Sisolak | healthcare workers | Austin | nurse

Conveniently, the rest of the caregiving team benefits from many of the same things that help the patients: brighter, more-­natural light; less noise; better-organized, more-spacious rooms. Here, the buildings were designed with areas for patients on one side, areas for treatment in the middle, and areas for employees on the other side, so that everyone gets plenty of natural light. The balcony gardens are for patients and staff to enjoy. Doctors' offices are close to treatment areas for easy access, but far enough away that they won't be cannibalized for treatment space in the future. "We paid as much attention to the staff as to the patient," says Sisolak. "How the staff feels has a direct impact on how the patients feel."

It also has an impact on a hospital's bottom line. Nursing shortages are perennial, and healthcare workers are prone to burnout. So the hospitals that can keep their staff satisfied - and thus keep their staff - can save thousands in recruiting and training costs. In fact, whether by speeding a patient's healing, stemming staff turnover, or increasing productivity, cutting edge hospital design translates directly into dollars. A group of experts estimated that incorporating evidence-based design ideas into a new 300-bed hospital would add about $12 million to its cost, but could recoup more than $11.4 million of that within the first year of operation. (For more about this calculation, see "The Business of Better Hospitals," below). "And their estimates of cost savings and new revenues were very, very conservative," Cama adds.

Back in Austin, a nurse ushers my husband and me into my father's room. While we're talking, a monitor activates his automatic blood pressure cuff and takes a reading. The red digits dip and flash, and his blood pressure drops from 135 over 90 to 125 over 82. His pulse drops. Less stress, more healing.