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Initially selected for its ease of maintenance, acoustic properties and durability, the noraplan environcare and noraplan sentica that run through much of the facility have delivered additional benefits to hospital staff and patients. “When we moved into the expanded facility, our nursing units multiplied in size – up to three times the size our nurses were accustomed to,” explains Dexter. “So there was a lot of extra walking. The staff was really concerned about that and how it would tax their bodies. After we moved in and experienced the nora floor, I’ve heard many wonderful comments, including ‘This makes my back feel so much better than the other unit!’”
The hospital anticipated reduced maintenance with their selection of nora, but they have been pleasantly surprised by the increased savings associated with reduced man-hours and costs over time. “The big deal is that the flooring is no-wax. Our existing facility has a lot of wax byproduct that would end up in our sewer drains, which causes buildups and backups within the facility,” explains David Cantrell, director of engineering/facilities. “With no-wax floors, we don’t have the manpower costs associated with maintaining those lines any longer.”
Additionally, chemical-free maintenance has led to improved air quality. “You don’t hear people commenting that we can’t walk down the hallway because the fumes from cleaning the floors are overwhelming the staff and patients,” says Kermilia Moorer-Whitehead, RN, director of 10 Harbert. “The environmental services people are able to quickly come in and clean the floor at any time, day or night. It doesn’t matter, because the process is simpler.”
Cantrell adds, “The rubber floor does offer better traction when it is wet compared to some of the other surfaces we have, like VCT, where it’s been waxed and gets slippery when you walk on it. With our staff having to walk a lot more in this larger facility, we don’t have that slip hazard.”
“It doesn’t matter how pretty it is, if it doesn’t perform and it can’t be maintained, it will never last,” says Dexter. “nora has provided that.” The addition has proven to be so successful that all materials, including nora flooring, have now been made standard for ongoing renovations in older existing buildings that comprise the hospital campus.
