Honored to be featured by the New Economy Initiative

Michael Forbes

The hospital gown is a ubiquitous part of everyone's hospital experience. Gowns allow doctors to access parts of patients' bodies easily. Yet, as many doctors and nurses are willing to admit, wearing them can be embarrassing for patients, making them feel undignified. Henry Ford Innovation Institute saw an opportunity in reinventing the hospital gown. They partnered with the College of Creative Studies to reconcile the issue of access with patient dignity and comfort. Michael Forbes began working on the redesigned hospital gown as a student at CCS. After graduation, he was brought on as a staff Product Designer at the Innovation Institute and continued his work on a new gown. He consulted with doctors and patients for months to inform a new gown design. The resulting product has the potential to revolutionize the patient experience at Henry Ford Health System and hospitals all over. “Improving the patient experience reduces the stress a patient is under and allows them to recover more quickly," says Forbes. "We felt it was an important step, and we are glad we had the support from Henry Ford throughout the whole process.”