Healthcare design is undergoing a revolutionary transformation. How can we create healing environments that embrace innovation, celebrate human diversity, and serve everyone in our communities? From reimagining cancer care delivery to integrating infection-resistant materials and sustainable product solutions, how can thoughtful design enhance the experience of patients, families, caregivers and clinical staff? With compassion and curiosity, host Cheryl Janis interviews the world's top wellness leaders and healthcare design professionals who are challenging conventional thinking and creating spaces that heal, nurture, and welcome all. Join us as we explore groundbreaking innovations and human-centered approaches that are reshaping the future of healthcare design. Tune in and be part of the conversation that's transforming how we experience healthcare. #DesignHeals #InclusiveHealthcare
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Episode 79, Jamie Raymond, EDAC, RID, LEED AP, WBE, Healthcare Design Strategist, Partner at Four Point Design
2026/09/15
"I quickly fell in love with the complexity of the spaces, the ability to support people in their healing journey and support the caregivers who dedicate their lives to caring for others." –Jamie Raymond on The Healthcare Interior Design 2.0 podcast
Jamie Raymond didn't set out to become a healthcare interior designer. An unexpected change during a summer internship led her to BSA LifeStructures — and on her very first day, to a cancer center. Nearly three decades later, healthcare design has become both her passion and her calling.
On today's episode of Healthcare Interior Design 2.0, Cheryl speaks with Jamie Raymond, Healthcare Design Strategist and partner at Four Point Design, about why interior designers need a meaningful seat at the table early in the design process, what she has learned from a nearly 20-year relationship with Eskenazi Health, and why listening closely to caregivers can completely change the direction of a healthcare environment.
Jamie shares some wonderful examples: mountain imagery that caregivers immediately associated with an EKG graph; butterflies that carried an unexpected meaning in a pediatric hospital; and staff lounges with beautiful daylight that caregivers didn't use because they were simply too far from their patients.
The conversation also looks ahead at the forces reshaping healthcare interiors today — from post-COVID material durability and workforce pressures to modular construction, rapidly changing technology, and the continuing need to create spaces of calm, respite, dignity, and human connection.
KEY TAKEAWAYS In this episode, Cheryl and Jamie discuss:
How an unexpected summer internship led Jamie into healthcare design — and ultimately changed the direction of her career
Why healthcare became far more than a specialty for Jamie and eventually became her calling
The thinking behind Four Point Design's intentionally small, interiors-only practice
Why interior designers need a meaningful seat at the table early in the planning and design process
The difference between deeply understanding a project and becoming what Jamie calls a "finish picker"
How an experienced interiors team can become an extension of an architecture firm and healthcare organization
Jamie's nearly 20-year relationship with Eskenazi Health and what long-term continuity can teach designers
What it means to walk through a hospital years later and see how design decisions have actually aged
The commitment Eskenazi Health has made to maintaining the integrity of its original design, materials, artwork, and environment
Why designers cannot assume they understand what caregivers need
How caregiver visioning sessions uncover associations and meanings a design team could never predict
The mountain imagery that caregivers immediately associated with EKG graphs
The unexpected meaning of butterflies in one pediatric healthcare environment
How furniture fairs allow caregivers to test, score, move, and interact with furniture before decisions are made
What existing-facility tours reveal about how people really use healthcare spaces
Why a beautiful staff lounge isn't useful if caregivers don't have enough time to reach it
New approaches to caregiver respite spaces, including smaller rooms close to patient care areas
How COVID permanently changed expectations around cleaning, disinfection, upholstery, furniture, flooring, and other healthcare materials
How construction workforce challenges are influencing the way interior environments are detailed and built
The growing role of modular, prefabricated, and off-site manufactured interior components
Jamie's hope that healthcare technology eventually becomes almost invisible within the built environment
Why healthcare spaces must continue to provide calm, safety, respite, and connection even as the industry continues to change
RESOURCES MENTIONED Four Point Design
Visit Four Point Design
Eskenazi Health / Sidney & Lois Eskenazi Hospital
Explore the Eskenazi Health Downtown Campus
Learn more about Sidney & Lois Eskenazi and their $40 million gift
"Engaging Caregivers in the Design Process"
By Jamie Raymond, RID, EDAC, LEED AP and Victoria Numbers, RID, MSIA, CHID
Healthcare Construction + Operations News
Read the article
BSA LifeStructures
Visit BSA LifeStructures
HKS
Explore HKS Healthcare
MEMORABLE GUEST QUOTES
"I quickly fell in love with the complexity of the spaces, the ability to support people in their healing journey and support the caregivers who dedicate their lives to caring for others."
"I call that becoming a finish picker, where you're really working at a very surface layer to get a job done and not really digging in and understanding the why and the details of a project."
"As your interior design partner, we're singularly focused on the patient, family, and staff experience."
"You feel like a colleague and not a consultant."
"We cannot possibly understand the perspective of being a caregiver. We have to ask those questions and give them time to absorb and imagine their ideal state."
"If they don't have time to leave their unit, then we have to figure out what we are going to do to make where they work appropriate for them and supportive to them."
"What I'm hoping is we get to the point where technology just becomes seamless."
"My hope is that with these buildings, we continue to provide respite, calm, safety for patients and staff."
CONNECT WITH JAMIE Jamie Raymond, RID, EDAC, LEED AP
Partner, Four Point Design
Indianapolis, Indiana
Four Point Design: https://www.fourpointdp.com/
Connect with Jamie on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamie-raymond-edac-rid-leed-ap-3278827/
Email: [email protected]
OUR SPONSOR
This podcast is sponsored by Porcelanosa. Download the latest issue of Lifestyle magazine to see award winning architecture, interior design and wellness projects worldwide. Just go to Porcelanosa.com and search Lifestyle magazine to access the complete library…. and be inspired.
OUR INDUSTRY PARTNERS
The world is changing quickly. The Center for Health Design is committed to providing the healthcare design and senior living design industries with the latest research, best practices and innovations. The Center can help you solve today's biggest healthcare challenges and make a difference in care, safety, medical outcomes, and the bottom line. Find out more at healthdesign.org.
Additional support for this podcast comes from our industry partners:
The American Academy of Healthcare Interior Designers
The Nursing Institute for Healthcare Design
Learn more about how to become a Certified Healthcare Interior Designer® by visiting the American Academy of Healthcare Interior Designers at: https://aahid.org/.
Connect to a community interested in supporting clinician involvement in design and construction of the built environment by visiting The Nursing Institute for Healthcare Design at https://www.nursingihd.com/
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FEATURED PRODUCT Porcelanosa are at the forefront of sustainable manufacturing – clients not only expect this of their suppliers but are increasingly asking to see the receipts.
Let's unpack this, did you know that hundreds of preeminent members of The American Institute of Architects – The AIA – have signed the AIA Materials Pledge? The Pledge is aligned with the Mindful Materials Common Materials Framework – the CMF. This is just one, very impressive example of how the movement to support decision making for building product selection has reached new highs. We can see these explained as 5 pillars of sustainability:
(The first) - Human Health: Focusing on avoiding hazardous substances and promoting well-being.
(Then) - Social Health & Equity: Addressing human rights and fair labor practices throughout the supply chain.
(The third) is Ecosystem Health: Supporting the regeneration of natural resources and habitats.
(This is followed by) Climate Health: Reducing and sequestering carbon emissions.
(And the fifth pillar) is The Circular Economy: Promoting a zero-waste future through design for resilience, adaptability, and reuse.
I mentioned the receipts -How do we track the progress of these principles and values? Without measurement, there's no clear path to improvement or accountability.
The Mindful Materials CMF maps a framework of over 650 sustainability factors across those five key areas.
A cornerstone of material health transparency is an Environmental Product Declaration EPD report. The best are independently verified for accuracy by third party certification bodies – a company cannot mark their own report cards. EPDs are highly technical documents containing scientific information on the embodied carbon used to manufacture products. I have just read and included here an EPD for a Porcelanosa Tile – there are upwards of 1000 data inputs to quantify its climate impact.
Porcelanosa offer the confidence and certainty of knowing that every tile, every slab of XTONE porcelain or KRION solid surface has a Product Specific EPD – when architects and designers work with these materials they are making a robust decision to meet their sustainable design goals.
To learn more about how Porcelanosa help their customers design for resiliency, here is a link to their comprehensive Corporate Social Responsibility Report: https://www.porcelanosa.com/en/corporate-social-responsibility/.
Episode 78, Kristin Ellingsen, CHID, NCIDQ, EDAC,Facilities Space Planner at City of Hope
2026/08/18
"It's mesmerizing. You can just sit there and watch them move, and you can see them from your chair if you're going through chemo from certain windows. So it's the ultimate positive distraction." — Kristin Ellingsen on HID2.0 In today's episode of Healthcare Interior Design 2.0, Cheryl Janis welcomes Kristin Ellingsen, CHID, NCIDQ, EDAC, and Facility Space Planner at City of Hope in Duarte, California, for a warm and deeply human conversation about Hope Plaza — an extraordinary cancer and diabetes care environment and one of the most recognized recent healthcare design projects in the country.
Hope Plaza is an award-winning outpatient care building, but this conversation moves beyond the awards to explore what happens after opening day, when patients, families, caregivers, and team members begin moving through a space, returning to it, noticing it, depending on it, and sometimes even finding a favorite chair.
Kristin helps us see Hope Plaza not only as a building, but as a healing landscape of art, light, ritual, nature, hospitality, and care. There are mountain views, softened curves, natural materials, a soothing water wall, gardens, sculpture, a campus art program, and a kinetic parking structure inspired by City of Hope's wishing-tag tradition. And yet, as Cheryl reflects, none of it feels like spectacle. It feels gentle. Supportive. Human.
Throughout the conversation, Kristin shares how City of Hope's mission shapes the daily work of design. Unlike a typical acute care hospital, City of Hope serves patients who may return again and again over the course of treatment. That reality changes everything: seating must offer choice, views must soothe, wayfinding must reduce stress, and even the smallest details can become part of someone's care experience.
