People Want to Know.

Abstract

[Image omitted: See PDF.]Most people are curious about large design and construction projects in their communities or neighborhoods. The hole in the construction fence that allows passersby to watch is just one example of our seeking to satisfy the public's curiosity about the building process. Some projects now offer continuous webcam views online. Everyone wants to know what is going on, and when it is over, they want to know what has been done. If they have a personal relationship with the completed project, they may wish to know even more.Safety for patients, staff, and the public has become headline material. Stories about lapses in safety or threats to safety in and out of health organizations abound. An organization's safety profile is not exclusively the sensational headline story; there is ample available data to help an organization understand its status with regard to major categories of risk and harm. Increasingly, healthcare organizations are being required to share safety data with the public and so must pay careful attention to their performance record and performance improvement efforts. The public is learning how to search for safety data, organizational report cards, and recommendations from consumer groups and interested third parties.There is a relationship between safety and the physical environment. The design of the physical environment can enhance or hinder safety.There is a relationship between safety and the physical environment. The design of the physical environment can enhance or hinder safety. This means there is a relationship between design and an organization's public reputation for safety. Every design and construction project should therefore be considered as an opportunity to improve the safety performance of the organization.People Want to KnowThat is why newspaper, radio, television (TV), and Internet reporting describes upcoming projects, the groundbreaking celebration, reports on milestones of construction progress, and follows with notice of the grand opening. Citizens are presumed to be curious about major projects in their communities and especially about projects that involve family members, friends, or acquaintances. People want to know about projects that may figure in their personal experience. This is usually the case for hospitals, clinics, and other health-related projects, as they are presumed to be contributing to the public good. We are told what the project is about, why it is thought to be necessary, how much it might cost, and who is involved. When a major health-related project is completed, the media may report on its final cost, the duration of planning and construction, and the services available in the newly opened facility.People want to know about their own safety and the safety of their loved ones. Many members of the public wish to know something about their local organization's record for safety and would be interested to know how the project was planned to improve safety. They are paying attention when reports of medical errors or healthcare-acquired infections are publicized.Trustees Need to KnowThe organization's trustees will want to know whether their money has been spent wisely. When a board votes to spend scarce resources for a facility project, they want to know that the project has paid back, or will pay back, their investment. Trustees need to be assured that the project's goals and objectives have been met. They need to understand what innovations may be part of a project. The organization's menu of services must continue to be available or must have grown as a result of the project. Trustees want to be able to share the good news with the community in order to support the case that they have been good stewards of community resources.Trustees will want financial information to satisfy themselves that their fiduciary responsibility has been met. They will expect the chief financial officer to update them on things like the project's capital cost, amount borrowed, bond rating, cash flow during the construction period, and the organization's remaining debt capacity. …