In spite of the recognition that noise in hospitals is a major complaint of patients and staff, little work has been done to characterize hospital noise and to find effective noise control approaches.  We have developed a protocol for measuring noise in various hospital units and for introducing and assessing noise control interventions that work long term.  Work to date has considered five in-patient units, the operating rooms, and the emergency department.  Interventions include the addition of sound absorbing material that meets fire, smoke, and cleanliness standards as well as the elimination of overhead paging.  Based on our results to date, we have prepared a detailed research agenda that should make it possible to characterize the link between various acoustic parameters and health measures of patients and staff, and to quantitatively assess the impact of various noise control approaches.  This work should lead to better architectural designs for hospitals, the development of new absorbing materials and communication tools, and to a reduction in stress of medical professionals.