Medical solutions Nov - 11 SIEMENS

Medical Solutions
The Magazine for Healthcare Leadership

November 2011

Built to Last, Designed to Heal
Lord Norman Foster Has a Vision For Today’s Hospitals

Will Jimmy be able to afford good
medical care when he is my age?

The world needs better and more affordable healthcare. That’s why
we’ve developed better technologies and more efficient IT solutions.
With life expectancy on the increase, healthcare is becoming more expensive. We offer innovative solutions to improve the quality
of care and streamline hospital processes before, during and after treatment. From imaging and lab systems that help provide
more accurate diagnosis to managing hospitals more efficiently, we can save money that can be put to better use – saving lives.

siemens.com/answers
A91CC-9084-A1-7600

Editorial

Advancing Human Health Hermann Requardt,
Member of the Managing Board of Siemens AG
Health is the most important factor for technology with ongoing application sup- and CEO of the Healthcare Sector
each one of us to live a happy and ful- port; planning a healthcare facility with
filling life. Without our health, we lose a single long-term contract for supply,
the freedom to fulfill our potential – and installation, testing, training, and com-
our dreams. Thus, human health needs missioning also saves time and money.
to be protected and sustained just like Results of such a partnership are mini-
natural resources such as clean water, mum equipment downtimes, extended processes, but also at patient communi-
fresh air, and the biodiversity our planet service hours, and enhanced clinical and cation or building infrastructure. And,
provides – both by society and its indi- patient outcomes. when it comes to the immediate patient
viduals. Read in this issue how Siemens as a environment, studies1 suggest that hos-
At Siemens, we play a unique role, sup- general contractor helped create a state- pital buildings themselves have substan-
porting healthcare professionals to do of-the-art molecular imaging facility in tial effects on patients’ well-being. Learn
their job the best they can by providing Abu Dhabi (page 12) and how, through more in our interview with British star
medical technologies that help deliver a a managed equipment service contract, architect Lord Norman Foster on page 28.
better quality of healthcare and enable we supplied the equipment for two brand- Foster shares with us a common goal: to
ever-improving degrees of individual care new hospitals in the Spanish region of support healthcare professionals across
through advanced imaging, diagnostics, Murcia (page 18). the globe in their personal mission to
therapy, and healthcare IT solutions. We Another innovation beyond medicine is help more people enjoy a longer life, a
thereby help ensure the next generation our Green+ Check, where we support better quality of life, and a happier life.
of breakthroughs becomes a reality. healthcare providers in their efforts to With this in mind, I wish you a happy
Our commitment to advancing human deliver high-quality, efficient, and environ- reading.
health, however, goes beyond merely mentally-friendly care. St. Georg Medical
delivering the latest diagnostic and treat- Center in Leipzig and University Medical Sincerely,
ment technology to our customers. We Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany,
support their success through close were the first facilities to have their
collaboration and mutual partnerships. efforts evaluated with this check (page
Healthcare providers benefit from such 24). Just as our health is connected with
business alliances in many ways. To prevention and medical treatment, it is
build and maintain a complete hospital also dependent on a healthy environ-
together with Siemens not only improves ment. The Green+ Check takes this into 1
Bryan Lawson: Healing architecture. Arts & Health,
its performance by combining the latest account by looking not only at clinical Vol. 2, Iss. 2, 2010, p. 95 – 108.

Medical Solutions · November 2011 · www.siemens.com/healthcare-magazine 3

Content

38 44
Content Laboratory Testing:
Alcohol Abuse
Urology:
Upgrade

Cover Story 03 Editorial
10 Facility Planning
To build and maintain a complete hospital
together with Siemens not only improves 06 News
its performance by combining the latest
technology with ongoing application sup-
port; planning a healthcare facility with a 90 Essay Series:
single long-term contract for supply, instal-
lation, testing, training, and commissioning
Healthcare Systems –
also saves time and money. Results of such South Africa
a partnership are minimum equipment
downtimes, extended service hours, and
enhanced clinical and patient outcomes. 96 Further Reading

102 Imprint

103 Subscription

4 Medical Solutions · November 2011 · www.siemens.com/healthcare-magazine

Content

46 78
Medical Tourism: Magnetic Resonance Imaging:
A Global View Remaining Competitive

Features
32 At the Basque Center on Cognition,
50 At the Siemens Breast Care Day, 68 Riverside Health System boosts
Brain and Language in San Sebastian,
radiologists and medical students efficiency using Siemens Soarian
Spain, research scientists gather
were given further insight into breast Clinicals. The 904-bed hospital sys-
data on the inner workings of the
cancer awareness and extended tem was among the first in the U.S.
brain.
their knowledge of the latest 3D to meet stringent benchmarks for
imaging modalities for breast cancer the meaningful use of electronic
38 Regina Reppin and Jos P. M. detection. health records.
Wielders are helping physicians
diagnose chronic alcohol abuse using
a specific blood test and analysis 56 Billions of euros in the world’s 74 A hybrid operating room and a
systems that deliver reliable, fast healthcare systems are tied cardiovascular imaging and informa-
results. up in frozen capital – inefficiently tion management solution made
deployed capital or untapped their debut at St. Joseph Hospital.
liquidity potential.
44 With Siemens’ EndoExpand
Upgrade, Paoli Hospital improved 78 Two hospitals in Germany and the
its endo-urologic system without a 62 Saving time and improving U.S. chose the latest Siemens MRI
major capital expense. quality with Siemens integrated technology to remain competitive in
solutions, syngo.via and syngo.plaza, their markets.
is a focus of clinicians at the MR,
46 Medical tourism, the truly global Nuclear Medicine and PET/CT Center
branch of healthcare, is changing, in Bremen Mitte. 84 While its accuracy, speed, and
aided by lower international airfares image clarity impressed from the
and the Internet. very beginning, physicians also
66 The FAST functionalities simplify appreciate the ACUSON SC2000
and accelerate CT workflows, as system’s ease of use and positive
demonstrated by the first months effect on workflows.
of clinical operation at institutes
in the UK and the U.S.