One of the most moving stories Kristin shares is about a man waiting for his wife who told her, "This is my favorite chair." He had even looked underneath the chair to find its name: Charlotte. For Kristin, that moment confirmed something essential about healthcare design — that comfort, dignity, and choice are not luxuries. They matter.
Kristin also shares her own unexpected path into healthcare design, beginning with a life that took her around the world, including Egypt, Egyptian Arabian horses, and eventually the experience of caring for her grandmother with dementia. That personal chapter opened her heart to senior living, memory care, universal design, and the deeply human side of healthcare interiors.
This is a conversation about City of Hope, Hope Plaza, and the many ways design can create comfort, dignity, wonder, and moments of joy.
In this episode, Cheryl and Kristin discuss:
Why Hope Plaza has received such extraordinary recognition across healthcare design, interiors, architecture, development, and construction
How light, mountain views, curved forms, stone, wood, and biophilic design shape the emotional experience of the building
City of Hope's history, beginning in 1913 with a simple but powerful idea that compassion could change lives
The way City of Hope's mission continues to guide daily decisions across the campus
Why cancer and diabetes care environments require a different kind of attention to comfort, familiarity, and return visits
Hope Plaza as a gateway to the City of Hope campus
The importance of patient ambassadors and human help at moments of stress or uncertainty
The art program at City of Hope and how sculpture, installations, rotating artwork, and gardens create moments of pause
The wishing-tag tradition and how it inspired the kinetic façade of the award-winning parking structure
Why Kristin calls the parking structure one of her favorite places on campus
The role of gardens, the rose garden, sculpture areas, and outdoor spaces in creating respite
The story of Charlotte, the favorite chair
Why seating choice matters when patients and families may spend long hours waiting
How healthcare designers learn from what happens after opening day
Kristin's path into healthcare design through Egypt, Egyptian Arabian horses, her grandmother, senior living, and memory care
The connection between memory care, universal design, safety, and dignity
What hope means to Kristin now
Key Takeaways 1. Hope Plaza is more than an award-winning building. Hope Plaza has received major recognition, but Kristin invites us to understand it as a living place — one shaped by how patients, families, caregivers, and team members actually use it. The awards matter, but the deeper story is the human experience after opening day.
2. Light and views can change how people feel. Kristin describes the way light enters Hope Plaza from multiple directions and how the mountain views, natural materials, and curved forms create a visceral sense of comfort. The building does not simply look beautiful; it helps people feel more grounded.
3. Cancer care changes the design question. At City of Hope, patients may come for long appointments, repeated treatments, and years of follow-up care. Kristin describes these patients as "frequent flyers," people who have earned a space that offers comfort, choice, and care over time.
4. Moments of joy can be gentle. Hope Plaza includes art, sculpture, gardens, a water wall, a kinetic façade, and the wishing-tag tradition, but the joy is not loud or overwhelming. It is quiet, beautiful, and supportive — a soft kind of wonder that meets people where they are.
5. The smallest design details can become deeply personal. The favorite chair story says so much about healthcare interiors. A chair is not only a chair when someone is waiting for a loved one. It can become a place of rest, familiarity, and emotional support.
6. Healthcare design continues after opening day. Kristin's work includes observing, listening, adjusting, and responding. Whether it is furniture placement, wayfinding, patient feedback, or staff experience, the building continues to teach the design team once people begin using it.
7. Healthcare found Kristin through lived experience. Kristin's path into healthcare design was shaped by family, responsibility, senior living, memory care, and compassion. Her story is a reminder that many healthcare designers arrive at this work through something deeply personal.
Memorable Quotes from Kristin "The light coming into the building really speaks to people, whether they realize it or not."
"It functions on the clinical side, but it's comforting on the patient and family side."
"It's very different than any building I've been in."
"That first time going into a building is the roughest."
"It's very satisfying to take someone's stress away."
"We're here for the mission."
"Our patients are with us for longer — longer during the day, longer during their treatment, and they may come back year after year."
"There has to be something for everyone, depending on how you feel that day."
"It's the ultimate positive distraction."
"Anything we can do to make the patients more comfortable."
"If we can't find solutions and cures, we make people more comfortable so they can enjoy life more."
About Kristin Ellingsen Kristin Ellingsen is a Facility Space Planner at City of Hope in Duarte, California. Her work touches many of the thoughtful details that shape the healthcare environment, including furniture, finishes, interior standards, space planning, patient-facing areas, staff needs, art, comfort, and the everyday experience of a campus devoted to cancer and diabetes care.
At City of Hope, Kristin works across a complex and mission-driven campus where design decisions support patients, families, caregivers, researchers, clinicians, and team members. Her role includes everything from interior standards and furniture planning to collaboration with design partners, facilities teams, patient-facing groups, and those who help keep spaces functioning beautifully after opening day.
Kristin's path into healthcare design began through her early interest in senior living and memory care, shaped in part by caring for her grandmother with dementia. That experience continues to inform how she thinks about dignity, safety, comfort, universal design, and the human impact of healthcare interiors.
About Hope Plaza at City of Hope Hope Plaza is an eight-story outpatient care building at City of Hope in Duarte, California. The building brings together key parts of the care journey, including lab, pharmacy, café, imaging, clinics, procedure spaces, infusion areas, and research.
Designed with patients and families at the center, Hope Plaza connects clinical care with light, views, art, gardens, and moments of respite. The building is shaped by the surrounding landscape, including the San Gabriel Mountains and the idea of water moving through the site. Inside, natural light, softened forms, warm materials, sculptural details, and views help create a calming and cohesive patient experience.
Hope Plaza has received significant recognition across healthcare design, interiors, architecture, development, and construction, including honors from Healthcare Design Magazine, IIDA, Interior Design Magazine, the Center for Health Design, World Architecture News, AIA, and others.
Resources and Links Mentioned City of Hope
Hope Plaza at City of Hope
Welcome to Hope Plaza | City of Hope
Hope Plaza: A New Era in Outpatient Cancer Care | City of Hope
CO Architects
City of Hope, Hope Plaza | CO Architects
EwingCole
Hope Plaza | EwingCole
Creating Moments of Joy at City of Hope Plaza | I+S Design
Gina Chang, AIA, EDAC | CO Architects
AAHID — American Academy of Healthcare Interior Designers
CHID — Certified Healthcare Interior Designer® Certification
Healthcare Design Magazine
IIDA — International Interior Design Association
Interior Design Magazine
The Center for Health Design
World Architecture News
AIA — The American Instit
Episode 77, Mike McKay, AIA, ACHE, EDAC, LEED AP, Healthcare Market Sector Leader for Erdman
2026/06/16
"Can we design a small enough hospital where the intimacy of care matches the human scale, more
residential than institutional?" — Mike McKay on the Healthcare Interior Design 2.0 podcast On today's episode of Healthcare Interior Design 2.0, Cheryl welcomes Mike McKay, AIA, ACHE, EDAC, LEED AP, Healthcare Market Sector Leader at Erdman.
Mike's relationship with architecture began early — really early. In kindergarten, he was already building little cities in his basement to the scale of his Matchbox cars. Years later, during his last year at Ball State, a difficult four-day hospital stay gave him a deeply personal understanding of how healthcare environments can affect patients — and why, as Mike says, "we can do better."
Cheryl and Mike explore Erdman's fascinating roots through founder Marshall Erdman, whose relationship with Frank Lloyd Wright helped shape the firm's early thinking around design, construction, prefabrication, and integrated project delivery. They also discuss Erdman's 1950s Doctors Park concept, a forward-thinking model that brought multiple physician practices together in a more accessible, community-based setting.
The conversation also touches on Beverly Willis, FAIA, women in Frank Lloyd Wright's studio, Erdman's "under one roof" legacy, and the role of daylight, nature, evidence-based design, collaboration, and human scale in healthcare environments.
At the heart of the episode is a question that feels both simple and profound: can we design healthcare environments where the intimacy of care actually matches the human scale?
In this episode, Cheryl and Mike discuss:
Mike's early path into architecture and healthcare design
How a difficult personal patient experience shaped Mike's healthcare design perspective
Marshall Erdman's relationship with Frank Lloyd Wright
Erdman's early work on the First Unitarian Society Meeting House in Madison
Prefabrication, industrialized construction, and Erdman's "under one roof" approach
Doctors Park and the early evolution of community-based healthcare design
Beverly Willis, women in Frank Lloyd Wright's studio, and women's leadership in healthcare design
How Erdman's integrated project delivery mindset continues to influence the firm today
Why healthcare projects need a clear "why" before design begins
Data-informed design, advisory services, and strategic planning in healthcare
The importance of daylight, nature, gardens, comfort, and domestic-scale spaces
Why healthcare design must consider inward-facing and outward-facing spaces differently
Mike's reflections on favorite Erdman projects, including senior living, emergency care, pediatric oncology, and behavioral health
The importance of human scale in hospitals and healthcare environments
Why the client, patient, staff, and community experience must remain at the center of every project
KEY TAKEAWAYS Mike McKay's path into healthcare design was shaped by both professional opportunity and personal experience. An early hospital stay as a young architecture student left him with a vivid memory of how healthcare environments can affect patients — and a belief that design can do better.
Erdman's roots are deeply connected to founder Marshall Erdman's relationship with Frank Lloyd Wright, beginning with Erdman's work as the contractor for Wright's First Unitarian Society Meeting House in Madison, Wisconsin.
Marshall Erdman was ahead of his time in thinking about integrated project delivery, prefabrication, industrialized construction, affordability, quality, and the total cost of ownership.
Erdman's early Doctors Park concept was a forward-thinking healthcare model for the 1950s, bringing multiple physician practices together in an accessible, community-based setting at a time when many physicians worked from downtown offices, hospitals, or even made house calls.
The firm's "under one roof" model — bringing planning, design, construction, delivery, and advisory thinking together — continues to influence Erdman's culture, even as the firm has evolved beyond its earlier design-build structure.
Mike emphasizes that healthcare projects need a clear "why." A project should be the right project, in the right place, at the right time, and sustainable for the owner and the community it serves.
Women have played an important role in Erdman's history and continue to shape healthcare design today, particularly through interior design, architecture, patient perspective, and multidisciplinary collaboration.
