Harriman Presents at NeoCon 2021

Harriman Principal Architect Judy Johnson, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, Associate Peter Pinkerton, IIDA and Hometown Health CEO Robin Winslow present at NeoCon, the nation’s premier design industry event. Their talk, “Rural Healthcare and Wellness – Design in the Shadow of COVID-19”, explores the changing shape of rural healthcare in America. NeoCon will take place at The Mart in Chicago, IL on October 4-6.

In March 2020, as the Coronavirus pandemic was spreading around the globe, Hometown Health Center, a rural healthcare provider in Maine, engaged Harriman to design a new healthcare clinic, a community wellness center, a child and adult day care facility as well as their administration offices.  The team will share lessons learned about how designers and health providers worked collaboratively to create a resilient facility that meets the unique needs of this rural community. They discuss how a technology-driven process bridged geographic divides, how we achieved a holistic program and how the design enhances patient and staff safety. This presentation demonstrates how the team was able to design a state-of-the-art facility for a rural community in a virtual world. 

The new Hometown Health Center is an example of a new concept in healthcare that, through a comprehensive, patient-centered approach, can improve health outcomes at lower cost. The new facility will enable Hometown Health Center not only to respond better to the health challenges facing the region, but also to strengthen the fabric of the community with an integrated clinical program, social engagement programs and wellness area. From the outset this project was truly different,” said Principal Architect Judy Johnson. “Through innovative design and a collaborative process we’re not only creating a building, but building a stronger community.”

The team will also share lessons learned about how the Covid 19 pandemic impacted the process and the design. They will explore how they coped with working remotely, the impact on building systems and the how Covid 19 impacted the design and plan concepts for the new facility. “Covid forced us to revisit the conventional plan and circulation patterns in a medical facility” added lead interior design Peter Pinkerton, “and to create innovative solutions that would improve patient and staff safety.”

Hometown Health Center (HHC) is a Federally Qualified Health Center, in central rural Maine, that offers medical services, dental services, and behavioral health services. incorporates an integrated approach to its health care treatment philosophy whereby the medical services are seamlessly blended with behavioral health services to provide complete and well-balanced care for the patient.

Harriman is an integrated team of architects and engineers that focus on creating inspiring places to live, work, learn and grow. The firm has offices in Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts.