Plan of Care Whiteboards Post 3: Designing for Flexibility at Maple Grove Hospital

February, 2014

At Maple Grove Hospital, how the hospital environment affects healing is a key consideration in design decisions.  Rooms are comfortable, spacious, and full of light.  Hallways are carpeted to keep noise down.  And every room is equipped with a plan of care whiteboard to help ensure that the patient, family, and care team share the information vital to creating a shared purpose and connection.

When Maple Grove first opened, standard, templatized whiteboards were installed in each room.  But leadership soon realized that these boards would not allow the design to grow and flex with needs of different patient groups and care teams.  So they replaced them with recessed, glass-fronted boards that allow easy removal and replacement of paper templates that slide in behind the glass.

The new design gives Maple Grove the ability to respond to patient and care team feedback regarding the value of key elements, or the need to capture different information in different units.  For example, the Family Birthing Center (Maple Grove’s labor and delivery unit) designed a board that focuses on mother and baby, helping new parents track their progress toward key milestones.

With the flexible board design, Maple Grove can make hospital-wide or in unit changes to whiteboard templates with minimal expense.  They keep boards looking professional and polished, while adapting to the needs of staff and patients.