Healthcare environments need to be designed at a human scale. Mike challenges the tendency to create large, complicated healthcare footprints that designers then spend enormous energy trying to humanize.
Daylight, nature, gardens, respite, views, and access to the outdoors are not decorative extras. They are essential to how patients, families, and staff experience care.
Interior design and interior architecture are especially important in healthcare spaces that cannot always have daylight or views, such as imaging, treatment, or technology-heavy environments.
Mike's work and thinking are grounded in evidence-based design, patient-centered design, and multidisciplinary collaboration.
At the heart of Mike's message is a reminder that healthcare design is not about the architect's ego or the firm's portfolio. It is about the people who use the building: patients, families, staff, clinicians, owners, and communities.
RESOURCES MENTIONED ERDMAN
https://www.erdman.com/
Mike McKay, AIA, ACHE, EDAC, LEED AP, NCARB — ERDMAN
https://www.erdman.com/about/mike-mckay-aia-ache-edac-leed-ap-ncarb/
Uncommon Sense: The Life of Marshall Erdman
https://www.amazon.com/Uncommon-Sense-Life-Marshall-Erdman/dp/1931599319
First Unitarian Society Meeting House
https://www.unitarianmeetinghouse.org/
Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation — Unitarian Meeting House
https://franklloydwright.org/site/unitarian-meeting-house/
Beverly Willis Architecture Foundation
https://bwaf.org/
A Girl is a Fellow Here: 100 Women Architects in the Studio of Frank Lloyd Wright
https://bwaf.org/resources/film-collection/a-girl-is-a-fellow-here
The Center for Health Design
https://www.healthdesign.org/
The Center for Health Design Touchstone Awards
https://www.healthdesign.org/certification-outreach/awards-recognition/touchstone-awards
Institute for Patient-Centered Design
http://www.patientcentereddesign.org/
Ball State University — Estopinal College of Architecture and Planning
https://www.bsu.edu/academics/collegesanddepartments/cap
LECOM Medical Center and Behavioral Health Pavilion, formerly Millcreek Community Hospital
https://lecomhealth.com/location/lecom-medical-center-and-behavioral-health-pavilion/
Lehigh Valley Hospital–Cedar Crest
https://www.lvhn.org/locations/lehigh-valley-hospital-cedar-crest
MEMORABLE GUEST QUOTES
"We can do better. I know we can do better."
"It started out more holistically with, 'Is there a better way to deliver projects?' The notion of integrated project delivery—Marshall was all about that in 1950."
"Marshall was always concerned about the efficiency of the process and the cost at the end of the day. That being said, he was also all about quality and maintaining quality."
"It has to be right. It has to serve a purpose. It has to be sustainable."
"It's data-informed design."
"We spend all of our time as designers… trying to mitigate the challenges that such a large footprint starts to create for the humans inside of this footprint."
"Frank was all about connecting his architecture to the space and place and to nature."
"We're human creatures. We want to see if it's sunny outside or raining."
"It's a constant dialogue, Cheryl, and it takes a multidisciplinary team, in my opinion, to do it well."
"Can we design a small enough hospital where the intimacy of care matches the human scale, more residential than institutional?"
"Be mindful of the scale of what we're proposing and keep it human-centered."
"It is the client's project. It is the stakeholders, the users of that project that matter."
"At the end of the day, it's about the people that are using that project. They have to matter most."
CONNECT WITH MIKE
Mike McKay, AIA, ACHE, EDAC, LEED AP
Healthcare Market Sector Leader, ERDMAN
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelmckayaia/
Email: [email protected]
ERDMAN: https://www.erdman.com/
OUR SPONSOR
This podcast is sponsored by Porcelanosa. Download the latest issue of Lifestyle magazine to see award winning architecture, interior design and wellness projects worldwide. Just go to Porcelanosa.com and search Lifestyle magazine to access the complete library…. and be inspired.
OUR INDUSTRY PARTNERS
The world is changing quickly. The Center for Health Design is committed to providing the healthcare design and senior living design industries with the latest research, best practices and innovations. The Center can help you solve today's biggest healthcare challenges and make a difference in care, safety, medical outcomes, and the bottom line. Find out more at healthdesign.org.
Additional support for this podcast comes from our industry partners:
The American Academy of Healthcare Interior Designers
The Nursing Institute for Healthcare Design
Learn more about how to become a Certified Healthcare Interior Designer® by visiting the American Academy of Healthcare Interior Designers at: https://aahid.org/.
Connect to a community interested in supporting clinician involvement in design and construction of the built environment by visiting The Nursing Institute for Healthcare Design at https://www.nursingihd.com/
FEATURED PRODUCT Porcelanosa are at the forefront of sustainable manufacturing – clients not only expect this of their suppliers but are increasingly asking to see the receipts.
Let'
Episode 76, Elizabeth Sullivan, Principal, Regional Co-Leader of Healthcare, Northeast HOK
2026/05/05
"Everything is shifting at once — our care models, technology, AI, capital pressures, workforce dynamics." — Elizabeth Sullivan on HID2.0 In this episode of Healthcare Interior Design 2.0, Cheryl Janis sits down with Elizabeth Sullivan, Principal and Regional Co-Leader of Healthcare Northeast at HOK and adjunct professor at The New York School of Interior Design for a deeply thoughtful conversation about healthcare architecture, lived experience, mentorship, and the future of humane healthcare environments. Elizabeth shares how she went from thinking healthcare architecture sounded "boring" to discovering that it is one of the most meaningful, complex, and human-centered areas of design. With experience spanning architectural practice, the owner side, teaching, and her own personal experiences as a patient, Elizabeth brings a rare and powerful lens to what healthcare spaces are — and what they still need to become. Together, Cheryl and Elizabeth explore the next wave of healthcare design, the importance of flexibility and adaptability, the emotional weight of hospitals, the role of respite spaces, and why small details — even the chair in a patient room — can have an enormous impact. In This Episode, Cheryl and Elizabeth Discuss Elizabeth's unexpected path into healthcare architecture
Why healthcare design is far more creative, emotional, and complex than she first imagined
How her experiences as a patient shaped the way she thinks about space
The idea that healthcare architecture is on the edge of a major transformation
Why future healthcare environments must be more adaptable and resilient
How care models, AI, capital pressures, workforce dynamics, and sustainability are influencing design
The importance of respite spaces for patients, families, and staff
Why mentorship and apprenticeship still matter deeply in architecture
What designers often misunderstand about the owner side of healthcare
How curiosity can help young professionals find their place in healthcare design
Why empathy is not abstract — it shows up in the questions designers ask
The surprising importance of the chair in a patient room
KEY TAKEAWAYS Healthcare design is deeply human. Elizabeth's early assumption that healthcare architecture would be overly technical changed when she realized the work is centered around people in some of life's most vulnerable moments.
We are not waiting for transformation — we are already inside it. Elizabeth describes healthcare architecture as being on the cusp of a major shift, driven by care models, technology, AI, capital pressures, workforce dynamics, sustainability, infrastructure, and community health.
Future healthcare environments need to behave less like static buildings and more like adaptable systems. One of Elizabeth's strongest points is that designers are no longer simply "building buildings." They are designing systems that must flex, evolve, and respond over time.
Long-term healthcare planning has to become more flexible and realistic. Elizabeth challenges the idea of rigid 20-year master plans, pointing instead toward shorter planning horizons, modular thinking, strategic adaptability, and future-ready infrastructure.
The owner's perspective changes everything. Her experience working on the owner side gave her a deeper understanding of capital constraints, operating budgets, shifting priorities, stakeholders, schedules, and why even strong projects can change direction.
Mentorship is not extra — it is part of the profession. Elizabeth speaks beautifully about the mentors who shaped her and why she now feels called to teach what students and young professionals cannot always learn from books alone.
Empathy shows up in the questions designers ask. For Elizabeth, empathetic design is not just a feeling; it is a process of listening carefully, asking people to walk through their day, understanding their pain points, and translating those insights into better environments.
Healthcare design has many entry points. For people drawn to the field, Elizabeth emphasizes that healthcare design can include planning, research, furniture design, workplace strategy, operations, management, and more — not only traditional architecture.
The most humane healthcare environments create comfort, safety, and emotional relief. Elizabeth imagines future healthcare spaces that help take people's minds away from the stress of being somewhere they may not have chosen to be.
Small details carry enormous weight. Her reflection on "the chair" is a perfect example: a seemingly minor design choice can affect patients, family members, caregivers, clinicians, and staff for hours at a time.
RESOURCES MENTIONED
New York School of Interior Design — Master of Professional Studies in Design of Healthcare Environments
A graduate program focused on healthcare interiors, including research methods, healthcare history and theory, environmental and behavioral studies, applied design, sustainable design, and lighting research.
Healthcare Architecture in an Era of Radical Transformation — Stephen Verderber and David J. Fine
The book connected to the "waves of healthcare architecture" idea discussed in the episode. It was published by Yale University Press in 2000 and focuses on hospital architecture and healthcare facility design.
Healthcare Architecture in an Era of Radical Transformation — Open Library listing
A clean bibliographic listing with ISBN information, publisher details, and publication date.
Innovations in Hospital Architecture — Stephen Verderber
A related Verderber resource on sustainable hospital architecture, carbon-neutral care settings, future planning, and contemporary hospital design.
Ana Pinto-Alexander — HKS Profile
Cheryl references Ana Pinto-Alexander during the conversation. HKS lists her as Principal Emeritus and notes her extensive healthcare and pediatric design work.
Healthcare Interior Design 2.0 Podcast Episode 1 — Ana Pinto-Alexander
The earlier episode Cheryl references, centered on empathy, healthcare interiors, and Ana's personal connection to healthcare design.
Montefiore Einstein — Our History
Background on Montefiore Einstein, including its relationship with Albert Einstein College of Medicine and the 2015 agreement that transferred operational and financial responsibility for the College of Medicine to Montefiore.
MEMORABLE GUEST QUOTES
"What I didn't realize is that healthcare is deeply human. It's not just about buildings. It's about the people and the most vulnerable moments."
"That's a very common connection for people who decide to go into healthcare — it becomes deeply personal."
