Meet Eric Krempa, Senior Healthcare Planner @ RPA Design

Eric Krempa, RPA Design, PC

 Focus:  Emergency Room Planning

Photo: courtesy of RPA Design, PC

Mr. Krempa has been practicing healthcare design and planning for 24 years, so I really wanted to speak with him.  Since he is located in Charlotte, NC and I am in Atlanta, GA, we conducted a phone interview.

I first asked Mr. Krempa how he addresses collaborative spaces in healthcare design within emergency departments.  The more traditional hospitals are still asking for traditional methods for registration.  He says that progressive hospitals are integrating more common work areas where the space has more than one user and the registration is being done in the treatment room.  This allows the patient to get to the point of care faster.  The infrastructure includes PDAs for each room or caregiver so that the patient can have everything done in one room instead of ping ponging for each part of their user journey.  These care team areas include nurses, registrars, and other visiting clinicians.

Evidence-Based Design (EBD), is essential to his execution of design.  He says, "We are always doing research."  He finds out what the client wants, then pushes forward.  When a client is progressive, he is able to design innovative, cutting edge spaces.  RPA Design is a member of the Advisory Board Company.

The Advisory Board Company provides best practices research and analysis, software tools, and management and advisory services to the health care and education industries. The Company offers programs rooted in best practices in three key areas: best practices research, software tools and management and advisory services. Its management and advisory services programs assist member institutions' efforts to adopt and implement practices to improve their own performance. The Company's membership-based model, in which members participate in its research and analysis on an annual basis, is central to its strategy. This model gives it privileged access to its members' business practices and strategic plans and enables it to provide detailed best practices analyses on current industry issues. On August 1, 2011, the Company acquired PivotHealth, LLC. Advisory Board Co.  (nytimes.com)

Sustainability is high on Mr. Krempa's "to do" list.  He says the opportunities for sustainability are client driven which means that there is usually a need for researching the true costs of using a sustainability material.  Usually, the initial costs are higher, but in the long run the savings are substantial enough to persuade the client toward a more sustainable product.  He is always energy conscious, especially in the lighting area.  He uses a lot of automatic controls, like sensors that turn the lights off when you leave the room.  He always incorporates energy efficient systems.

Since the economic downturn of 2007-2008, hospitals are being much more frugal.  Even though  hospitals are scaling back, many are trying to remain progressive by integrating family-friendly areas and understanding the need for natural light, which helps in healing the patients and keeping the atmosphere light.  One issue in new hospital design and the current frugality is minimum code allowances and best practices.  The area required by the AIA Design Guides is a good bit smaller than the best practices area suggested for optimal patient care.  This is also client driven.

Since I am specializing in it, I asked Mr. Krempa if he does any design for the aging.  His firm does some senior living spaces and V.A. hospitals.  They also are involved in greenhouse senior living workshops.

THE GREEN HOUSE® Project represents a revolution in long-term care, creating small homes that return control, dignity, and a sense of well-being to elders, while providing high-quality, personalized care. (www.rwjf.org)

Finally, I asked Mr. Krempa to give me advice for students of healthcare design.  His answer; "Dive in and get as much experience as possible; plan and design in all departments. Try many specialties like interiors and equipment.  Have a large, strong knowledge base so that you will be well-rounded."