News

Book Your Application
Courses Now!
As a system or application user, it is vitally important to keep
pace with advances in technology and to extend skills in the
use of technical medical equipment. Siemens designed a com-
prehensive selection of applications courses to provide pro-
fessional skills and hands-on experience that customers need
for the effective use of modern medical systems and user
programs. Covering the complete spectrum from beginners to
Siemens Healthcare annouces its “International CT Image the expert level, Siemens’ courses are taught by experienced
Contest 2011.” specialists.
In a newly published training booklet, customers will find a

Can You Beat This? complete listing of courses for the second half of 2011. From
angiography to ultrasound, the courses give users system,
After Siemens’ first computed tomography (CT) image con- application, and technology training that combine theoretical
test in 2010, institutions and clinics from around the globe principles with practical exercises in a one-day to five-day
are taking the opportunity to submit their best clinical course format.
images for 2011. Such images, taken with the lowest pos- The global training concept offers participants learning oppor-
sible radiation dose on Siemens CTs, will then be reviewed tunities on the latest systems at state-of-the-art training cen-
by a jury of internationally renowned professors. The aim ters in Germany, the U.S., and China. Participants can attend
of the contest is to show that the highest diagnostic image hands-on courses with colleagues covering the maintenance
quality can be achieved at minimum radiation dose levels and operation of medical systems and applications, without
and help to make the public aware of the responsibility the distractions of their daily clinical routine. Clinical workshops,
that manufacturers and radiologists have with regards to on-site trainings, fellowship programs, or e-Learning course-
diagnostic radiation through best practice sharing. ware optimally supplement the instructor-led courses.
Siemens users who use a CT from the SOMATOM® Definition All classes are available for online booking via the link below.
family, a SOMATOM Emotion, SOMATOM Sensation, or This Website also provides the opportunity to order the train-
SOMATOM Spirit will be able to present clinical images – ing booklet.
which have been reprocessed with syngo® CT Workplace,
syngo MultiModality Workplace, or syngo.via – in seven
categories: Cardiology, Angiography, Dual Energy, Pediatrics,
Trauma, Neurology, and areas of their clinical routine, which
includes thorax, abdomen, and pelvis.
In 2010, the International CT Image Contest from Siemens
was an extraordinary success having received approximately
300 clinical images from more than 30 countries. There
was even a fan community on Facebook with more than
1,600 active members who frequently discussed the sub-
mitted images. In addition, all Internet users could vote
for their favorite picture in a public vote. The Internet page
devoted to the contest received 17,000 hits within six
months.
Entries can be submitted until September 18th, 2011.
Siemens will announce the winners at the next conference
of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA 2011)
in Chicago.

www.siemens.com/image-contest
www.siemens.com/healthcare-training-center
www.facebook.com/imagecontest


News

Reaching New Heights in Mobile X-ray Imaging

Mobilett Mira provides a 180-degree rotating
swivel arm at an industry-leading arm range.

The new Mobilett Mira1 from Siemens opens doors to new dose due to the highly sensitive caesium iodide scintillator
perspectives of mobility and imaging freedom for mobile X-ray material (CsI) and the high-end WLAN detector.
systems. With its wireless detector and the 180-degree rotat- Mobilett Mira has recently undergone its first clinical use test
ing swivel arm (90 degrees in two directions) at an industry- and the feedback was very positive. Physicians especially
leading arm range, the system offers new heights of flexibility enjoyed the image quality, which was compared to the image
that lets clinicians examine their patients from every necessary quality of high-end stationary lung X-ray systems. Clinicians
angle – even patients with limited mobility. The system features can also count on Siemens as a reliable, proactive partner in
an integrated cable design for easy handling and cleanability. terms of Mobilett Mira’s uptime. Siemens Remote Services (SRS)
Clinicians can feel confident with their diagnosis since the helps ensure uninterrupted system availability with regular
system boasts an image resolution of more than seven million anti-virus software updates and remote system diagnosis.
pixels. Motion blurring is prevented with the high output power Wireless freedom, outstanding flexibility, and investment
of up to 35 kilowatts (kW) or 450 milliampere (mA), resulting security offered by Siemens all make this system uniquely new
in sharp, clear images. Patients can experience lower radiation – reaching further than ever before in mobile X-ray imaging.

1
This product does not yet have a certificate of conformity. This product is not www.siemens.com/mira
commercially available in the U.S.


News

The Dimension EXL 200 Integrated Chemistry System gives smaller laboratories access to fast, sensitive immunoassay testing on a trusted
and proven integrated platform.

Advanced technology for smaller-sized clinical laboratories
Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics recently on an integrated platform, historically dent the new Dimension EXL 200 system
added the Dimension® EXL™ 200 Inte- available only to higher-volume laborato- will meet customers’ needs. Currently,
grated Chemistry System to the Dimen- ries,” said Dave Hickey, CEO, Chemistry/ both Dimension EXL systems allow cus-
sion family of analyzers. For the smaller- Immunoassay, Automation and Diagnos- tomers to run a broad menu of tests.
sized clinical laboratory, this new system tics IT Business Unit, Siemens Healthcare Available panels include: cardiac, thyroid
features the revolutionary LOCI® advanced Diagnostics. The Dimension EXL 200 disorder, therapeutic drug monitoring,
chemiluminescence technology, allow- system will also connect to the Siemens drugs-of-abuse testing, protein testing,
ing smaller laboratories access to fast, VersaCell™ System, a compact automa- fertility, and routine and specialty chem-
sensitive immunoassay testing on a tion system offering advanced sample istry testing.
trusted and proven integrated platform. management and sorting capabilities.
The test menu includes over 90 percent The VersaCell System allows smaller cus-
of the critical methods typically ordered tomers to maximize the number of tests
by physicians, and includes a cardiac STAT run on one workcell and improves the
menu with high-sensitivity Troponin I efficiency of their operations.
results in 10 minutes. Based on the success of more than 900 www.siemens.com/
“It’s exciting to offer our low-volume cus- global placements of the Dimension EXL dimension-exl200
tomers the same advanced technology with LM system used, Siemens is confi-


News

“Turn your city pink!”
We at Siemens want to raise breast cancer The new campaign is a step toward inform-
awareness with our new global campaign ing the public about the disease and the
“Turn your city pink! Raise awareness for importance of early detection. In October
breast cancer.” Why? Breast cancer is one 2010, Siemens completed the “Pink Ribbon
of the world’s most threatening diseases around the World” campaign, where
and early diagnosis is key for its effective participants helped to raise breast cancer
treatment. Siemens wants to help spread awareness in a one-month online cam-
the awareness for breast cancer with the paign. Additionally, the German market
new international campaign, which started research institute Gesellschaft für Konsum-
in October 2011 and runs for one year. forschung (GfK) conducted an interna-
The campaign aims to get people all over tional survey to determine the needs of
the world engaged and encourages them women and medical practitioners.
to be creative and turn their city pink. The study pointed out that many women because they do not regard it as neces-
Pink is the international color of breast think of breast cancer as a key topic, but sary. Ultimately, the goal is to support
cancer awareness. Participants can upload do not receive screenings due to an over- experts and healthcare professionals
pictures or videos of their actions to the all lack of awareness. Numerous doctors everywhere to perform to their best ability
campaign Website and share them with stated that women avoid screening as and focus on detecting breast cancer as
friends, creating even more awareness. they fear that something will be found or early as possible.
Siemens will reward every entry with a
donation to charity and the most popular 1
iPad is a trademark of Apple Inc., registered in the www.siemens.com/pink
entry wins a pink City iPad1 every month. U.S. and other countries