"Those experiences at 10 years old shape the way that I think about how we create space today."
"I believe that we are really on the cusp of transformation."
"That experience really shifted my perspective from this technical thing to something more meaningful. And once that clicked, there was no going back."
"We're not just building buildings anymore. We're designing systems that need to adapt over time."
"The day a hospital opens, it's outdated."
"The respite spaces — places for people to go and have a moment — are really critical in healthcare."
"Those moments are really important for people's well-being."
"Architecture is apprenticeship."
"I am here for you."
"You don't understand it's a different set of pressures."
"I would encourage anybody who is in architecture to work on the owner's side and really have a better understanding of why we do what we do."
"Walk me through a day in the life — and they will often talk about what their challenges are. It's up to us to help them find the solutions."
"I think the level of innovation and thoughtfulness that's happening right now… that's what I'm hopeful for."
"Inside these healthcare environments, feeling comfortable, feeling safe… to have an environment that sort of takes you away from a place you may not have a choice to be in."
"The chairs are really important. They really are."
Guest Bio Elizabeth Sullivan is Principal and Regional Co-Leader of Healthcare Northeast at HOK. Her work bridges architectural practice, healthcare ownership, strategic planning, mentorship, and education. With experience on both the design and owner sides of healthcare environments, Elizabeth brings a uniquely holistic perspective to the future of healthcare architecture. She also serves as adjunct professor at the New York School of Interior Design, helping students and emerging professionals understand the business, operational, and human realities behind healthcare design. Connect with Elizabeth Sullivan
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabeth-sullivan-36947313/
Email: [email protected]
Our Industry Partners
The world is changing quickly. The Center for Health Design is committed to providing the healthcare design and senior living design industries with the latest research, best practices and innovations. The Center can help you solve today's biggest healthcare challenges and make a difference in care, safety, medical outcomes, and the bottom line. Find out more at healthdesign.org.
Additional support for this podcast comes from our industry partners:
The American Academy of Healthcare Interior Designers
The Nursing Institute for Healthcare Design
Learn more about how to become a Certified Healthcare Interior Designer® by visiting the American Academy of Healthcare Interior Designers at: https://aahid.org/.
Connect to a community interested in supporting clinician involvement in design and construction of the built environment by visiting The Nursing Institute for Healthcare Design at https://www.nursingihd.com/
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FEATURED PRODUCT Porcelanosa are at the forefront of sustainable manufacturing – clients not only expect this of
Episode 75, Brea E. Elles, Healthcare Design & Construction Leader, Owner of Plyhaus
2026/04/08
"Flexibility became our currency during COVID." –Brea E. Elles on HID2.0 In today's episode, Cheryl sits down virtually with Brea E. Elles, Healthcare Design & Construction Leader. Together they pull back the curtain on what owner-side leadership really looks like when capital planning meets real-world constraints: staffing shortages, reimbursement uncertainty, supply chain, and the relentless need to keep care moving.
You'll hear her practical frameworks for designing "for flow," why standardization can reduce cognitive stress for clinicians, and how teams can protect performance when budgets tighten. And if you love the details, Brea goes delightfully nerdy on the behind-the-scenes decisions that make healthcare millwork and furniture succeed (or fail) over time — from seams and water intrusion to integrated sinks, chemical resistance, and specs written for performance.
In this episode, we cover:
What it actually means to sit at the intersection of finance + operations + design + construction—and why alignment is the job.
The teaching mindset that carries into project leadership: if you can't explain why, you don't fully understand the decision.
Lean healthcare design in one phrase: design for flow—patient flow, staff flow, equipment flow, information flow.
A blunt truth: "Every unnecessary step is a cost"… and inefficient adjacencies compound into burnout.
How policy/funding uncertainty (including the "Big Beautiful Bill") shows up as more disciplined revenue assumptions, phasing, and scope restraint.
Why patient experience isn't just the lobby: staff experience drives patient experience through workflow and physical demands.
The post-COVID shift that won't go away: conversion speed + flexibility as core performance.
"Standardization is resilience": how standards reduce cognitive load and keep clinicians focused on care.
Rural vs urban: durability, simplified infrastructure, and designing for a community asset that carries generational weight.
Plyhouse and the millwork "nerd-out": infection prevention through seam minimization, integral sinks, edge protection, chemical resistance—and specs written for performance.
Memorable quotes from Brea
"I sit at the intersection of finance, operations, design, and construction."
"I align people who think differently."
"If you can't explain why a decision matters, you don't fully understand it."
"Every unnecessary step is a cost. Every inefficient adjacency becomes burnout over time."
"You're designing for the person that's moving through the space, not the person photographing it."
"Standardization is resilience."
"In urban systems, you manage complexity. In rural systems, you're managing vulnerability."
"I saw a disconnect between specification and reality."
"Specs should be designed for performance, not just by material type."
"When you think about surfaces, you want to minimize your seams."
"In order to have patient experience… it's also staff experience."
"Design for flow… not just patient flow, but staff flow, equipment flow, information flow."
Links & ways to connect
Email: [email protected]
Plyhouse: https://plyhaus.com
Brea on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/brea-e-elles-58776aa1/
If you liked this episode…
Please share it with a nurse, designer, architect, engineer, or administrator who cares about building healthcare environments that feel more human—and more kind.
Our Industry Partners
The world is changing quickly. The Center for Health Design is committed to providing the healthcare design and senior living design industries with the latest research, best practices and innovations. The Center can help you solve today's biggest healthcare challenges and make a difference in care, safety, medical outcomes, and the bottom line. Find out more at healthdesign.org.
Additional support for this podcast comes from our industry partners:
The American Academy of Healthcare Interior Designers
The Nursing Institute for Healthcare Design
Learn more about how to become a Certified Healthcare Interior Designer® by visiting the American Academy of Healthcare Interior Designers at: https://aahid.org/.
Connect to a community interested in supporting clinician involvement in design and construction of the built environment by visiting The Nursing Institute for Healthcare Design at https://www.nursingihd.com/
------------
The world is changing quickly. The Center for Health Design is committed to providing the healthcare design and senior living design industries with the latest research, best practices and innovations. The Center can help you solve today's biggest healthcare challenges and make a difference in care, safety, medical outcomes, and the bottom line. Find out more at healthdesign.org
FEATURED PRODUCT Porcelanosa are at the forefront of sustainable manufacturing – clients not only expect this of their suppliers but are increasingly asking to see the receipts.
Let's unpack this, did you know that hundreds of preeminent members of The American Institute of Architects – The AIA – have signed the AIA Materials Pledge? The Pledge is aligned with the Mindful Materials Common Materials Framework – the CMF. This is just one, very impressive example of how the movement to support decision making for building product selection has reached new highs. We can see these explained as 5 pillars of sustainability:
(The first) - Human Health: Focusing on avoiding hazardous substances and promoting well-being.
(Then) - Social Health & Equity: Addressing human rights and fair labor practices throughout the supply chain.
(The third) is Ecosystem Health: Supporting the regeneration of natural resources and habitats.
(This is followed by) Climate Health: Reducing and sequestering carbon emissions.
(And the fifth pillar) is The Circular Economy: Promoting a zero-waste future through design for resilience, adaptability, and reuse.
I mentioned the receipts -How do we track the progress of these principles and values? Without measurement, there's no clear path to improvement or accountability.
The Mindful Materials CMF maps a framework of over 650 sustainability factors across those five key areas.
A cornerstone of material health transparency is an Environmental Product Declaration EPD report. The best are independently verified for accuracy by third party certification bodies – a company cannot mark their own report cards. EPDs are highly technical documents containing scientific information on the embodied carbon used to manufacture products. I have just read and included here an EPD for a Porcelanosa Tile – there are upwards of 1000 data inputs to quantify its climate impact.
Porcelanosa offer the confidence and certainty of knowing that every tile, every slab of XTONE porcelain or KRION solid surface has a Product Specific EPD – when architects and designers work with these materials they are making a robust decision to meet their sustainable design goals.
To learn more about how Porcelanosa help their customers design for resiliency, here is a link to their comprehensive Corporate Social Responsibility Report: https://www.porcelanosa.com/en/corporate-social-responsibility/.
Episode 74, Susan Suhar, NCIDQ, IIDA, LEED AP, WELL AP, Fitwel Amb, Design Principal – Interiors, Associate Vice President at HDR Architecture
2026/03/03
"The best way to think of it is like a do not use ingredient list, similar to checking a food label — but for buildings." — Susan Suhar on HID2.0
Today on the podcast, Cheryl sits down with Susan Suhar — Design Principal- Interiors and Associate Vice President at HDR Architecture in Los Angeles — to talk about what's changing (and what's timeless) in healthcare design.
With 25+ years designing award-winning environments across healthcare, workplace, and life science, Susan brings a rare mix of creative vision and real-world rigor — designing for the whole ecosystem: patients and families, yes, but also the staff doing the caring every single day.
Susan helps lead the vision and growth of HDR's LA interiors practice, and she's been deeply involved in major healthcare work including Cedars-Sinai's Marina del Rey Hospital and the UCSF Helen Diller Hospital project in San Francisco (part of a collaborative design team).
In this conversation, Susan and Cheryl dig into the shifts shaping healthcare interiors right now — from behavioral health and outpatient growth, to sustainability, staff respite spaces, and why empathy still belongs at the center of every healing environment.
