-By Jennifer Busch, Photography by Rion Rizzo, Creative Sources Photography

Even an economic recession with the magnitude of this one cannot stop the slow, steady march of life. This is certainly true in the Atlanta suburb of Cumming, Ga., in Forsyth County, where the Northside Hospital healthcare network recently opened a new women's center to handle birthing and obstetrical care for a burgeoning and underserved community. "Northside has a reputation for good clinical care and for offering a wonderful family experience," says Melissa Sugg, manager of Northside Forsyth Hospital Women's Center. The primary goal for the new facility was to support the positive reputation Northside has earned for setting the standard for obstetrical services for the Atlanta area.

The population of Forsyth County has been growing steadily in recent years, in numbers and sophistication, as urban dwellers in Atlanta seek a more suburban family lifestyle. But healthcare services—and particularly obstetrical services—in the area had not kept pace with the rising tide, and many women were still traveling into the city to give birth. Northside Hospital opened its first women's center on its main campus in downtown Atlanta in the 1990s, and last year it handled 19,000 births—the largest volume in the country. In 2000, Northside purchased a satellite site in Cumming to offer general hospital services to the suburban community, and in August 2008 opened its second women's center on the Northside Forsyth campus to address what it saw as a clear and underserved need in the area. Dale Lee of Atlanta-based Howell Rusk Dodson designed both facilities, as well as many others, for Northside.

"We wanted to carry the original Women's Center model to Forsyth, but also to update it based on what we had learned in 10 years," says Lee. "So we revisited our set of guiding principles and determined that they were still valid." This list of objectives included visibility and accessibility; family-focused care; physical surroundings characterized by natural light, softness and warmth, acoustical control, patient privacy, easy wayfinding, and ample parking; private patient rooms; control of clutter; efficient and cost-effective healthcare delivery; a functional layout to facilitate communication; and operational flexibility and expansion capabilities. However, in keeping with today's design trends, all this would be delivered with an updated aesthetic that moved the facility from the country club ambiance of the downtown women's center to a more spa-like atmosphere.

Kris Kirchner of K2J Inc. was called upon to help design the interiors, which are heavily influence by the Arts & Crafts style. The guiding principles here included an honest use of materials, simplicity in details and surroundings, nature as a source of inspiration, and furnishings that promote comfort, not formality; so natural stones, woods, textures, elements of nature, and abundant natural light were used to create a soothing atmosphere. "We also wanted to appeal to Generation Y with interiors that were streamlined, with clean lines and a spa-like feel," notes Sugg. And while the boutique-like interiors certainly appeal to the high-end demographic that is rapidly transforming Forsyth County, the Center did not want to alienate the more rural community that still makes up a good portion of the population there. "The simple, honest use of materials is something that any demographic understands," notes Lee.

One of the biggest programmatic differences between the Northside Downtown and Forsyth Women's Centers is the latter's inclusion of private rooms for the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU)—a new model that further enhances Northside's reputation for excellent patient care. "It helps the parents bond with these babies and helps us reach our goals for infection control, teaching, and encouraging breast feeding," says Sugg. In addition, post-anesthesia care unit (PACU) rooms for C-section patients and ordinary LDR rooms—already considered large at the downtown facility—boast increased square footage at Forsyth to make it easier for a team of caregivers to assemble should it become necessary for either patient. At Forsyth, mother/baby couplet care in the same room is standard, and the entire facility is designed with optimal room size, storage needs, and patient and staff circulation in mind.

One reason Northside Forsyth appears to be working—the Center has delivered 2,000 babies, or double the 1,000 births it had anticipated, since it opened in August 2008, which was two months ahead of schedule—is that representatives from all clinical care and administrative areas were invited into the design process. "All areas that have a footprint here or offer services were allowed to comment on details of specific elements," explains Sugg. When the nurses saw the completed facility for the first time, some of them cried, recalls Lee. No doubt, those were happy tears.



who
Project: Northside Hospital Forsyth Women’s Center. Client: Northside Hospital. Architect: Howell Rusk Dodson Architects. Interior designer: K2J Inc. Structural engineer: KSi Structural Engineers. Mechanical engineer: Perry Crabb & Associates. Electrical engineer: Perry Crabb & Associates. General contractor: Batson-Cook Company. Furniture dealer: Dekalb Office Enviornments. Photographer: Creative Sources Photography.

what
Wallcoverings: Seabrook, MDC, Eykon, Koroseal. Paint: Sherwin-Williams. Laminate: Nevamar, Formica. Flooring: Terrazzo, DalTile Ceramic Tile, Toli, Mannington, Decoria, Estrie. Carpet/carpet tile: Shaw, Mohawk, Mannington. Carpet fiber: 100% Antron Lumena, 100% Antron Legacy, 100% EcoSolution Branded Nylon. Carpet backing: vinyl back tile, EcoWorx Backing Tile. Ceiling: Armstrong. Doors: Marshfield. Glass/Decorative Panels: 3 Form, Lumicor. Window treatments: ABBA Contract. Railings: custom. Patient room seating: Ameriwood, Adden. Patient room casegoods: Ameriwood. Patient beds, patient overbed tables: Stryker. Patient room lighting: Lightolier. Lounge seating: David Edward, HBF, Carolina, Bernhardt. Cafeteria/dining seating: Sandler. Other seating: Izzy, National, Arcadia. Upholstery: Patty Madden Software, ArcCom, Joseph Noble, Design Tex, Momentum. Cafeteria/dining/conference tables: Berco, Sandler, Coffee and side tables: HBF. Files and shelving: National. Woodworking and cabinetmaking: Mortensen Woodwork. Planters: Ambius Interior Plant Source. Accessories: Peter Pepper Products, Lamps Plus. Elevators: Otis.

where
Location: Cumming, Ga. Total floor area:108,000 sq. ft. No. of floors: 2 plus basement. Average floor size: 35,000. No. of beds: 34. Cost/sq. ft. $281.75.