Four healthcare manufacturers—Hill-Rom, KI, cf stinson, and Nurture by Steelcase—topped out the 2008 Nightingale Awards Competition, held during Healthcare Design.08 in Washington, D.C.

The Nightingale Awards, sponsored by Contract, The Center for Health Design, and Healthcare Design.08, recognize excellence and innovation in healthcare product design. Entry is open to all exhibitors at the annual Healthcare Design conference and the 2008 winners were announced during an official awards ceremony at the Gaylord National Resort in Washington, D.C., on Mon., Nov. 10, 2008.

Each year, a jury of design professional reviews entrants based on the following criteria:
1. Contribution to the healing environment
2. Functionality
3. Quality and durability
4. Aesthetics and style
5. Pricing
6. Innovation

This year's competition was judged during Healthcare Design.08 by an esteemed jury of interior designers and architects:

• Jamie C. Huffcut, LEED AP, Perkins+Will
• Daniel Krause, vice president, interior design, Cannon Design
• Jonathan D. Miller, AIA, principal, Perkins Eastman
• Michele Vernon, IIDA, LEED AP, vice president, VOA Associates

Four Nightingale awards were distributed to the following manufacturers:

Hill-Rom
Elements Headwall System

Designed by Dennis Gallant, Brian Hoffman and David Newkirk, the Elements Headwall System is a collection of in-wall, on-wall and cabinetry elements designed to be brought together by the creativity of the architect, the needs of the clinician, and the values of the hospital. The system, which is designed as a set of building blocks, is acuity adaptable and allows a facility to add gas, data, electric or new devices to transform a med-surg space to an intensive care unit or labor and delivery room with ease. Roll-formed steel studs and steel panels create a robust infrastructure capable of withstanding rigorous clinical use, while a wide palette of fixtures and finishes offers an array of architectural styles.

KI
Arissa Collection

Rather than just supersixing standard product to meet bariatric seating needs, the Arissa collection offers a universal design that accommodates virtually any body type, including the size-challenged. Constructed of solid hardwood and plywood, the collection's styles include armless and arm chairs, arm chairs with wood caps, armless loveseats, loveseats, and loveseats with wood armcaps. In addition to taking seat height and depth, ingree/egress, seat width and weight guidelines into consideration, the designers, Dan Cramer and Paul James, also considered the psychosocial aspects of sized-challenged individuals, and aimed to offer a line that supports the sized-challenged without drawing attention to the user's differences. As a result, the collection can support up to 750 lbs. as well as smaller uers without appearing oversized or overly delicate.

cf stinson
Patterned PVC-Free Upholstery

Combining high-performance technology, responsiveness to environmental concerns and sustainability, as well as an innovative design aesthetic, Patterned PVC-Free Upholstery aims to bring the environment, high performance and design into balance. Durable yet soft to the touch, the collection exceeds 400,000 double rubs. Options include three designs—Hoopla, Flutter and Eclipse—in 24 colors that can be mixed and matched. Designed by the cf stinson design team, the collection is plasticizer-free, bromine-free, HFR-free, and chlorine-free, and can contribute to LEED-CI points. Eighty percent of the product represents recycled content, and all designs are printed using water-based inks.

Nurture by Steelcase
SYNC

Designed by Alan Rheault of Nurture by Steelcase and a team of designers from HDR, Inc., Nurture's SYNC furniture system addresses caregivers' needs of what used to be called centralized and de-centralized nurses stations by seamlessly supporting  both people-to-technology and people-to-people work processes, offering flexible and customizable ergonomic solutions that accommodate ever-increasing technology demands. SYNC's decentralized products provide uniquely shaped, adjustable height work surfaces whose shapes allow users to work within a niche out of the hallway and whose structure is anchored to the floor. The centralized solution addresses the needs of several caregivers working together through multi-user work surface and flexible technology accommodation. SYNC is designed to be reusable, adapting and moving over time to accommodate both function and location.

In addition to being recognized during Healthcare Design.08, winners also receive coverage in Contract magazine and a personalized glass award.