WHAT WE COVER
Why healthcare interiors serve "one of the broadest ranges of humans in human emotion" — all at once Susan's origin story: how universal design shaped her purpose as a designer What's unique about designing healthcare in California (and specifically Los Angeles) Key shifts shaping healthcare design today:
-behavioral health
-the evolving patient + staff experience
-outpatient growth and the rise of same-day procedures How shorter schedules are changing design + documentation — and where AI fits (supporting, not replacing) Cedars-Sinai Marina del Rey Hospital: designing a community hospital that feels sophisticated, elegant, and not like a hospital The "sea change for healing" concept: waves, journey, light-on-water (and an unforgettable chapel + meditation patio) UCSF Helen Diller Hospital: iconic architecture, fog-response interiors, and major investments in respite, sustainability, and health "Red list free" in plain language — and why it matters in a hospital Why staff spaces are not optional: sleep rooms, respite, and protecting caregiver wellbeing Susan's guiding principle: empathy, and the questions that make design better KEY TAKEAWAYS
Design empathy isn't a vibe — it's a practice. It shows up in how we listen, what we prioritize, and what we protect in the program. Staff experience is patient experience. If we don't design for caregiver wellbeing, we quietly erode care quality. Sustainability + health transparency are converging. Materials aren't just about durability and aesthetics anymore — they're about human impact, too. The pace is changing. Faster schedules are pressuring teams to get more efficient without losing the design story or the details. RESOURCED MENTIONED
PROJECTS + IMAGES
• HDR – Cedars-Sinai Marina del Rey Hospital (project page)
https://www.hdrinc.com/portfolio/cedars-sinai-marina-del-rey-hospital
• HDR – UCSF Health Helen Diller Hospital (project page)
https://www.hdrinc.com/portfolio/ucsf-health-helen-diller-hospital
• UCSF Real Estate – Helen Diller Hospital project overview
https://realestate.ucsf.edu/projects/ucsf-health-helen-diller-hospital-hdh
• Herzog & de Meuron – UCSF Health Helen Diller Hospital (project page)
https://www.herzogdemeuron.com/projects/547-ucsf-helen-diller-medical-center-2/
CEDARS-SINAI UPDATES
• Cedars-Sinai Newsroom – "New Cedars-Sinai Marina del Rey Hospital Rises" (includes video/update)
https://www.cedars-sinai.org/newsroom/new-cedars-sinai-marina-del-rey-hospital-rises/
• Cedars-Sinai Newsroom – "Construction Begins for New Cedars-Sinai Marina del Rey Hospital"
https://www.cedars-sinai.org/newsroom/construction-begins-for-new-cedars-sinai-marina-del-rey-hospital/
• Cedars-Sinai – "An Upgrade to Medicine in the Marina" (construction progress story)
https://www.cedars-sinai.org/stories-and-insights/advancing-our-mission/an-upgrade-to-medicine-in-the-marina
HDR SITE / PORTFOLIO SEARCH (as mentioned on the episode)
• HDR homepage
https://www.hdrinc.com/
• HDR portfolio (search/browse)
https://go.hdrinc.com/portfolio
SUSTAINABILITY + MATERIAL HEALTH TERMS (RED LIST / EPD / HPD)
• ILFI – Red List (Living Building Challenge)
https://living-future.org/red-list/
• ILFI – Living Building Challenge overview
https://living-future.org/lbc/
• EPD International – International EPD System (what an EPD is / program info)
https://www.environdec.com/about-us/international-epd-system
• HPD Collaborative (what an HPD is / material health disclosure)
https://www.hpd-collaborative.org/
CALIFORNIA HEALTHCARE FACILITY OVERSIGHT (OSHPD / now HCAI)
• HCAI – OSHPD became HCAI (official announcement)
https://hcai.ca.gov/oshpd-becomes-the-department-of-health-care-access-and-information/
• HCAI – Building Safety (healthcare facilities construction oversight)
https://hcai.ca.gov/facilities/building-safety/
CREDENTIALS REFERENCED
• IIDA
https://iida.org/
• NCIDQ / CIDQ
https://www.cidq.org/
• LEED (USGBC)
https://www.usgbc.org/leed
• WELL (IWBI)
https://www.wellcertified.com/
• Fitwel
https://www.fitwel.org/
MEMORABLE GUEST QUOTES
"We're creating an interior experience that is serving probably one of the broadest ranges of humans in human emotion simultaneously under one roof."
"Sometimes… I take the approach as a design therapist."
"You have to realize you can't make everyone happy with one solution — but if you can get the majority there, that's a success."
"It's not just a nice to do. There is purpose — it's to reduce the anxiety."
"If you can design healthcare in California, you can design pretty much anywhere."
"The first thing we wanted folks to feel when they walked in was that they were not in a hospital."
"The story of the concept was a sea change for healing."
"It was inspired by the hull of a boat, a wave itself, and the sunlight that dances and sparkles on top of water."
"The value in care to the patient begins with the value in care of the staff."
"The guiding principle is putting yourself in the environment… I would say it has to be empathy."
"You need to ask questions: how would people like it to be better or different? Where are the friction points?"
"Patient interviews, patient surveys, community engagement and input — those are critical to really having a successful healing environment."
GUEST
Susan Suhar — Design Principal for Interiors + Associate Vice President, HDR Architecture (Los Angeles).
CONNECT
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/susan-salvati-suhar-8811805
Email: [email protected]
OUR INDUSTRY PARTNERS
The world is changing quickly. The Center for Health Design is committed to providing the healthcare design and senior living design industries with the latest research, best practices and innovations. The Center can help you solve today's biggest healthcare challenges and make a difference in care, safety, medical outcomes, and the bottom line. Find out more at healthdesign.org.
Additional support for this podcast comes from our industry partners:
-The American Academy of Healthcare Interior Designers
-The Nursing Institute for Healthcare Design
Learn more about how to become a Certified Healthcare Interior Designer® by visiting the American Academy of Healthcare Interior Designers at: https://aahid.org/.
Connect to a community interested in supporting clinician involvement in design and construction of the built environment by visiting The Nursing Institute for Healthcare Design at https://www.nursingihd.com/.
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FEATURED PRODUCT
Porcelanosa are at the forefront of sustainable manufacturing – clients not only expect this of their suppliers but are increasingly asking to see the receipts.
Let's unpack this, did you know that hundreds of preeminent members of The American Institute of Architects – The AIA – have signed the AIA Materials Pledge? The Pledge is aligned with the Mindful Materials Common Materials Framework – the CMF. This is just one, very impressive example of how the movement to support decision making for building product selection has reached new highs. We can see these explained as 5 pillars of sustainability:
(The first) - Human Health: Focusing on avoiding hazardous substances and promoting well-being.
(Then) - Social Health & Equity: Addressing human rights and fair labor practices throughout the supply chain.
(The third) is Ecosystem Health: Supporting the regeneration of natural resources and habitats.
(This is followed by) Climate Health: Reducing and sequestering carbon emissions.
(And the fifth pillar) is The Circular Economy: Promoting a zero-waste future through design for resilience, adaptability, and reuse.
I mentioned the receipts -How do we track the progress of these principles and values? Without measurement, there's no clear path to improvement or accountability.
The Mindful Materials CMF maps a framework of over 650 sustainability factors across those five key areas.
A cornerstone of material health transparency is an Environmental Product Declaration EPD report. The best are independently verified for accuracy by third party certification bodies – a company cannot mark their own report cards. EPDs are highly technical documents containing scientific information on the embodied carbon used to manufacture products. I have just read and included here an EPD for a Porcelanosa Tile – there are upwards of 1000 data inputs to quantify its climate impact.
Porcelanosa offer the confidence and certainty of knowing that every tile, every slab of XTONE porcelain or KRION solid surface has a Product Specific EPD – when architects and designers work with these materials they are making a robust decision to
"Art is underutilized as a tool. We should ask: what's the intent behind this piece? Why this piece… and what is this going to do for patients?" —Ghina Itani on HID2.0 What if "beautiful" isn't just a nice-to-have — but a clinical tool?
In this episode, Cheryl sits down with Ghina Itani, MBA, CHID, NCIDQ, ASID, EDAC — founder and principal designer of Itani Design Concepts (woman-owned, founded in 2007). Together they unpack how healthcare design decisions ripple outward: influencing everything from patient stress to staff retention, wayfinding, and even workplace culture.
You'll hear Ghina's origin story — including the moment she rediscovered her portfolio in a box during her "little ones" season and realized her career was still waiting — and how one early hospital project helped raise expectations for what healthcare spaces could feel like.
Then we will dive deep into neuroaesthetics (the brain's response to beauty and environment), why designers must avoid "paint-by-numbers" claims, and how color research can be shared without overpromising. Along the way, Ghina breaks down the famous Baker–Miller Pink story and what it teaches us about context, demographics, and why no single color is a universal prescription.
Finally, you'll explore art as care — including the idea of museum prescriptions — and why art is often underutilized as a real tool for healing and connection (not just decoration.)
What you'll hear in this episode A powerful origin story about timing, identity, and returning to ambition
Why healthcare design is never just aesthetic — it's operational
Neuroaesthetics: what it is, why it matters, and what it isn't
Color guidelines: where they help… and where they fall apart
The "pink prison" story — and what it teaches about context over clichés
How designers can present research logically (especially with clinical leaders)
Art as a care intervention, not an accessory — including museum prescription programs
Why instinct still belongs in evidence-based work
Key Takeaways Design has reach. A chair choice can affect not just comfort — but operations, loyalty, and even patient flow.
Color isn't a magic button. It's about dose, placement, scale, lighting, and culture — not "blue = calm."
Neuroaesthetics is a lens, not a guarantee. Designers can use research to guide decisions without promising outcomes.
Inclusion builds trust. Bringing staff and stakeholders into the design process reduces resistance and improves buy-in.
Art can be therapeutic. When chosen with intent, it can open conversation, reduce stress, and support care experiences.
Memorable Quotes from Ghina Itani "I kind of realized that… my career is waiting. It's right here."
"I took chances and I was gutsy."
"Even if I didn't have an idea what I'm doing at the time, I always think: I'm going to figure it out."
"When an opportunity comes, you have to seize it."
"If I think too much about something, I probably won't do it."
"Owning a business and being a designer are two different things."
"Now we're affecting operation."
"We cannot just say, this color gives you this outcome."
"Neuroaesthetics is misunderstood… it's not a prescription that you put it and solve the problem."
"Art is underutilized as a tool."
"We still think of it as pretty and not pretty… but we shouldn't think that way."
"We should think: what's the intent behind this piece? Why this piece… and what is this going to do for patients?"
"We are the product of our environment."
"We cannot make it ever robotic… it will always need the human."
"At the end of the day… I would trust what I think of it and what my instincts tell me as well."
