In the late 19th century, TB killed one out of every seven people living in the United States and Europe. TB remains a threat to the health and well-being of people around the world. Among infectious diseases, TB remains the second leading killer of adults in the world, with more than 2 million TB-related deaths each year.
SARS, or severe acute respiratory syndrome, emerged in China in November 2002 and quickly spread across the globe in a matter of weeks, eventually causing over 900 deaths. These realities place the design professional in a critical role in addressing the changes that need to be made in the layout and performance of the hospital environment to contain the spread of airborne infectious disease. URS Corporation found itself in this situation recently when designing an addition to North Colorado Medical Center (NCMC).