A Fully Automated Process for
Nucleic Acid Isolation
There are an estimated 400 million FFPE-preserved samples in tissue banks world-
wide, underscoring the value of their use for analyzing DNA and genetic associations
related to diseases such as cancer and autism.1 To encourage the procedure of pro-
cessing FFPE samples, a new Siemens Tissue Preparation Solution2 provides a more
efficient and reproducible process for the isolation of high-quality nucleic acids from
FFPE tissue samples. Using magnetic particle-based isolation and proprietary iron
oxide bead technology, the Siemens method enhances the quality of the extracted
nucleic acids that results in more reliable and robust test results. And with the Siemens
fully automated tissue extraction process, the hazards associated with handling
organic solvents are minimized while the turnaround time is improved. Laboratory
staff can walk away from the system and perform other tasks. By improving the speed
with which labs can extract nucleic acids, they will be better equipped to manage
increasingly large test volumes. The timeliness and quality of the extracted nucleic
acids will help to provide physicians and their patients with more reliable informa-
tion.
Toumy Guettouche, PhD, School of Medicine, Oncogenomics Core Facility, University
1
Source: Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology
of Miami, states: “The Siemens Tissue Preparation Solution for FFPE has the potential
News May 15, 2008 (Vol. 28, No. 10).
2
Under development. Not available for sale. to significantly increase the utilization of FFPEs for downstream applications because
of the ease-of-use of the instrument as well as the outstanding performance of the
chemistry used. It is remarkably easy to use and the different steps of FFPE extrac-
www.siemens.com/molecular tion have been automated elegantly which sets it apart from other FFPE extraction
systems.”


“Medical functionality is,
or rather should be, holistic
in its approach. Mental
health is as important as,
and indeed inseparable
from, physical health. The
one can affect the other
adversely or positively.”
Lord Norman Foster, British star architect

Overview:
12 United Arab Emirates: Reimagining Patient-Centric Imaging

18 Murcia: Becoming a Benchmark Hospital

24 Germany: Caring for Health and for the Future

28 Lord Norman Foster: The Healing Power of Architecture

Facility Planning

The entrance area of the Tawam Molecular Imaging Centre

Patient-Centric
Molecular Imaging
Tawam Molecular Imaging Centre in Al Ain,
United Arab Emirates, was designed, developed, and
equipped by Siemens with advanced imaging and
diagnostic equipment to help Mubadala Healthcare
bring a new level of care to the Gulf region.
By Ward Pincus


Ambitious architecture, building
technology, high-end imaging, and
diagnostic equipment: With Siemens
as a partner, TMIC sets a new bench-
mark for healthcare in the Gulf region.

“Iconic,” “soothing” – this is how mon practice of overseas travel for the
Mubadala Healthcare, the owner of the diagnosis and treatment of cancer, car-

“Siemens is the Tawam Molecular Imaging Centre (TMIC)
describes this new, world-class diagnos-
diovascular, and neurological diseases.
“There is urgency in addressing this
only vendor that tic facility located in Al Ain in the United
Arab Emirates (UAE).
gap,“ explains Bashar Al Ramahi, Senior
Manager Business Development at Abu
we have given TMIC elicits such descriptions because it Dhabi-based Mubadala Healthcare and
combines advanced diagnostic imaging Project Manager for the center, which
a full turnkey pro- and workflow technology from Siemens opened in October 2010. Calling positron
with elegant arabesque architecture, emission tomography/computed tomog-
ject to, and they graciously appointed waiting areas, five- raphy (PET·CT) technology the ’gold stan-
have delivered.” star service, and friendly environment,
delivering “patient-centric” care on par
dard’ for cancer detection and cardiovas-
cular and neurological disease diagnosis,
with what is available in leading health- Al Ramahi says that “better detection can
Bashar Al Ramahi, Senior Manager care centers around the world. contribute to improved treatment” of
Business Development, Mubadala Healthcare, Clinical care is provided in partnership these diseases.
Abu Dhabi, and Project Manager for Tawam
with Johns Hopkins Medicine International TMIC also helps Abu Dhabi government-
Molecular Imaging Centre
– creating a total offering from TMIC owned Mubadala Healthcare pursue its
that helps fill a gap in the local health- stated goals of developing a thriving local
care market that impacted local disease healthcare industry and reducing the
detection and contributed to the com- need for citizens and expatriate residents


to travel overseas for world-class medi- from patients and from their families.” tributing to patient care and clinical
cal treatment. As Al Ramahi puts it, TMIC conveys “a hos- outcomes is the region’s first particle
pital as well as hospitality.” It is located accelerator, a Siemens Eclipse™ HP
Patient Centric Means Patient adjacent to Tawam Hospital, a regionally Cyclotron, which produces radioisotope
Comfort renowned oncology center, to support the biomarkers used in PET examinations.
With the arabesque latticework covering hospital’s existing work and capabilities. With this set of complementary tech-
the exterior of the glass-walled building, TMIC selected the diagnostic imaging nologies, says Al Ramahi, TMIC is
the interior is both infused with natural and workflow systems from Siemens – “one of the few facilities in the region
light and shaded from the powerful sun including a Biograph® mCT (PET·CT), equipped with a cyclotron and one of
in this desert oasis city. A long entrance- a MAGNETOM® Skyra 3 Tesla open-bore the few facilities in the UAE equipped to
way, with the same latticework overhead magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) do, for instance, full cardiac scanning
and soothing aqua-green lighting on system, and syngo® Imaging software. with N-13 ammonium.“
either side, evokes anything but a medical This equipment serves the twin goals of It was essential to Mubadala Healthcare’s
facility. patient comfort and diagnostic excellence vision for a world-class facility that TMIC
“And that’s just what Mubadala Healthcare towards a shorter, more comfortable was self-sufficient in biomarkers. This is
wanted, since those coming to the facility imaging experience for patients, and important because it allows for more
are ill, whether with cancer or cardiovas- exceptional image quality and detail for optimal use of the Biograph mCT, ensures
cular or neurological disease,“ Al Ramahi treating clinicians. that patients get imaging done when-
says. As a result, “They are already under TMIC provides an edge to treatment ever their treatment requires and not
a lot of stress, and so we are trying as planning and diagnosis by housing dependent on the availability of interna-
much as possible to take this stress away both a PET·CT and an MRI. Further con- tionally sourced biomarkers, and gives


Facility Planning

“When you do nuclear imaging, you don’t
want patients to be too anxious and nervous,”
Al Ramahi notes. Colorful lighting helps
patients to be at ease during their examinations.