Resources & Links ITANIA DESIGN CONCEPTS
- Itani Design Concepts (website): https://itanidc.com/
- About Ghina Itani: https://itanidc.com/index.php/about/
- Contact page: https://itanidc.com/index.php/contact/
- Portfolio: https://itanidc.com/index.php/portfolio/
- ASID Design Finder listing (Ghina Itani): https://designfinder.asid.org/listing/ghina-itani
CREDENTIALS & ORGANIZATIONS MENTIONED
- AAHID (American Academy of Healthcare Interior Designers): https://aahid.org/
- CHID credential info (AAHID): https://aahid.org/certification/
- EDAC (The Center for Health Design): https://www.healthdesign.org/certification-outreach/edac/
- The Center for Health Design (home): https://www.healthdesign.org/
- CIDQ / NCIDQ Certification: https://www.cidq.org/
TOPICS FROM THE EPISODE
- Neuroesthetics (overview): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neuroesthetics
- Baker–Miller pink (overview): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baker%E2%80%93Miller_pink
- Museum prescriptions (Montreal Museum of Fine Arts): https://www.mbam.qc.ca/en/news/museum-prescriptions/
- Penn Center for Neuroaesthetics: https://neuroaesthetics.med.upenn.edu/
Connect with Ghina Itani Email: [email protected]
Phone: 661-549-5886
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ghina-itani/
Our Industry Partners
The world is changing quickly. The Center for Health Design is committed to providing the healthcare design and senior living design industries with the latest research, best practices and innovations. The Center can help you solve today's biggest healthcare challenges and make a difference in care, safety, medical outcomes, and the bottom line. Find out more at healthdesign.org.
Additional support for this podcast comes from our industry partners:
The American Academy of Healthcare Interior Designers
The Nursing Institute for Healthcare Design
Learn more about how to become a Certified Healthcare Interior Designer® by visiting the American Academy of Healthcare Interior Designers at: https://aahid.org/.
Connect to a community interested in supporting clinician involvement in design and construction of the built environment by visiting The Nursing Institute for Healthcare Design at https://www.nursingihd.com/
------------
The world is changing quickly. The Center for Health Design is committed to providing the healthcare design and senior living design industries with the latest research, best practices and innovations. The Center can help you solve today's biggest healthcare challenges and make a difference in care, safety, medical outcomes, and the bottom line. Find out more at healthdesign.org.
Additional support for this podcast comes from our industry partners:
The American Academy of Healthcare Interior Designers
The Nursing Institute for Healthcare Design
Learn more about how to become a Certified Healthcare Interior Designer® by visiting the American Academy of Healthcare Interior Designers at: https://aahid.org/.
Connect to a community interested in supporting clinician involvement in design and construction of the built environment by visiting The Nursing Institute for Healthcare Design at https://www.nursingihd.com/
FEATURED PRODUCT Porcelanosa are at the forefront of sustainable manufacturing – clients not only expect this of their suppliers but are increasingly asking to see the receipts.
Let's unpack this, did you know that hundreds of preeminent members of The American Institute of Architects – The AIA – have signed the AIA Materials Pledge? The Pledge is aligned with the Mindful Materials Common Materials Framework – the CMF. This is just one, very impressive example of how the movement to support decision making for building product selection has reached new highs. We can see these explained as 5 pillars of sustainability:
(The first) - Human Health: Focusing on avoiding hazardous substances and promoting well-being.
(Then) - Social Health & Equity: Addressing human rights and fair labor practices throughout the supply chain.
(The third) is Ecosystem Health: Supporting the regeneration of natural resources and habitats.
(This is followed by) Climate Health: Reducing and sequestering carbon emissions.
(And the fifth pillar) is The Circular Economy: Promoting a zero-waste future through design for resilience, adaptability, and reuse.
I mentioned the receipts -How do we track the progress of these principles and values? Without measurement, there's no clear path to improvement or accountability.
The Mindful Materials CMF maps a framework of over 650 sustainability factors across those five key areas.
A cornerstone of material health transparency is an Environmental Product Declaration EPD report. The best are independently verified for accuracy by third party certification bodies – a company cannot mark their own report cards. EPDs are highly technical documents containing scientific information on the embodied carbon used to manufacture products. I have just read and included here an EPD for a Porcelanosa Tile – there are upwards of 1000 data inputs to quantify its climate impact.
Porcelanosa offer the confidence and certainty of knowing that every tile, every slab of XTONE porcelain or KRION solid surface has a Product Specific EPD – when architects and designers work with these materials they are making a robust decision to meet their sustainable design goals.
To learn more about how Porcelanosa help their customers design for resiliency, here is a link to their comprehensive Corporate Social Responsibility Report: https://www.porcelanosa.com/en/corporate-social-responsibility/
Episode 72, Elizabeth Johnson, PhD, MS-CRM, RN, Assistant Professor, Montana State University Mark and Robyn Jones College of Nursing, Incoming President of the Nursing Institute for Healthcare Design
2026/01/13
"As a system scientist and a nurse, my patient is now the hospital." –Elizabeth Johnson on HID2.0 On today's podcast episode, Cheryl sits down with Dr. Elizabeth Johnson (PhD, MS-CRM, RN)—Assistant Professor at Montana State University's Mark & Robyn Jones College of Nursing, host of Designing Care On-Air, and incoming President of the Nursing Institute for Healthcare Design (NIHD). Elizabeth lives at the intersection of nursing, technology, and design, with a passion for designing healthcare systems—especially for rural, frontier, remote, and tribal communities where distance and infrastructure shape what care can look and feel like.
In this conversation, Elizabeth shares the "permission" moment that changed her path into healthcare design, her research using mobile and wearable technology to support clinical trial participant safety, and the powerful insights coming from The Kind Room Project—where children use art to show what a healthcare space looks like when it helps them feel calm, safe, and brave. Along the way, she offers a reframe you won't forget: "My patient is now the hospital."
In this episode, we cover
The moment that changed everything: being asked (for the first time) what she thought—as a nurse—during a design challenge.
The Kind Room Project: using art-based prompts so kids can show what "healthcare that feels kind" looks like.
A surprising insight from children's drawings: many prefer softer, muted tones over the stereotypical "primary colors."
Why rural hospitals are a "living, breathing apparatus" of community life—and what designers miss if they only visit during business hours.
Wearables + clinical trials: how technology can help rural/remote participants stay safe and supported closer to home.
"Day two design" (after the ribbon cutting): where latent errors show up—and how to ask great questions, not just good ones.
The mindset shift she wants to normalize: making friends with the unknown.
Memorable quotes
"My patient is now the hospital."
"Advocacy through vision and visibility."
"Permission is granted. It's a yes—you belong."
"Make friends with the unknown."
Links & ways to connect
Elizabeth Johnson's email:
[email protected]
Elizabeth LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabeth-johnson-phd-ms-crm-rn-833590167/
Montana State University Nursing directory (Elizabeth):
https://www.montana.edu/nursing/directory/bozeman/2344665/elizabeth-johnson
MSU CAIRHE "Johnson Project" page:
https://www.montana.edu/cairhe/other-investigators/johnson/
NIHD (Nursing Institute for Healthcare Design):
https://nursingihd.com/
Elizabeth's NIHD bio:
https://nursingihd.com/elizabeth-johnson-bio
Join NIHD:
https://nursingihd.com/join
Designing Care On-Air (Apple Podcasts):
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/designing-care-on-air/id1696746547
Kind Room / design tool site (as mentioned):
https://designkind.art
If you liked this episode…
Share it with a nurse, designer, architect, engineer, or administrator who cares about building healthcare environments that feel more human—and more kind.
Our Industry Partners
The world is changing quickly. The Center for Health Design is committed to providing the healthcare design and senior living design industries with the latest research, best practices and innovations. The Center can help you solve today's biggest healthcare challenges and make a difference in care, safety, medical outcomes, and the bottom line. Find out more at healthdesign.org.
Additional support for this podcast comes from our industry partners:
The American Academy of Healthcare Interior Designers
The Nursing Institute for Healthcare Design
Learn more about how to become a Certified Healthcare Interior Designer® by visiting the American Academy of Healthcare Interior Designers at: https://aahid.org/.
Connect to a community interested in supporting clinician involvement in design and construction of the built environment by visiting The Nursing Institute for Healthcare Design at https://www.nursingihd.com/
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The world is changing quickly. The Center for Health Design is committed to providing the healthcare design and senior living design industries with the latest research, best practices and innovations. The Center can help you solve today's biggest healthcare challenges and make a difference in care, safety, medical outcomes, and the bottom line. Find out more at healthdesign.org.
Additional support for this podcast comes from our industry partners:
The American Academy of Healthcare Interior Designers
The Nursing Institute for Healthcare Design
Learn more about how to become a Certified Healthcare Interior Designer® by visiting the American Academy of Healthcare Interior Designers at: https://aahid.org/.
Connect to a community interested in supporting clinician involvement in design and construction of the built environment by visiting The Nursing Institute for Healthcare Design at https://www.nursingihd.com/
FEATURED PRODUCT Porcelanosa are at the forefront of sustainable manufacturing – clients not only expect this of their suppliers but are increasingly asking to see the receipts.
Let's unpack this, did you know that hundreds of preeminent members of The American Institute of Architects – The AIA – have signed the AIA Materials Pledge? The Pledge is aligned with the Mindful Materials Common Materials Framework – the CMF. This is just one, very impressive example of how the movement to support decision making for building product selection has reached new highs. We can see these explained as 5 pillars of sustainability:
(The first) - Human Health: Focusing on avoiding hazardous substances and promoting well-being.
(Then) - Social Health & Equity: Addressing human rights and fair labor practices throughout the supply chain.
(The third) is Ecosystem Health: Supporting the regeneration of natural resources and habitats.
(This is followed by) Climate Health: Reducing and sequestering carbon emissions.
(And the fifth pillar) is The Circular Economy: Promoting a zero-waste future through design for resilience, adaptability, and reuse.
I mentioned the receipts -How do we track the progress of these principles and values? Without measurement, there's no clear path to improvement or accountability.
The Mindful Materials CMF maps a framework of over 650 sustainability factors across those five key areas.
