IKM was retained to renovate existing hospital space on the UPMC Mercy Hospital campus in support of a planned Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Center of Excellence initiative at UPMC.

With a deep knowledge base of healthcare design, IKM designed dedicated spaces for stroke therapy, brain injury unit, and a general rehabilitation within the rehabilitation center.

Patients in these units can have varied length of stays in inpatient rehabilitation. The importance of making the spaces comfortable for patients and families was noted and achieving the feeling of a well-appointed hotel, if not home was essential. At the same time, the space had to satisfy the needs of the intensive healthcare that is often required for these patients. Designated spaces for family, patient and caregiver satisfied all parties needs. Warm wood tones, built in casework and well-appointed bath amenities provided all of the hospitality the client was seeking.

A decentralized nursing model incorporates nurse workstations adjacent to pods of patient rooms to improve patient observation and nursing response times.