patients another level of safety, since tion and diagnosis of cancer as well as examination time and a more spacious
generated isotopes have a minimal half- cardiovascular and neurological diseases, and more comfortable examination
life. because it allows physicians to view environment, as well as excellent clinical
metabolic activity and the exact location performance due to high-quality images.
Technology Blends Speed and of abnormal lesions within an integrated With TMIC operating as a stand-alone
Precision 3D image, providing fast, accurate, and facility with many referring physicians
Al Ramahi says Siemens was selected for effective detection and tracking of dis- located elsewhere in Al Ain or the UAE,
the TMIC project for a variety of reasons, ease. it was vital that the Information and Com-
among them, “because the PET·CT scan- A PET·CT scan can be completed in five munications Technology (ICT) solution,
ner [Biograph mCT] is the fastest in the minutes, while Al Ramahi says that most also provided by Siemens, offer powerful
market … nearly twice as fast as others1, standard scans conducted by the facility analysis and sharing functionality. This
and because it helps to make the experi- last only 20 to 25 minutes, compared to included syngo.via2, an advanced client-
ence of the patients much better.” This 45 minutes with other machines in other server visualization software platform
speed, combined with calming lighting, facilities in the UAE. designed to let clinicians more quickly
serene image projections onto the ceil- Because the facility is so unique, it serves and more easily process, read, and share
ings, and various music options all help patients with all kinds of needs, includ- images. This software “has so many
to keep patients as calm as possible. ing children and patients undergoing different job functionalities – 3D image
“When you do nuclear imaging, you don’t treatment that requires multiple scans. calculations, cardiac software, neuro-
want patients to be too anxious and Complementing the Biograph mCT is logical software and analysis, while all
nervous,” Al Ramahi notes, since anxious the MAGNETOM Skyra 3 Tesla MRI, which images are archived and easily accessi-
patients are more likely to move, thereby has twice the field strength of conven- ble,” Al Ramahi says. The solution also
affecting results. tional MRI units, thereby producing includes a radiology information system
The Biograph mCT plays an important considerably higher resolution scans in and a picture archiving and communica-
role in addressing Mubadala Healthcare shorter timeframes. The result is again tions system (PACS). This means that all
and Al Ramahi’s focus on the early detec- greater patient comfort through reduced physicians, no matter where they are, can


Facility Planning

have access to patient images. At TMIC, Summary
referring physicians can use a Siemens
Web application to access these images.3 Challenge:
• Develop a world-class molecular
Siemens: A Partner and Project imaging center in Al Ain that provides
Consultant patient-centric care and advanced
Siemens’ involvement in TMIC extends diagnostic imaging on par with what’s
far beyond the equipment. From the available at the world’s top hospitals
feasibility study validating the business • Bring technology, architecture, and
case to ongoing equipment service and design together to provide a patient
maintenance, Siemens has provided experience that is as comfortable and
consulting and other services across the relaxed as possible
whole lifecycle of the TMIC project. As • Give clinicians access to faster, more
the turnkey manager, Siemens consulted accurate, and higher-resolution
to Mubadala Healthcare on the architec- imaging technologies than generally
tural design, construction, workflow sys- available in the Gulf region
tems, technology, and, of course, equip- • Provide a flexible ICT system that
ment. It is the first such turnkey project gives TMIC and referring physicians
of its kind for Siemens in the Gulf region direct access to patient images
and the first such project for Mubadala • Deliver a comprehensive consulting
Healthcare. and project management package that
“Siemens is the only vendor that we have “We managed makes project realization easy for the
given a full turnkey project to, and they owner to manage
have delivered. We are very pleased with to ﬁnish a
the equipment and their services,” Al Solution:
Ramahi says, adding that having Siemens project that • A beautiful, iconic building
lead on the project made it easier for
Mubadala Healthcare as the owner, in
should have • State-of-the-art Biograph mCT PET·CT
• MAGNETOM Skyra Open Bore MRI
addition to helping speed completion.
“We managed to finish a project that
taken 18 to 24 system
• syngo Imaging and syngo.via software
should have taken 18 to 24 months in months in just • Onsite Eclipse HP Cyclotron
just 14 months.” • Turnkey project management – from
Mubadala Healthcare is looking to trans- 14 months.” supply of imaging equipment to con-
form the character of care in the UAE sulting on building design, technology,
and the wider Gulf region. With Siemens Bashar Al Ramahi, Senior Manager
and workflows
consulting across all aspects of its build- Business Development,
ing design, workflow software, IT systems, and Project Manager for Tawam Result:
and equipment solutions, TMIC has Molecular Imaging Centre • Patients no longer need to travel
Mubadala Healthcare, Abu Dhabi,
made a bold statement that healthcare abroad to receive advanced molecular
in this part of the world can match the imaging services in a comfortable,
best available anywhere. non-clinical setting
• Patients enjoy a faster, more com-
Ward Pincus, who has lived in Dubai for ten fortable, and more relaxed scanning
years, writes on health, energy, green technolo- experience
gies, banking, and finance for publications in
North America, Europe, and the Middle East. • Physicians can make more confident
He is a former correspondent for the Associated diagnoses from the high quality
Press in the UAE. images that can be accessed from any
1
Based on competitive literature available at time of
location
publication. Data on file.
2
syngo.via can be used as a standalone device or together • Optimized equipment use thanks to
with a variety of syngo.via-based software options, which a reliable supply of biomarkers onsite
are medical devices in their own rights. The described
• As the first facility of its kind in the
Further Information features are syngo.via-based software options which
are medical devices on their own right. Gulf region, TMIC was completed four
3
The syngo.via Web applications are not for diagnostic months ahead of schedule
www.siemens.com/ use. For mobile based applications, country specific
turnkey-solutions laws may apply. Please refer to these laws before using
for diagnostic reading/viewing.


Becoming a
Benchmark Hospital
As part of a €132 million contract, Siemens Healthcare is
supplying two new hospitals in the Spanish region of Murcia with
state-of-the-art medical equipment for the next 15 years. This
will enable the state-run hospitals not only to have ﬁnancial and
planning security during the current economic crisis, but also
to be competitive and qualify as regional benchmark hospitals.
By Manuel Meyer


In the Murcia region, 1.5 million residents will be served. Santa Lucía University Hospital in Cartagena is one of ten hospitals to fulfill this need.

There is hardly any other area in Spain has built a better reputation with the sider the wait times for appointments
where people are as satisfied with their public than any other. with specialists or non-emergency
healthcare system as in the southern The residents of Murcia have a number operations at public hospitals to be too
region of Murcia. In the government’s of reasons to be satisfied with their long. The overwhelming majority of
most recent healthcare survey, taken in healthcare system: While the average wait respondents also indicated that it should
2010, two out of three residents of the time for an appointment with a special- take significantly less time to receive
Mediterranean coastal region not only ist in Spain is 53 days, Murcians wait an test results. That is an opinion that
rated the public health system as good, average of just 29 days to be seen by might change soon; at least, that is what
they also gave healthcare staff the top a specialist. They also wait only 51 days Manuel Ángel Moreno Valero, General
marks among all public servant groups. on average for surgical interventions, Director at the new Santa Lucía University
Since the spectacular response of doc- while residents of other regions in Spain Hospital in Cartagena, hopes.
tors, paramedics, and hospital staff to have to remain patients for about ten The region of Murcia has ten government-
the powerful earthquake that struck the days longer. operated hospitals to serve its 1.5 million
region in mid-May of this year, injuring Nonetheless, the healthcare survey also residents. The population of the coastal
hundreds, this group of professionals showed that half of Murcians still con- region around the city of Cartagena, a


