. The facility will be self contained utilizing a dedicated HVAC system.