Hospital Furniture
The Salvation Army Toronto Grace Health Centre

In the heart of downtown Toronto, a massive, three-year, multi-million-dollar redevelopment at the 60-year-old TGHC presented an opportunity for HealthPRO to develop a contract solution for furniture.

To improve safety, security, functionality, efficiency, ergonomics and user comfort (staff, patients, visitors) at the aging TGHC facility at 650 Church St., the building was completely renovated.

“First and foremost, we had to meet current safety standards, for example, fire codes, security, and patient safety,” says Ralph Anstey, CFO, TGHC. “But the dated, worn and uncomfortable furniture, most of which had been at TGHC for many decades, was also dilapidated and rundown.”

Every single piece of furniture had to be replaced – that was the only viable, acceptable option because the physical environment had to reflect TGHC’s deep commitment to providing the very best patient care.

“My financial analyst, Mary Bui, and myself are the purchasing department – that’s why we rely on HealthPRO,” says Anstey. “It would have taken me at least 200+ hours to put out a furniture RFP and I never have the time, let alone while I was managing our three-year, multimillion dollar redevelopment at 650 Church Street.”

Over the course of its 20-year HealthPRO membership, TGHC has benefitted from the organization’s contracting expertise. TGHC has outsourced the contracting of everything from surgical supplies and equipment to pharmaceuticals to HealthPRO.

“Internally, we simply didn’t have the resources, expertise or experience required to tackle a project of this size,” adds Mary Bui, financial analyst, TGHC. “We needed a resource we could rely on that had the dedicated staff, knowledge and contacts.

”At the time, HealthPRO didn’t have a furniture contract, so they built one from scratch. HealthPRO did everything from defining the RFP specifications that met stringent healthcare usage and infection control standards to securing the best possible price. In the end, Haworth, an industry leader providing healthcare furnishings covering clinical and transitional spaces, was awarded the contract.

“The team from Haworth was equally as skilled in their area of expertise – their people know all about design themes, floor plans, ergonomics, and the importance of infection control in a hospital setting,” says Anstey.

Haworth provided hospital-grade furniture designed for 24/7 institutional use. Additionally, Haworth is recognized by the National Council for Interior Design Qualification (NCIDQ), and is Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design + Interior Design and Construction (LEED AP ID+C) – CFO certified. In short, this means the TGHC furniture procurement project was completed using strategies aimed at achieving high performance in key areas of human and environmental health.

“We knew that HealthPRO had the expertise, experience and resources required to create a furniture contract that met healthcare industry requirements,” says Bui. “Together, HealthPRO and Haworth gave us a brand new look, improved usability and enhanced user satisfaction.”

“HealthPRO did virtually everything related to the furniture contract so that I could focus on my areas of expertise and responsibility while not getting bogged down in all of the furniture-related due diligence and paperwork,” says Anstey.

HealthPRO’s furniture contract provided TGHC with product for public waiting areas, the outdoor garden lounge, staff offices, meeting rooms and lounges, as well as nurses’ stations and patients’ rooms. HealthPRO’s national purchasing volumes helped save TGHC approximately 10 per cent on their furniture purchases.

“Savings generated by HealthPRO’s contract enabled us to buy better quality furniture that is more ergonomic and durable,” says Anstey. Well-designed public areas play a role in user satisfaction as the more comfortable and more occupied (screens, charging outlets) patients and families are, the more satisfied they will be.

“We haven’t run formal surveys, but the anecdotal feedback and comments certainly indicate a high level of internal and external user satisfaction,” says Anstey. “We know that families are bringing their loved ones into the main waiting area for visits because it’s so welcoming and comfortable.”

Through their contracting expertise, HealthPRO allows healthcare facilities just like TGHC to do what they do best while HealthPRO takes care of the rest.