Facility Planning

popular tourist destination, has grown The increased number of beds, emer-
disproportionately in recent years. In gency rooms, and operating rooms will
order to help ensure medical care to this help to solve wait lists: “The situation
growing population, the existing Santa will definitely improve now that the two
María del Rosell Hospital, located in the new hospitals are open,” says Moreno.
city center, reached a mutual agreement He adds that having more beds and more
with the nearby naval hospital to man- treatment rooms is not the only reason
age some patients out of the region’s wait times and diagnoses are expected
300,000 residents. to improve. Another major reason is that
both hospitals feature the latest in medi-
Public-Private Partnership cal technology from Siemens.
With the opening of the university hos- As part of a public-private partnership,
pital in Cartagena and Los Arcos del Mar Siemens Healthcare has equipped the
Menor University Hospital, the neigh- two hospitals with more than 100 imag-
boring town of San Javier, the two major ing systems, such as computed tomogra-
coastal areas of Murcia welcomed two phy (CT) scanners, ultrasound units, and
new government-run hospitals at the mammography systems, under a contract
beginning of this year, providing nearly placed by the Murcian health ministry.
1,000 beds. “This means our healthcare Siemens also set up the entire hospital
needs are adequately covered for the information and communications system
next 25 years,” explains María Ángeles and all of the laboratory systems at both
Palacios Sánchez, Minister of Health for facilities. The €132 million contract
the Region of Murcia. includes not only the initial process of

“The contract with
Siemens allows us to
remain competitive,
thanks to the ﬁrst-rate
technological innova-
tion guarantee we have
received.”
Manuel Ángel Moreno Valero, General Director,
Santa Lucía University Hospital, Cartagena, Spain


As part of a public-private partnership,
Siemens Healthcare has equipped
two new hospitals in the coastal areas
providing the hospitals with the latest Princess Letizia at the end of February, of Murcia with more than 100 imaging
medical technology, service, mainte- could even become a benchmark facility systems and set up the entire hospital
information and communications system
nance, and financing, but it also offers for all of Spain. Thanks to the public-
as well as all of the laboratory systems.
an innovation guarantee. Under the con- private partnership with Siemens, the
tract, for a period of 15 years, Siemens hospital has the only Artis zeego® multi-
will ensure that both hospitals can always axis robotic technology system on the
work with up-to-date medical technology. Iberian Peninsula. With the Ysio digital
Siemens will replace the systems with radiography system and magnetic reso-
the latest models in each product series nance systems such as MAGNETOM®
at specified time intervals of five, eight, Espree, Avanto, and Essenza, both hospi-
and ten years. tals work across the board with advanced
“In times like these, in an ongoing eco- technology in the fields of clinical imag-
nomic crisis that affects public budgets ing, laboratory diagnostics, and informa-
as well, the contract with Siemens not tion technology.
only offers our government-operated In preanalytical and clinical laboratory
hospital top profitability and security in analysis as well, Santa Lucía University
terms of financing and planning for the Hospital should become a benchmark hos-
future, but also allows us to remain com- pital at the regional and even national
petitive, thanks to the first-rate techno- levels in the future, thanks to its ADVIA®
logical innovation guarantee we have LabCell® and ADVIA WorkCell® Auto-
received,” Moreno explains. But the mation Solutions. The automated track
advantages of working with Siemens go system, one of the largest of its kind in
even further, he says: “Always being at Spain, is connected to ten analyzers,
the forefront of technology enables us transporting up to 3,000 blood and urine
to offer treatment methods and medical samples each day. “This will allow us
interventions that, in turn, shorten the to considerably shorten the time from
postoperative process. That means that initially taking the sample to forwarding
not only do we free up beds again more the test results to the treating physician,”
quickly, but we physicians are also able Moreno predicts. He does point out,
to treat completely different diseases though, that at this point, with the hos-
right here in the region,” he affirms. pital slowly building its activities, it is
not yet possible to say how the new tech-
A Giant Leap in Quality nologies and IT systems from Siemens
through Siemens Technology will enhance productivity, reduce costs,
In the field of interventional radiology or accelerate working processes.
and cardiology, the university hospital, “Aside from that, in addition to its tech-
which was officially opened by Spain’s nical equipment, a hospital can only


“Aside from ﬁnancing
and price, 70 percent of
our decision was based
on technological quality,
and in that area, Siemens
simply had the best offer.”
María Ángeles Palacios Sánchez,
Minister of Health for the Region of Murcia, Spain.

be as good as its medical staff,” Moreno
says, commenting that having the best
Summary medical technology available does not
help very much if a facility does not also
Challenge: have excellent staff that uses that equip-
• Equip two government-operated hospitals with state-of-the-art ment correctly. This problem did not
medical technology during an economic crisis that is causing budget materialize in this case, however. On the
fluctuations in the public healthcare sector, as in other areas contrary: “Precisely because we now have
• Enhance the quality of the state-funded healthcare sector while the most advanced medical technology
achieving the best possible cost-benefit ratio in the region, our hospital has become
attractive for many of the best special-
Solution: ists from Murcia and the rest of Spain,”
• Siemens Healthcare implements its Managed Equipment Services Moreno says, evidently pleased that he
(MES) model, assuming responsibility for providing the initial range is now able to count on some of the best
of state-of-the-art medical technology and IT systems, financing, specialists in their fields. Those special-
service, maintenance, and a 15-year innovation guarantee for the ists include people like José Contreras,
systems a radiologist and the head of the new
molecular imaging department. He values
Result: the ongoing support and continuing
• Financing and planning certainty for government healthcare sector education and training he now receives
• Guaranteed innovation, updates, and replacements for the future at the hospital from Siemens employees.
• Quality enhancement and an increased range of treatment and In addition to trainers who help physi-
intervention methods through state-of-the-art medical technology cians and nursing staff learn how to
• Status elevated to regional and national benchmark hospital operate the systems, a team of six to


Facility Planning

Managed Equipment Services
When the Spanish central government in Madrid transferred are highly interesting, which is why they can make offers that,
responsibility for healthcare policy to the regional governments in turn, mean tremendous financial savings for the govern-
in 2002, Murcia began to invest more in healthcare than any ment agencies awarding the contracts, says Sánchez, explain-
other of the country’s autonomous regions. Over the past nine ing the decision in favor of the first business model of its kind
years, the region has increased its annual healthcare budget in Spain.
by nearly 200 percent, to its current total of €2 billion. Starting in May 2009, the health ministry conducted a seven-
Nonetheless, building two new hospitals and equipping them month series of negotiations, sitting down with various com-
with state-of-the-art medical equipment at the same time was panies in direct competition, until Siemens Healthcare was
still a huge financial and logistical challenge for the regional finally chosen. “Aside from financing and price, 70 percent of
health ministry. “That was why we looked for a private inves- our decision was based on technological quality, and in that
tor to handle the equipment, service, and financing,” explains area, Siemens simply had the best offer,” says Sánchez.
María Ángeles Palacios Sánchez, Minister of Health for the Another market in Europe where Siemens Healthcare had
Region of Murcia. previously worked with the Managed Equipment Services
The arrangement marks the first time in Spain that a single tech- (MES) business model is the UK, which like Spain, has a health-
nology partner is responsible for original equipment, service care system that is predominantly financed by the state and
and maintenance, updates and replacements, and financing of providers increasingly have to rely on commitments from
medical equipment and information technology at a govern- private companies.
ment-operated hospital. This is a completely new business model The Murcian Health Minister expects this business model to
within the Spanish healthcare sector. Sánchez hopes it will yield not only technological innovation, but also – and espe-
enable the region “to improve the quality of government-pro- cially – financial certainty for planning purposes, even during
vided healthcare in Murcia at the best possible cost-benefit an era when the Spanish economic crisis is expected to lead to
ratio.” For technology companies in the healthcare sector, these budget fluctuations in the public healthcare sector, as in other
major contracts for order volumes of €100 million and more areas.

