Facility types covered in the Hospital Guidelines include general hospitals, children’s hospitals, critical access and other small hospitals, behavioral and mental health hospitals, rehabilitation hospitals, and mobile/transportable medical units.

The 2022 Hospital Guidelines includes several notable new sections as well as revisions aimed at providing flexibility, reducing cost, and clarifying intent. New sections were written for a behavioral and mental health crisis unit, low-acuity patient treatment station (intended for “walking well” patients), and a burn trauma intensive care unit. New flexible design options include a provision allowing subdivision of trauma/resuscitation rooms as well as design guidance for a flexible secure holding room (i.e., a single-patient treatment room that can easily be converted to a secure holding room). Major updates appear in requirements for mobile units, imaging facilities, behavioral and mental health facilities, and neonatal intensive care units.

As with the last three editions, ANSI/ASHRAE/ASHE Standard 170: Ventilation of Health Care Facilities has been incorporated into the Guidelines as minimum requirements for ventilation systems. Included in the 2022 Guidelines for Design and Construction of Hospitals is the 2021 edition of Standard 170 dated November 2021, which incorporates addenda c and d.

Note: The 2018 Hospital Guidelines included Chapter 2.3, Specific Requirements for Freestanding Emergency Care Facilities. This chapter does not appear in the 2022 Hospital Guidelines because a freestanding emergency care facility is not an inpatient facility. Requirements for freestanding emergency care facilities can now be found exclusively in the 2022 Outpatient Guidelines.

Facility types covered in the Outpatient Guidelines include general and specialty medical services facilities, outpatient imaging facilities, birth centers, urgent care centers, infusion centers, outpatient surgery facilities, freestanding emergency care facilities, endoscopy facilities, renal dialysis centers, outpatient behavioral and mental health centers, outpatient rehabilitation facilities, mobile/transportable medical units, and dental facilities.

The 2022 Outpatient Guidelines includes several notable new sections as well as revisions aimed at providing flexibility, reducing cost, and clarifying intent. New sections were written for a behavioral and mental health crisis unit, low-acuity patient treatment station (intended for “walking well” patients), sexual assault forensic exam room, and hyperbaric oxygen treatment facilities. New flexible design options include a provision allowing subdivision of trauma/resuscitation rooms as well as design guidance for a flexible secure holding room (i.e., a single-patient treatment room that can easily be converted to a secure holding room). Major updates appear in requirements for mobile units, imaging facilities, renal dialysis centers, and birth centers.

As with the last three editions, ANSI/ASHRAE/ASHE Standard 170: Ventilation of Health Care Facilities has been incorporated into the Guidelines as minimum requirements for ventilation systems. Included in the 2022 Guidelines for Design and Construction of Outpatient Facilities is the 2021 edition of Standard 170 dated November 2021, which incorporates addenda c and d. Two new ventilation tables with design parameters specific to outpatient facilities have been added.