FYI [July 24, 1996]

              FYI
Important Information for Employees of Moses Cone Health System
For  Your  Information
July 24, 1996
New Wayfinding Program helps guests find hospital locations
Moses Cone Hospital will install a new signage system this weekend to help patients and visitors find locations
within the hospital. This is the first step in our new Wayfinding Program, which was created to improve patient
and visitor satisfaction.
The new program will direct patients and visitors first to the correct hospital wing. In each wing, they will find
directories in all the major lobbies and intersections. These alphabetical directories will help patients and
visitors find the correct floor. Once on the correct floor, signs will direct them to specific locations.
The colorful new signs use our corporate colors of navy and teal, along with light blue (west wing), rose (central wing) and teal (east wing) to indicate wing locations. The wall-mounted signs list the wing and floor number for each location. Each sign also includes the current location (for example, a sign leading to Admission
Services includes, "You are in east wing on the first floor," in a teal band at the bottom of the sign.) To make
finding locations easier, patients and visitors will also find large directories at every entrance, elevator lobby
and key intersection. All directories use the same alphabetical listing of locations and corresponding wing
colors and floor numbers.
Wayfinding Program signage includes wall-mounted directional signs, located at key intersections throughout
the hospital, and ceiling-mounted signs which identify elevators and the entrances to key departments.
What is the new Wayfinding Program?
Our courtesy to guests has become a hospital hallmark. Building on this, our new Wayfinding Program provides
a systematic plan that focuses on personal attention to hospital guests using a variety of visual materials, including our new signs and wayfinding pamphlet.
The purpose of this program is to:
• integrate wayfinding activities and materials with the signage plan
• streamline patient and visitor information by providing the exact information needed at the time and
place it is needed
• offer wayfinding support as early as possible — ideally, beginning in the physician office during
scheduling
Why does the hospital need a Wayfinding Program?
In our patient satisfaction surveys, patients consistently tell us they need help finding their way through the
hospital. The new Wayfinding Program will make getting to their correct location easy — from the time they
leave their homes to the time they reach their destinations within the hospital. The Wayfinding Program will
also help us adjust to the changes that construction brings.
Who will participate in our Wayfinding Program?
Everyone who comes in contact with patients or visitors will play an important role in ensuring the program's
success. Staff in the following areas will play key roles:
• staff involved in scheduling and pre-admission or pre-procedure interactions
• staff and volunteers at entrances and information desks
• physician office staff who schedule hospital visits
One of the program's goals is to prevent visitor information "overload." Patients and visitors will first be directed to the hospital, the correct parking area and the most appropriate hospital entrance. Next, staff at these
entrances and information desks will provide more detailed directions to the desired location. A new wayfinding pamphlet will replace the individual floor plan sheets. The pamphlets will be available to all staff; they can
be ordered from SPD. Please note that the main hospital directory printed in the pamphlet is identical to those
throughout the hospital. Education sessions for staff will be scheduled soon; they will include talking points on
wayfinding terms that match the signage plan and new pamphlet.
Consistent use of terms and reference colors for locations and parking areas is vital to the success of this new
program. It is very important that the terms you use match the wayfinding terms in the directories and pamphlet.
Supervisors will share the new wayfinding pamphlets with staff. If you have questions about the Wayfinding
Program, please ask your supervisor.