eight Siemens experts is assigned to work area of about 115,000 square-meters, is Crespo adds, Siemens Healthcare itself
with the two hospitals on an ongoing about twice the size of the other facility. has naturally gained a great deal of
basis to service, maintain, and monitor In just seven months, Siemens installed valuable experience in implementing
the medical equipment. 18,500 medical systems at the two hos- projects of this size and in emerging
pitals, including 100 imaging systems. from direct “competitive dialogue”
A Long-Term Technology Regional Health Minister Sánchez is with other providers – a new concept in
Partner thrilled at the company’s performance: Spain – as the winner.
For Siemens Healthcare Spain, it was “Siemens did this very well and in record
a tremendous challenge to equip two time, much faster than we expected Manuel Meyer is a correspondent for the
state-of-the-art hospitals of this size with beforehand.” For Siemens Healthcare Austria Presse Agentur in Spain and Portugal.
medical equipment and IT systems at Spain, the public-private partnership with
the same time and train the staff. Los the Murcian health ministry was highly
Arcos del Mar Menor University Hospital important. “We are able to present our-
in San Javier has a bed capacity of 329 selves on the market as a long-term tech-
and occupies about 61,000 square-meters nology partner, the first to tackle a pro- Further Information
of space. The state-run Santa Lucía Hos- ject on this scale in Spain,” explains José www.siemens.com/
pital in Cartagena is even larger, and, Antonio Crespo, the person responsible healthcare-turnkey
with 656 hospital beds and total usable for the contract at Siemens. In turn,


Facility Planning

Caring for Health and for the Future
Two leading hospitals in Leipzig and Hamburg, Germany, have success-
fully completed a new sustainability evaluation developed by Siemens:
the Green+ Check. The results acknowledge achievements in sustainability
and pinpoint the scope for further improvement.
By Philipp Grätzel von Grätz

For somebody managing a group of com- alone, which boasts more than 1,000 piqued. The Green+ Check is a thorough
panies with more than 3,000 employees beds and handles 45,500 inhouse and analysis of a hospital’s sustainability.
and an annual turnover of €220 million, 140,000 ambulatory patients per year. Unlike other sustainability checks, it does
Professor Karsten Güldner, PhD, is sur- The group is also a social enterprise with not focus exclusively on steps taken to
prisingly down-to-earth. Looking out the numerous day-care and rehabilitation protect the environment, it also takes into
window of his office at St. Georg Medical facilities and its own clinic dedicated account the efficiency of processes and
Center in Leipzig, the Managing Director exclusively to treating patients with drug quality of medical care. “It was this broad
of Klinikum St. Georg gGmbH and Direc- addictions. Having spent his professional approach that interested me,” Güldner
tor of St. Georg Medical Center talks life in this environment, Güldner has says. “As a public hospital, we tend to have
about trees rather than figures. “I com- developed a very broad concept of corpo- a long-term perspective on everything
missioned a study of an expert on forest rate responsibility, which the hospital we do. An evaluation of our work only
ecosystems some years ago. And it turned lives up to. “As a hospital, we have medi- makes sense when we look at quality of
out that there are quite a few very rare cal, social, and philosophical roots,” he care, efficiency, and the environment
trees in our parkways out there,” he emphasizes. “This means that we are all at once.”
muses. more than a healthcare repair shop. It is An agreement was reached in the sum-
Güldner is proud of his place of work. our job to offer the best possible quality mer of 2010, and St. Georg subsequently
The hospital will celebrate its 800th anni- of care, of course. But, we also have a became the first hospital to complete the
versary next year. The pavilion ensemble responsibility for the future and for our Siemens Green+ Check. Güldner: “It was
in Leipzig-Eutritzsch was built nearly a environment.” certainly a lot of work for both of us. But
century ago. “It is not always easy, but we it is always worth allowing someone from
want to and we will preserve this heri- Thorough Analysis of Sustain- the outside to take a look at what you
tage,” says Güldner. ability Efforts are doing.” Güldner and his staff were
The St. Georg Group has more to offer When Güldner first heard about the new confident that St. Georg would pass the
than the large St. Georg Medical Center Siemens Green+ Check, his interest was check with flying colors: “We had already
worked on both energy efficiency and
our IT infrastructure, and we knew that
these were assets we had to show off.”
“ As a hospital, we are For example, St. Georg Medical Center
was among the first hospitals in Germany
more than a healthcare to negotiate energy contracting as early
repair shop. We also have as the late 1990s. And with the imple-
mentation of Siemens i.s.h.med® hospi-
a responsibility for the tal information system underway in all of
future and for our environ- the group’s facilities, the efficiency of clini-
cal processes was also being addressed.
ment.” The result was a Green+ score of 57,
which is well above the 33 point average
across all areas. “It did not actually
Professor Karsten Güldner, PhD, Managing Director,
Klinikum St. Georg gGmbH, surprise us. We expected to be above
Director, St. Georg Medical Center, Leipzig, Germany average. The result acknowledges what
we have achieved. And the subsequent


Inside the foyer
of the University
Medical Center
Hamburg-Eppendorf

Entrance of the Klinikum St. Georg Leipzig’s site in Eutritzsch (left). The shuttle buses of UKE do not produce emission;
they are powered by hydrogen.

analysis produced some interesting sug- rather complex structure of St. Georg is even bigger. UKE is neither a building
gestions that are certainly worth think- Group.” nor an ensemble of buildings. It is an
ing about.” Güldner is especially happy urban district in its own right. With more
that the check gives credit to the social Leipzig Outcome: Negotiations than 8,000 employees, it provides care
responsibility demonstrated by St. Georg with Energy Suppliers for 330,000 inhouse and ambulatory
Group and the degree of its integration One palpable outcome of the check is patients per year. Its annual turnover has
into many parts of society. “The check that, in collaboration with Siemens, St. increased from €468 million in 2005 to
also revealed that we have developed a Georg Group is now planning to enter €720 million in 2010.
reasonably effective controlling mecha- into negotiations with municipal energy Professor Jörg F. Debatin, MD, Medical
nism. This is not self-evident, given the suppliers in an effort to improve the Director and CEO of UKE, has overseen
energy balance even further. “We are several years of transition. In order to
also thinking of ways to consolidate our keep pace with an increasingly competi-
care processes geographically, but we tive healthcare system, the city of Ham-
Summary definitely want to preserve the pavilion burg decided to invest in UKE. The result
ensemble. It was, in fact, very interesting was a new hospital building in the middle
Challenge: to see that, although we have to live with of all the traditional structures. It opened
• Evaluate a hospital’s sustain- this pavilion infrastructure, our energy in 2009. The new hospital considerably
ability performance balance was actually quite good.” helped to streamline care processes at
• Take into account environ- St. Georg Medical Center in Leipzig is UKE. “But we wanted to keep the other
mental aspects, efficiency of a very sizeable hospital. But further 300 buildings as well. So we decided to go
processes, and quality of care kilometers to the northwest, University beyond the actual hospital business and
Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE) establish a kind of healthcare city that
Solution:
• Complete Siemens’ Green+
Check

