Providing children and their families with the comforts of home is critical to the healing process at Cardon Children’s Medical Center in Mesa, AZ. Every patient floor in the 464,000-square-foot, seven-story facility includes a play room, nourishment center, toy closet, age-appropriate artwork, laundry room and quiet room for parents. Meals are delivered on demand rather than on schedule to patient “homes” that are part of themed neighborhoods located along quiet streets of nora rubber flooring.

Cardon Children’s Medical Center is the centerpiece of a $356 million expansion project on the Banner Desert Medical Center campus. The dedicated children’s medical facility includes 248 patient beds and provides a full range of pediatric services, including emergency care, general pediatrics, intensive care and community education. But it’s the way these services are delivered that makes this a one-of-a-kind hospital. “We built this facility with the unique needs of children in mind,” said Randy Bierbaum, project executive with Banner Health. “Our covenant – Through the Eyes of a Child – guided every decision and helped us create a child-friendly atmosphere inside and out.”

But that was not the original plan. When Bierbaum assumed management of the project, the facility was specified in vinyl composite tile (VCT). Familiar with the benefits rubber offered, Bierbaum’s team worked to change those specs to rubber. “In other Banner facilities where nora rubber is installed, the flooring has proven to be a product that cuts down on maintenance costs and improves indoor air quality by not emitting VOCs, while providing comfort underfoot and noise reduction.”

As a result of Bierbaum’s efforts, the facility features noraplan environcare and norament serra throughout. “Our environmental services director is ecstatic that we switched to nora flooring,” said Bierbaum.“ It’s much less labor intensive, because the floor doesn’t need to be waxed or stripped.  

“And because wax and strippers aren’t involved, we’re not releasing harmful VOCs. That’s important in a hospital, where floors need to be cleaned daily. Plus, the absence of waxing and stripping equipment ensures a quieter cleaning process.”

Bierbaum points to another benefit the nora floor covering offers. “In other hospitals, the staff has been thrilled with the comfort the floor provides, so having it throughout this facility is great.”

In addition, Bierbaum appreciates the floor’s role in creating a child-friendly atmosphere. “Hallways look like streets, and patient rooms are decorated with age-appropriate icons waterjet cut in the floors.”

The medical center’s cafeteria features norament serra, with a landscape-like surface that supports a nature theme. According to Bierbaum, “The floor looks really good and has done a great job absorbing sound in one of the noisiest parts of any hospital.

“In the cafeteria, as in the rest of the hospital, we’re thrilled with the floor covering. We made a real statement about our faith in nora by featuring their floors throughout what is probably the premier children’s medical center in the country. The floor is definitely proving itself in the way it looks and the way it performs.”