Healthcare in the New Decade

26th July, 2010 by Melanie Archer | 1 comment

In 2009, acla:works formed a joint venture agreement with HDR, the leading healthcare firm of architects and engineers in the USA. HDR has successfully completed a healthcare study of Trinidad and Tobago, which will form the basis for future development of our local healthcare system.

In order to keep our firm up-to-date with trends in modern healthcare—and as part of his continuing professional development—acla:works director, Brian Lewis, elected to attend an educational tour of the Jackson Medical Campus during the recent American Institute of Architects [AIA] 2010 conference held in Miami, Florida.

The Jackson Health System is an integrated healthcare delivery system with more than 12,000 employees that provide medical services to residents of Miami-Dade Country and beyond to Central and South America and the Caribbean. Jackson consists of 10 primary care centers, 17 school-based clinics, 2 long-term nursing facilities, an outpatient diagnostic centre, and hospitals for children and mental patients. Rounding things up is a community and regional referral tertiary care centre, which is the primary teaching hospital of the University of Miami School of Medicine.

Brian noted: “It’s really quite remarkable to see how the Jackson Memorial Medical Campus has evolved from a 3,000 square foot two-storey structure to what can only be described as a small city. In the less than 90 years since it first opened its doors, Jackson has grown from a 13-bed hospital to an internationally recognized medical system. It is really impressive in its sheer magnitude. I was able to have a close look at some of the cutting edge departments that weren’t even open to the public yet, as well as emergency, trauma, simulation and pediatric centers. It was a very useful and educational experience and I hope we can apply lessons learnt to Trinidad and Tobago in the not-too-distant future.” 

below: Map of Jackson Campus. Photograph of hospital room.

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