Result:
• Get a comprehensive over- “The Green+ Check made
view on what a hospital has
reached in terms of sustain- important suggestions
ability about how to get ahead with
• Pinpoint individual strengths
and weaknesses our sustainability agenda.”
• Learn about measures to
further improve environmental Professor Jörg F. Debatin, MD,
protection, process efficiency, Medical Director and CEO of University Medical Center
and quality of care in order Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany
to score higher on the sustain-
ability scale


The right medication at hand: Klinikum St. Georg in Leipzig (left). UKE’s unit dose system saves up to 1.5 tons of packaging waste annually.

accommodates healthcare-related part- to 1.5 tons of packaging waste annually discussed at UKE as a result of the Green+
ners of all kinds,” says Debatin. by ordering bulk-packaged medication Check. One involves the introduction of
Sustainability has been high on the UKE instead of blister-packaged pills. a Green Building Monitor. It presents the
agenda for several years already. “Some As far as environmental issues are con- success of the energy-saving projects,
say that this is merely marketing, but cerned, UKE employees are encouraged informs about current energy and media
for us it is really a lot more. As a medical to use bikes rather than cars to come to consumptions, and motivates the employ-
service provider, we inevitably have to work, and there is even a voucher system ees to save energy. Another idea is to
think about issues like durability. And so for bike repairs. UKE provides a hydrogen- equip the central energy control station
it was a straightforward question to ask powered bus service for patients, visitors, with a highly efficient combined heat,
how we as a hospital could contribute to and employees to get around the vast cooling, and power (CHCP) plant. This
a healthier environment and to a more campus. A sophisticated hospital catering way, current heat and cooling can be
sustainable use of ever-scarcer resources. service is another success story in terms produced efficiently and in a resource-
It is clear, though, that quality of care of sustainability: by offering patients a saving way.
remains our top priority.” choice of 20 different meals, UKE has “The final decisions have not yet been
As far as Debatin is concerned, it only managed to increase patient satisfaction made. But, these are important sugges-
makes sense to talk about sustainability considerably. At the same time, the tions that help us in our discussions
in a hospital context if environmental amount of waste has fallen and costs have about how to get ahead with our sus-
protection, the efficiency of processes, remained constant because patients are tainability agenda,” says Debatin. And
and quality of care are treated as a triad. ordering fewer meals than expected. getting ahead is what UKE is striving to
And, as with his colleague Güldner in do. After all, Hamburg is the European
Leipzig, it was the fact this triad was Hamburg Outcome: Improve- Green Capital 2011. With all its sustain-
appreciated by Siemens that attracted him ment in Energy Management ability efforts, UKE is undoubtedly con-
to the Green+ Check. UKE achieved an “We knew that we were already perform- tributing to the green credentials of 21st
extraordinarily high Green+ of 72, reflect- ing well in these areas,” says Debatin. century Hamburg.
ing the hospital’s various steps to increase “What interested us more was to identify
efficiency and improve environmental areas where we can further improve. Philipp Grätzel von Grätz is a medical doctor
turned freelance writer and book author based
protection. For example, the hospital-wide And, we discovered plenty of room for
in Berlin, Germany. His focus is on biomedicine,
implementation of Siemens Soarian® improvement in the field of energy medical technology, health IT, and health policy.
information system in combination with management. One issue we are now
wireless access and digital ward rounds addressing is, for example, whether it
has improved the quality of care and at was really ideal to house our data center
the same time resulted in a largely paper- in a tower building with maximum sun
free environment. UKE features two exposure.” One idea that emerged from
unit dose dispensing systems for the the Green+ Check was to analyze whether
automated supply of medication to the an old overhead bunker with thick walls
patients, thereby increasing medication could be used instead in order to reduce
Further Information
safety, clinical quality, and efficiency. the energy required for cooling. www.siemens.com/
At the same time, the system saves the Several other projects in the field of greenplushospitals
hospital – and the environment – up energy management are currently being


Facility Planning


Facility Planning

The Healing Power of
Architecture
British star architect Lord Norman Foster, in an interview with
Medical Solutions, discusses the healing power of architecture,
hospital design, and the artistic tightrope act between function-
ality and the feel-good factor for patients.
By Manuel Meyer

The times in which hospitals focused What does a ”perfect” hospital need Mental health is as important and
merely on medical functionality are to look like? indeed inseparable from physical health.
past. It is also no longer a secret that the FOSTER: Almost all hospitals are cold and The one can affect the other adversely
architecture of hospitals influences the unfriendly, and yes, of course, hospital or positively.
healing process of patients in both psy- staff need functional space. Your question
chological and physical respects. Colors, suggests that you cannot have one with- In a previous interview you said
light, room layout: modern medicine out the other. I reject that supposition that, for you, architecture begins with
today exploits all possibilities in order to totally. Unless a hospital meets both the people, and that it’s essentially a
help patients. And, as a result, hospital material and spiritual needs, that is, help- response to needs – both material and
operators increasingly concern them- ing the patient feel at ease, then it’s not spiritual. Is this especially the case for
selves with the creative and therapeutic truly functional. hospital architecture?
impact of design and architecture. FOSTER: Yes. Remember that a hospital
Talking about functionality. In the past, is like any other building in that it doesn’t
Lord Foster, most people say that hospital construction has focused exist without customers. If, in a competi-
hospital buildings in general are cold particularly on medical functionality. tive world, one hospital treats the patient
and unfriendly. On the other hand, FOSTER: Medical functionality is, or in a more civilized manner than another,
hospital staff need functional space. rather should be, holistic in its approach. then it’s more likely to survive in the long


“The main challenge is to
address the special needs of
all the different parties who
together comprise the work-
ings of a hospital – the
patients, doctors, consultants,
nurses, and administrators.”
Lord Norman Foster, British architect
A guiding principle of Foster’s architectural work:
Doing more with less.

