New ANMC wayfinding puts patients on the right path
January 13, 2020
If you have been to the ANMC hospital recently, you may have noticed a new collection of signs, graphics and maps throughout the facility. In an effort to ensure easier navigation, colored graphic zones were created to help patients and visitors locate where they need to go while visiting ANMC. The hospital is now divided by color and graphic into the Water (blue) and Mountain (purple) regions. These colors and icons align with the physical locations of nearby water, Cook Inlet to the west, and mountains, the Chugach Range to the east. These visual cues help patients and visitors easily find places such as the cafeteria, imaging, patient housing, and most importantly their medical appointments.
We know that traveling to Anchorage for health care can be a daunting task and getting lost at a health care facility is ranked among the top complaints by visitors nationally. Additionally, up to 60% of ANMC patients are from outside of Anchorage and may be unfamiliar with locations inside the hospital. Ensuring an effective signage and wayfinding system is in place is a crucial element to assist our patients and visitors in having a comfortable experience.
Funded by an ANTHC Board of Directors Strategic Initiative, the new signage and naming conventions take into account patient feedback, research, focus groups and industry best practices for health care.
The interior wayfinding at the hospital also comes with some new clinic and department names. A few key differences to note:
- Customer Experience is now Patient Experience
- Central Registration is now Admitting
- Radiology is now Imaging
- Our therapy services (formerly Physical Therapy) are now Rehabilitative Services
- Flex Unit is now the Progressive Care Unit