From the beginning, the goal of our new Patient Pavilion was not only to address the growing healthcare needs of our region, but to create an environment that promoted healing and wellness.
David F. Duncan, vice president of facilities management and enterprise support servicesThe recently opened Patient Pavilion at Dartmouth Health’s Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center (DHMC) was honored by Built Environment Plus (BE+) as one of its 2023 Green Building Showcase Award Winners. The annual awards program is a snapshot of the leading edge in green building practices around the country.
DHMC was honored in the Health & Wellness category. Judges noted that they selected DHMC for this award because the Pavilion is designed to support the mental and physical health of all building occupants including staff, patients, and visitors. They noted the creation of staff respite spaces, the adaptability of ventilation and temperature in the patient rooms, the integration of spaces to meet the needs of families that travel great distances for healthcare, and integration of WELL building features.
“From the beginning, the goal of our new Patient Pavilion was not only to address the growing healthcare needs of our region, but to create an environment that promoted healing and wellness,” said David F. Duncan, vice president of facilities management and enterprise support services at Dartmouth Health. “We worked closely and carefully with architects to ensure that this space was designed thoughtfully, with respect for our abundant natural resources, and could grow with us as the Upper Valley continues to evolve. Getting this award from BE+ is a wonderful validation of achieving those goals.”
The nomination for DHMC was submitted by engineering firm HDR. The Patient Pavilion opened in May 2023 and added 64 beds to DHMC on levels 3 and 4 of the Pavilion. Levels 2 and 5 were left undeveloped, so the hospital may continue to expand capacity over time as need increases. Multiple art installations throughout the Pavilion, created by local artists, pay homage to the surrounding beautiful scenery of New Hampshire and Vermont. Amenities include a beautiful lobby, chapel, a food and beverage stand, nursing room and spacious public restrooms.
About Dartmouth Health
Dartmouth Health, New Hampshire’s only academic health system and the state’s largest private employer, serves patients across northern New England. Dartmouth Health provides access to more than 2,000 providers in almost every area of medicine, delivering care at its flagship hospital, Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center (DHMC) in Lebanon, NH, as well as across its wide network of hospitals, clinics and care facilities. DHMC is consistently named the #1 hospital in New Hampshire by U.S. News & World Report, and is recognized for high performance in numerous clinical specialties and procedures. Dartmouth Health includes Dartmouth Cancer Center, one of only 57 National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers in the nation, and the only such center in northern New England; Dartmouth Health Children’s, which includes the state’s only children’s hospital and multiple locations around the region; member hospitals in Lebanon, Keene, Claremont and New London, NH, and Windsor and Bennington, VT; Visiting Nurse and Hospice for Vermont and New Hampshire; and more than 24 clinics that provide ambulatory and specialty services across New Hampshire and Vermont. Through its historical partnership with Dartmouth and the Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth Health trains nearly 400 medical residents and fellows annually, and performs cutting-edge research and clinical trials recognized across the globe with Geisel and the White River Junction VA Medical Center in White River Junction, VT. Dartmouth Health and its more than 13,000 employees are deeply committed to serving the healthcare needs of everyone in our communities, and to providing each of our patients with exceptional, personal care.