term. The difference isn’t one of cost – choose one, it would be Buckminster general hospital, a children’s clinic,
it’s about quality of design. The better Fuller. He was a great visionary – far or a special clinic?
environment isn’t necessarily more ahead of his time – and one of the first FOSTER: Yes. ”One size does not fit all.”
expensive – it’s about how wisely you people to recognize the importance There are common principles, such as
spend the precious resources of time of conserving resources and building opening the building to views and natu-
and money. sustainably. His credo of ”doing more ral light, or the creation of a calming
with less” has been a guiding principle environment, but each type of healthcare
What characterizes good architecture? throughout our work. You can see Bucky facility has a unique set of challenges
FOSTER: There’s a very old checklist, in the Autonomous House project we according to its size and the people that
which goes back to Vitruvius – ”com- did together. His influence is more subtle will use it. We would work very closely
modity, firmness, and delight.” I think in the towers for Swiss Re in London and with specialist medical staff, patients,
that still holds true, with the addition Hearst in New York, with their triangu- and users to design a building that ful-
of ”sustainable.” lated structures exposed on the exterior. fills their exact requirements yet has the
flexibility to anticipate future changes
What inspires your work in general? Last year, you built a groundbreaking and technological developments.
FOSTER: Inspiration can come from many hospital in the English town of Bath.
sources – the views, the light, the land- It was the first time that you designed When designing a hospital you have
scape, the historic context, the world of a hospital. What were the main chal- to know about the workflow and the
nature and even machines and aircraft – lenges there and what features are needs of hospital staff as well as
but architecture is primarily generated important for you when designing a those of patients. How do you collabo-
by people’s needs. It means listening, hospital? rate with hospital administrators and
asking the right questions and taking FOSTER: The main challenge is to address staff when designing such a facility?
nothing for granted – starting with a clean the special needs of all the different FOSTER: All complex projects demand
sheet of paper and an open mind. Some- parties who together comprise the work- the integration of what at times might
times that process of questioning and ings of a hospital – the patients, doctors, seem to be conflicting demands. The
challenging leads to new solutions, which consultants, nurses, and administrators; designers have to be good listeners and
I’ve characterizsed as “reinvention“. depending on the scale of the hospital be prepared to research in depth. The
this list might be extended to teachers, creation of teams with specialist disci-
Who are your personal guiding researchers, and students. Fulfilling the plines is also central to the process, and
figures in architecture and why? Can needs of one party should never com- their needs must also be addressed. In
we see them in your buildings? promise those of the others. this approach, industry has much to offer.
FOSTER: There have been many anony-
mous architects, as well as known names Would you design differently, On the other hand, Circle hospital in
and, of course, teachers. But if I were to depending on whether an object is a Bath looks like a five-star hotel and


Facility Planning

rural landscape, the fundamental needs
of patients for care, reassurance, dignity,

Lord Norman Foster and comfort are universal.

Do you think that the quality of
Norman Foster was born in Manchester, UK, in 1935. After graduating building and facility design might be
from Manchester University School of Architecture and City Planning a crucial factor for the cure and
in 1961, he earned a Master’s Degree in Architecture at Yale University, recovery of patients?
CT, U.S.. He is the founder and chairman of Foster + Partners, a world- FOSTER: Clinical studies have proved this
wide enterprise with project offices in more than 20 countries. Since is the case. Recovery rates from surgery,
its inception, it has received over 500 awards and citations for excel- for example, have been shown to improve
lence and has won more than 86 international and national competi- when the patients have improved views
tions. Recent work includes the largest single building on the planet, and better surroundings.
Beijing Airport, and spectacular buildings like Millau Viaduct in France,
the Swiss Re tower and the Great Court at the British Museum in London What do you need to consider
or the Hearst Headquarter tower in New York. In 1990, he was granted regarding materials in the design of
a Knighthood in the Queen’s Birthday Honors, and in 1999 was hon- hospitals?
ored with a Life Peerage, becoming Lord Foster of Thames Bank. He FOSTER: Materials that have not neces-
was awarded the Praemium Imperiale Award for Architecture in 2002. sarily consumed huge quantities of
In 2009, he became the 29th laureate of the prestigious Prince of energy in their processing or production.
Asturias award for Arts. After redesigning the Reichstag, Germany’s Materials that will age well over time
parliament, one of Lord Foster’s most recognizable works, he received and won’t require expensive mainte-
the Knight Commander’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal nance during their life span. Materials
Republic of Germany in 2010. In the same year, he became the 21st that are tactile to sight, sound, and touch,
Pritzker Architecture Prize Laureate. that give comfort and do not offend.
As in all decisions, it’s about getting the
balance right.

You had a severe illness, cancer. How
have the disease and your hospital
stay influenced your view on hospital
architecture?
FOSTER: Even if I hadn’t had two life-
threatening illnesses, I would have still
given these answers from my experience
it’s definitively not the cheapest hos- Are there any differences in hospital as an architect. However, speaking as
pital building in the world. What would construction and trends between dif- a patient ”on the receiving end,” I can
you do differently designing hospitals ferent countries and cultures? assure you that my views are backed and
in poorer countries with a lower bud- FOSTER: Yes, hospitals are important validated through personal experience.
get? public buildings and, as such, I believe On this question, I can only add that the
FOSTER: Try to get the basics right and that architects have a crucial role to play best facilities in the world are only as
to do more with less. In those areas where in their design. However, as in all walks good as the individuals who operate
the environmental conditions are less of life, preconceptions need to be chal- them. In an ideal world, we need both to
demanding, using shade and natural lenged from time to time. If anything, be of the highest standard.
ventilation can still modify the climate it was an advantage that we had never
and provide comfortable conditions. With designed a hospital before CircleBath –
fewer resources, the priorities have to we were able to apply the expertise and
be more carefully defined. Where funds authority gained through our work in
are limited, the potential for savings by civic, commercial, cultural, and residen-
repetition and standardization through a tial buildings to look at the building
wider program of projects assumes more type afresh. Thinking globally and acting
importance. locally as an approach is as valid in the
healthcare sector as in any other. And
Is there an architectural category while a building in a hot, urban climate Manuel Meyer is a correspondent for the
such as ”hospital construction” at all? may look very different to one in a colder, Austria Press Agency in Spain and Portugal.


Neuroscience

The Development
of Language,
in Living Color
At the Basque Center on Cognition, Brain and
Language in San Sebastian, Spain, research
scientists are using high-end medical imaging
devices from Siemens that gather data on the
inner workings of the brain to explore the human
mechanisms related to the learning, under-
standing, and production of language.
By Peter Sergio Allegretti

Things that seem the simplest can often at the Basque Center on Cognition,
be the most complex. Take for example Brain and Language (BCBL) in Spain. The
the basic transmission of information. As Center is situated in San Sebastian, an
you read this article, you are most likely elegant coastal city and an ideal place to
able to understand each of the individual study the bilingual brain. San Sebastian
words as well as the meaning that the is located at the heart of the Basque
collection of words together are intended Country where inhabitants speak both
to convey. Yet as you do that, what is Spanish and Basque, two languages that
happening now in your brain and your are completely unrelated, yet are used
body is an extraordinarily complex and side by side in daily life.
precisely choreographed series of neuro- The BCBL’s key aim is to unravel the
logical and physical events. mysteries and explore the mechanisms in
Now, imagine you were reading this in the brain related to the learning, under-
another language – perhaps a second standing, and production of language. In
language you had spoken since birth or essence, scientists are working to under-
one you acquired later. Would you understand what happens on a neuro-cognitive
stand it in the same way? More specifi- level when we speak, listen, and learn,
cally, would your brain process the words and to understand how the brain takes
and turn them into “understanding” in on a second or third language.
the same way? “It’s like an enormous jigsaw,” says BCBL
Finding answers to these questions is a Scientific Director Manuel Carreiras. “We
key focus of the work being carried out are trying to understand how it all fits


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