Children’s of Alabama (COA) faced a critical public health challenge: the escalating need for inpatient mental health care for adolescents. The existing unit was consistently at capacity, so many young patients faced long wait times in the Emergency Department. To address this, COA embarked on a crucial renovation, transforming a former outpatient clinic into an 11-bed Behavioral Health (BH) Unit. This project required specialized COA Behavioral Health Furniture.

BI joined the project to provide furniture that served two non-negotiable goals: supporting a calm, healing environment and ensuring the safety of patients and staff was the absolute top priority. We proudly collaborated with Poole Company (Architects and Engineers) and the COA Facilities and Design team.

The unit’s scope required specialized, high-security furniture across the 11 Patient Rooms, a Family/Consult Room, a Dining/Multipurpose Room, a Dayspace Activity Room, and Nurse/Provider Offices.

Our solution utilized specialized, high-security furniture. We sourced heavily-weighted, anti-ligature seating and tables. These provided the necessary safety assurance while allowing patients access to engaging and calming communal spaces. This included specialized seating designed specifically for behavioral health settings, along with secure game tables.

The unit received professional lounge seating, guest chairs, and therapeutic patient room furniture (beds, desks, chairs). We selected these pieces to provide comfort while adhering to stringent safety guidelines. We also ensured clinical staff (Nurse Stations and Provider Offices) had ergonomic task seating for their long shifts.

This renovation and furniture implementation allowed COA to operationalize the new 11-bed BH unit, which successfully opened in January 2025. By furnishing the facility with products that meet the highest standards of safety, Business Interiors helped create a safe, supportive setting for adolescent focused mental health care, ultimately reducing patient wait times across the state.

Photography by: Art Meripol

Children’s of Alabama (COA) houses the state’s only Level IV Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). The hospital faced the challenge of alleviating wait times for critical care. The project added six new private patient rooms. This increased the NICU’s total capacity from 48 to 54 bassinets. The goal was to ensure more families receive the specialized care they need.

Business Interiors proudly partnered with Poole & Company, working closely with the COA Facilities and Design team to deliver specialized furniture solutions that support clinical staff efficiency and reinforce the hospital’s commitment to family-centered care.

The scope of work focused intensely on creating a supportive environment for both caregivers and families across the six new units.

We provided specialized, sleep-friendly furniture for the patient rooms. This included highly durable Sleep Recliners and Sleep Sofas. These selections were essential. They ensured parents and guardians could remain comfortably bedside for continuous, extended periods. This directly supports COA’s mission to provide care in private, family-friendly rooms.

We also supplied high-performance furniture for the clinical teams. This encompassed ergonomic Task Seating for the central Nurse Stations. It also covered the six individual Nurse Alcoves located within each new patient room. This furniture supports the clinical staff’s long shifts, promoting focus and efficiency in the demanding care environment.

The successful implementation of these specialized solutions was critical. By furnishing the expansion with durable, cleanable, and supportive options, Business Interiors helped COA achieve its goal of expanding critical capacity. The project also enhanced the comfort and well-being of the families they serve. The expanded NICU area was successfully opened in January 2025, continuing to serve as a vital lifeline for Alabama’s youngest patients.

Photography by: Art Meripol

Located in Birmingham, Alabama, NewCircle offers a full continuum of care for teens and adults struggling with eating disorders. The center opened in October 2025. Their philosophy drives whole-person, trauma-informed care. They deliver this care in a setting that feels like a supportive home, not an institution.

The treatment center occupies a former assisted living facility in historic Highland Park. This required a complete transformation. Business Interiors partnered with the design team at KPS Group to address the unique furnishing challenge of this specialized behavioral health environment. The paramount goal was to source furniture solutions that were aesthetically warm, cozy, and residential. These solutions also needed to meet the rigorous requirements for safety, durability, and functionality in a healthcare setting.

We specified furniture with soft lines, comfortable textiles, and warm color palettes in the residential and common areas. This immediately reduced the clinical atmosphere. The choices created spaces that feel safe and encourage residents to relax and build community. This careful selection process balanced therapeutic design principles—such as tamper-resistance and robust construction—with comfort and dignity.

A central focus of the treatment program is the community kitchen and dining hall. Here, residents are encouraged to prepare and share meals together. For this critical area, Business Interiors provided highly durable, yet inviting, residential-style seating and tables. These pieces reinforce positive social interaction and a return to daily routine.

Through intentional furniture specification, Business Interiors helped NewCircle successfully transform the structure. The resulting environment truly embodies their mission: it breaks isolation, rebuilds trust, and supports every resident on their journey toward recovery.

A+D Firm: KPS Group

Photography by: Luker Photography

Completed in December 2024, the new Cooper Green Mercy Health building, part of the UAB Health System, provides modern, high-quality ambulatory care to all Jefferson County residents, regardless of their ability to pay. This five-story, 211,000-square-foot facility offers a range of services, including primary and specialty care clinics, urgent care, physical, occupational, and speech therapy, laboratory services, imaging, and a pharmacy.

Business Interiors, selected by the Owner/Architect/Contractor group, collaborated with Gresham Smith, the A+D firm, from the beginning of the 24-month furniture selection process. This collaboration involved multiple healthcare manufacturer showroom visits for product evaluation. The BI team provided ongoing budget updates as Gresham Smith firm developed its product and finish selections.

The project scope included furnishing solutions for all areas of the facility: primary and specialty care clinics, urgent care, therapy areas, laboratory and pharmacy (including specialized furniture), staff offices and workstations, an executive suite with a boardroom, community teaching classrooms (including a test kitchen), break rooms, staff lounges, mother’s rooms, clinic waiting rooms, the concourse lounge, and all other waiting areas.

The result is a healthcare facility that meets the needs of its patients while highlighting that thoughtful and finely tuned design decisions are not exclusive to for-profit facilities.

Photography by: Chad Baumer