A cornerstone of material health transparency is an Environmental Product Declaration EPD report. The best are independently verified for accuracy by third party certification bodies – a company cannot mark their own report cards. EPDs are highly technical documents containing scientific information on the embodied carbon used to manufacture products. I have just read and included here an EPD for a Porcelanosa Tile – there are upwards of 1000 data inputs to quantify its climate impact.
Porcelanosa offer the confidence and certainty of knowing that every tile, every slab of XTONE porcelain or KRION solid surface has a Product Specific EPD – when architects and designers work with these materials they are making a robust decision to meet their sustainable design goals.
To learn more about how Porcelanosa help their customers design for resiliency, here is a link to their comprehensive Corporate Social Responsibility Report: https://www.porcelanosa.com/en/corporate-social-responsibility/
Episode 71, Andrea Kingsbury,RID, CHID, LEED AP ID+C, Creative Director of Interior Design, e4h, Environments for Health Architecture
2025/12/09
"If I can make a terrifying experience a little calmer and a nurse's 12-hour shift less exhausting—that's my why." –Andrea Kingsbury on HID2.0. Today on the pod, Cheryl sits down—virtually—with Andrea Kingsbury, RID, CHID, LEED AP ID+C, Creative Director of Interior Design at e4h | Environments for Health Architecture.With 18+ years in healthcare interiors, Andrea shares how she elevates design across a multi-office practice. She co-creates with clinicians so operations don't get value-engineered out. And on the Roper St. Francis Replacement Hospital, e4h is partnered with SOM (Skidmore, Owings & Merrill)—SOM leads the exterior and first-impression spaces while e4h leads the clinical environments. Together, they're translating a modern Low Country sense of place into calming, resilient settings from curb to bedside.
What We Cover Origin story & staying power: finding purpose where "every decision has a human consequence"
Creative Director lens: mentorship, cross-pollination, and guiding principles that anchor projects over time
Digital collaboration: whiteboards as living libraries (and bringing sketching energy back across offices)
Clinician-led, patient-centered: turning design ideas into performance metrics (steps saved, time gained, errors reduced) so they survive VE
Roper St. Francis with SOM: a curb-to-bedside thread; visioning early, system finish master plan, and "modern Low Country" as a unifying concept
Arrival sequence by landscape: Tidelands → Dunes → Marshes (lobby, promenade, café) for orientation, calm, and nourishment
Community over cliché: avoiding "postcard Charleston," engaging North Charleston's distinct neighborhoods and local artists
Standardization vs. soul: prefabricated pods and modular systems without losing local materiality and identity
Flexibility & resilience: designing for future unknowns (pandemics, hurricanes, seismic), right-sizing and pre-planning utilities
Pathways for emerging designers: timing CHID/EDAC, why to test early, and the portfolio experiences that matter now
Key Takeaways Guide, don't dictate. A Creative Director cultivates mindsets and methods more than a single "house style."
Metrics protect design. When choices map to operational outcomes (steps/time/errors), they're harder to cut.
Place > postcard. Authenticity comes from community engagement, not clichés.
Prefab ≠ generic. Standardization can speed delivery while finishes and details keep local soul.
Design for tomorrow. Flexibility and resilience are now baseline program requirements.
Invest early in credentials. CHID/EDAC/LEED are great signalers—easier to earn closer to school—and experience remains the difference-makers
Memorable Quotes from Andrea Kingsbury "We're designing the backdrop of some of our most vulnerable moments—birth, death, recovery, crisis. Every decision has a human consequence."
"If I can make a terrifying experience a little calmer and a nurse's 12-hour shift less exhausting—that's my why."
"Our role isn't to impose a singular style; it's to cultivate a mindset that leads to successful projects."
"Guiding principles set early become the anchor when projects evolve—they hold the vision together."
"When design choices map to time saved, steps reduced, and errors prevented, it's almost impossible to value-engineer them out."
"We used the Low Country landscape—tidelands → dunes → marshes—to cue orientation, calm, and nourishment."
"Prefab doesn't have to look generic. We keep the speed and quality without losing local soul."
"The next phase is flexibility and resilience—designing for tomorrow when we can't predict it." Resources & Links e4h | Environments for Health Architecture — Andrea's firm (Charlotte studio; healthcare-focused). https://www.e4harchitecture.com/
Roper St. Francis Healthcare — Replacement Hospital updates, community newsletters, and media (including VR/renderings when available). https://www.rsfh.com/
S.O.M. — Skidmore, Owings & Merrill — Design partner on exterior and first-impression spaces. https://www.som.com/
CHID Certification (AAHID) — Certified Healthcare Interior Designer credential referenced in the episode. https://www.aahid.org/certification/
EDAC (The Center for Health Design) — Evidence-Based Design Accreditation & Certification. https://www.healthdesign.org/certification-outreach/edac/
Biophilic Design (Primer) — Background on nature-connected strategies that inform "tidelands → dunes → marshes" concepts. https://www.healthdesign.org/insights-solutions/biophilic-design
Connect with Andrea Kingsbury Email: [email protected]
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreahkingsbury/
Our Industry Partners
The world is changing quickly. The Center for Health Design is committed to providing the healthcare design and senior living design industries with the latest research, best practices and innovations. The Center can help you solve today's biggest healthcare challenges and make a difference in care, safety, medical outcomes, and the bottom line. Find out more at healthdesign.org.
Additional support for this podcast comes from our industry partners:
The American Academy of Healthcare Interior Designers
The Nursing Institute for Healthcare Design
Learn more about how to become a Certified Healthcare Interior Designer® by visiting the American Academy of Healthcare Interior Designers at: https://aahid.org/.
Connect to a community interested in supporting clinician involvement in design and construction of the built environment by visiting The Nursing Institute for Healthcare Design at https://www.nursingihd.com/
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The world is changing quickly. The Center for Health Design is committed to providing the healthcare design and senior living design industries with the latest research, best practices and innovations. The Center can help you solve today's biggest healthcare challenges and make a difference in care, safety, medical outcomes, and the bottom line. Find out more at healthdesign.org.
Additional support for this podcast comes from our industry partners:
The American Academy of Healthcare Interior Designers
The Nursing Institute for Healthcare Design
Learn more about how to become a Certified Healthcare Interior Designer® by visiting the American Academy of Healthcare Interior Designers at: https://aahid.org/.
Connect to a community interested in supporting clinician involvement in design and construction of the built environment by visiting The Nursing Institute for Healthcare Design at https://www.nursingihd.com/
FEATURED PRODUCT Porcelanosa are at the forefront of sustainable manufacturing – clients not only expect this of their suppliers but are increasingly asking to see the receipts.
Let's unpack this, did you know that hundreds of preeminent members of The American Institute of Architects – The AIA – have signed the AIA Materials Pledge? The Pledge is aligned with the Mindful Materials Common Materials Framework – the CMF. This is just one, very impressive example of how the movement to support decision making for building product selection has reached new highs. We can see these explained as 5 pillars of sustainability:
(The first) - Human Health: Focusing on avoiding hazardous substances and promoting well-being.
(Then) - Social Health & Equity: Addressing human rights and fair labor practices throughout the supply chain.
(The third) is Ecosystem Health: Supporting the regeneration of natural resources and habitats.
(This is followed by) Climate Health: Reducing and sequestering carbon emissions.
(And the fifth pillar) is The Circular Economy: Promoting a zero-waste future through design for resilience, adaptability, and reuse.
I mentioned the receipts -How do we track the progress of these principles and values? Without measurement, there's no clear path to improvement or accountability.
The Mindful Materials CMF maps a framework of over 650 sustainability factors across those five key areas.
A cornerstone of material health transparency is an Environmental Product Declaration EPD report. The best are independently verified for accuracy by third party certification bodies – a company cannot mark their own report cards. EPDs are highly technical documents containing scientific information on the embodied carbon used to manufacture products. I have just read and included here an EPD for a Porcelanosa Tile – there are upwards of 1000 data inputs to quantify its climate impact.
Porcelanosa offer the confidence and certainty of knowing that every tile, every slab of XTONE porcelain or KRION solid surface has a Product Specific EPD – when architects and designers work with these materials they are making a robust decision to meet their sustainable design goals.
To learn more about how Porcelanosa help their customers design for resiliency, here is a link to their comprehensive Corporate Social Responsibility Report: https://www.porcelanosa.com/en/corporate-social-responsibility/.
Episode 70: Kristin Leija, RID, CIDQ, CHID, EDAC, LEED Green Associate, WELL AP — Registered Interior Designer & Certified Healthcare Interior Designer at Perkins&Will (San Antonio, TX)
2025/11/12
"When one of us rises, all of us rise." –Kristin Leija on the Healthcare Interior Design 2.0 podcast Today on the pod, Cheryl sits down—virtually—with Kristin Leija, RID, CIDQ, CHID, EDAC, LEED Green Associate, WELL AP — Registered Interior Designer & Certified Healthcare Interior Designer at Perkins&Will in San Antonio, TX. Kristin brings big-firm reach with a startup spirit—supporting teams across Texas while anchoring in San Antonio's historic Pearl District. As a post-COVID entrant to healthcare design, she pairs digital fluency with CHID/EDAC rigor and a community-first mindset. We talk building credibility without 20 years on the clock, designing for a multicultural city, caregiver realities (including her own), and the rising focus on behavioral health and "living design" sustainability. What We Cover Post-COVID vantage point: translating six-foot spacing, touch reduction, and one-way flows into healthcare planning Earning trust early: leading with research, active listening, and co-authoring solutions with clients Community + culture → design: how San Antonio's "smallest big city" vibe shows up in wayfinding, lobbies, and public spaces Caregiver lens: where do you take sensitive calls, decompress, or bring a child while visiting? Behavioral health everywhere: why BH thinking is showing up across non-BH projects Futurism in practice: scanning signals, staying curious, and shaping what's next Living design: Perkins&Will's holistic take on health, wellness, sustainability, and poetics Key Takeaways Curiosity beats tenure. Showing up with relevant research and good questions builds credibility fast. Design the whole journey. Spaces that respect caregivers' needs (privacy, quiet, nooks) change the experience. Culture isn't décor. Authentic place-based cues support wayfinding, belonging, and ease. Behavioral health is universal. Small, thoughtful interventions can lower stress across all settings. Be a futurist. Track signals, share knowledge, and help clients prepare—not just react. Connect with Kristin Leija Email: [email protected] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristin-leija/ Resources & Shout-outs Perkins&Will — San Antonio Studio — Kristin's team; community-rooted healthcare design. https://perkinswill.com/studio/san-antonio/ Perkins&Will Pearl District (San Antonio) — Historic brewery reimagined as a cultural hub where Kristin's studio is based. https://atpearl.com/ Pearl Culinary Institute of America — San Antonio (at Pearl) — Daily energy and inspiration right outside the studio. https://www.ciachef.edu/cia-texas/ Culinary Institute of America Fiesta San Antonio — The city's "party with a purpose," celebrating culture and community each April. https://fiestasanantonio.org/ Fiesta San Antonio UTSA — The University of Texas at San Antonio — Local research partner ecosystem Kristin references. https://www.utsa.edu/ UT San Antonio Wilford Hall Medical Center — Former USAF medical hub meaningful in Kristin's family story. https://www.army.mil/article/273984/wilford_hall_preserving_a_legacy_brick_by_brick Army Design frameworks & focus areas Perkins&Will — Living Design — Holistic health, sustainability, and poetics in practice. https://perkinswill.com/living-design/ Perkins&Will Behavioral Health Design — Kristin's recent work; principles that translate across care settings. (Overview article you can cite as needed.) https://healthcaredesignmagazine.com/news/perkinswill-opens-new-design-studio-in-san-antonio/64570/ HCD Magazine Foresight / Futurism in Design — Signal-scanning mindset to prepare clients for what's next. (Visitor guide to Pearl as a culture/innovation anchor.) https://www.visitsanantonio.com/plan-your-trip/neighborhood-guide/pearl-district/ Visit San Antonio Credentials & organizations CHID — Certified Healthcare Interior Designer (AAHID) https://aahid.org/certification/ AAHID EDAC — The Center for Health Design https://www.healthdesign.org/certification-outreach/edac/ Health Design LEED Green Associate — USGBC https://www.usgbc.org/credentials/leed-green-associate U.S. Green Building Council WELL AP — IWBI https://www.wellcertified.com/well-ap wellcertified.com NCIDQ / CIDQ https://www.cidq.org/ CIDQ Our Industry Partners The world is changing quickly. The Center for Health Design is committed to providing the healthcare design and senior living design industries with the latest research, best practices and innovations. The Center can help you solve today's biggest healthcare challenges and make a difference in care, safety, medical outcomes, and the bottom line. Find out more at healthdesign.org. Additional support for this podcast comes from our industry partners: The American Academy of Healthcare Interior Designers The Nursing Institute for Healthcare Design Learn more about how to become a Certified Healthcare Interior Designer® by visiting the American Academy of Healthcare Interior Designers at: https://aahid.org/. Connect to a community interested in supporting clinician involvement in design and construction of the built environment by visiting The Nursing Institute for Healthcare Design at https://www.nursingihd.com/ ------------ The world is changing quickly. The Center for Health Design is committed to providing the healthcare design and senior living design industries with the latest research, best practices and innovations. The Center can help you solve today's biggest healthcare challenges and make a difference in care, safety, medical outcomes, and the bottom line. Find out more at healthdesign.org. Additional support for this podcast comes from our industry partners: The American Academy of Healthcare Interior Designers The Nursing Institute for Healthcare Design Learn more about how to become a Certified Healthcare Interior Designer® by visiting the American Academy of Healthcare Interior Designers at: https://aahid.org/. Connect to a community interested in supporting clinician involvement in design and construction of the built environment by visiting The Nursing Institute for Healthcare Design at https://www.nursingihd.com/ FEATURED PRODUCT Porcelanosa are at the forefront of sustainable manufacturing – clients not only expect this of their suppliers but are increasingly asking to see the receipts. Let's unpack this, did you know that hundreds of preeminent members of The American Institute of Architects – The AIA – have signed the AIA Materials Pledge? The Pledge is aligned with the Mindful Materials Common Materials Framework – the CMF. This is just one, very impressive example of how the movement to support decision making for building product selection has reached new highs. We can see these explained as 5 pillars of sustainability: (The first) - Human Health: Focusing on avoiding hazardous substances and promoting well-being. (Then) - Social Health & Equity: Addressing human rights and fair labor practices throughout the supply chain. (The third) is Ecosystem Health: Supporting the regeneration of natural resources and habitats. (This is followed by) Climate Health: Reducing and sequestering carbon emissions. (And the fifth pillar) is The Circular Economy: Promoting a zero-waste future through design for resilience, adaptability, and reuse. I mentioned the receipts -How do we track the progress of these principles and values? Without measurement, there's no clear path to improvement or accountability. The Mindful Materials CMF maps a framework of over 650 sustainability factors across those five key areas. A cornerstone of material health transparency is an Environmental Product Declaration EPD report. The best are independently verified for accuracy by third party certification bodies – a company cannot mark their own report cards. EPDs are highly technical documents containing scientific information on the embodied carbon used to manufacture products. I have just read and included here an EPD for a Porcelanosa Tile – there are upwards of 1000 data inputs to quantify its climate impact. Porcelanosa offer the confidence and certainty of knowing that every tile, every slab of XTONE porcelain or KRION solid surface has a Product Specific EPD – when architects and designers work with these materials they are making a robust decision to meet their sustainable design goals. To learn more about how Porcelanosa help their customers design for resiliency, here is a link to their comprehensive Corporate Social Responsibility Report: https://www.porcelanosa.com/en/corporate-social-responsibility/.
Episode 69: Corinn Soro, Interior Designer, CID, NCIDQ, CHID, EDAC, Senior Planner, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center
2025/10/21
"Another sign is not the answer—it dilutes the message." - Corinn Soro Today on the pod, Cheryl sits down—virtually—with Senior Planner and Interior Designer Corinn Soro of Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center in Buffalo, NY for a deep dive into wayfinding that actually works: why "visual pollution" erodes attention, how de-crapification clarifies intent, and where evidence-based choices can transform the patient journey from disorientation to ease.
Expect real examples—subway-style maps that set expectations at a glance, pictograms that land when words won't, and donor walls designed to evolve rather than date out—plus the small, cumulative tweaks that lower stress for visitors and staff alike.
Today's conversation is about design as reassurance, translating research into decisions that cut through noise and hand back control the moment someone walks through the door.
What We Cover A 17-year-old's spark: geriatric care, neuroplasticity, and the built environment
London roots: learning research methods alongside OTs and PTs; universal design for all bodies
Evidence-Based Design in action: NICU decisions (sound, circadian light, infection control) backed by research
"Visual pollution" vs. visual cues: the case for ruthless editing ("de-crapification") before adding signs
Wayfinding that works under stress: step-by-step instructions, few decision points, and reassurance cues
Designing for low literacy: a color-and-letter "subway" system, line-of-travel markers, and proximity intuition
Pictograms that actually communicate: testing, swapping out abstractions, and kid-friendly icons
Measuring ROI: missed appointments, staff disruptions, and the real cost of poor wayfinding
In-house rhythm at a research hospital: tight feedback loops, quick iterations, and process fixes
Donor walls that age well: digital storytelling, magnetic plaques, and durable substrates
Advocacy and pipeline: AMFP Upstate NY, craft labor realities, and manufacturing shifts ahead
Big wish list: self-cleaning floors (for hospitals…and home)
Why post-occupancy evaluations could prevent future design disasters (and why they rarely happen)
Key Takeaways Edit before you add. Wayfinding succeeds when clutter is removed and destinations are made legible through architecture, lighting, and contrast—not just more signs.
Design for the stressed brain. Fewer decision points + stepwise reassurance beat complex directions every time.
Evidence accelerates approvals. EBD turns subjective taste debates into science-backed decisions leadership can green-light.
Symbols > sentences. Tested pictograms improve comprehension across languages, ages, and literacy levels.
Iterate in the wild. Being embedded with clinicians and patients surfaces quick wins you'll never catch from afar.
Memorable Quotes from Corinn Soro "Another sign isn't the answer—it dilutes the message."
"Wayfinding is about giving choice back to patients when so much else is out of their control."
"If a space is 'too quiet' for the engineer, it's probably just right for the neonates."
"Healthcare design is a team sport."
Resources & Links Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center — https://www.roswellpark.org/
AMFP Upstate New York Chapter — https://amfp.org/upstate-new-york
Fiona Finer, the Interior Designer (ages 3–8) — https://www.amazon.com/Fiona-Finer-Interior-Designer-Corinn/dp/1720664889
EDAC Certification (Evidence-Based Design) — https://www.healthdesign.org/certification-outreach/edac
Hablamos Juntos pictograms — https://www.theicod.org/resources/news-archive/segd-and-hablamos-juntos-introduce-new-universal-symbols-in-health-care
Sisters of Charity Hospital (Buffalo, NY) — NICU project mentioned — https://www.chsbuffalo.org/sisters-of-charity-hospital/
Past HID2.0 episode featuring Tama Duffy Day — Episode 20 https://healthcareidpodcast.libsyn.com/2019/09
Connect with Corinn Soro Email: [email protected]
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/corinn-soro-14859ab/
Our Industry Partners
The world is changing quickly. The Center for Health Design is committed to providing the healthcare design and senior living design industries with the latest research, best practices and innovations. The Center can help you solve today's biggest healthcare challenges and make a difference in care, safety, medical outcomes, and the bottom line. Find out more at healthdesign.org.
Additional support for this podcast comes from our industry partners:
The American Academy of Healthcare Interior Designers
The Nursing Institute for Healthcare Design
Learn more about how to become a Certified Healthcare Interior Designer® by visiting the American Academy of Healthcare Interior Designers at: https://aahid.org/.
Connect to a community interested in supporting clinician involvement in design and construction of the built environment by visiting The Nursing Institute for Healthcare Design at https://www.nursingihd.com/
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The world is changing quickly. The Center for Health Design is committed to providing the healthcare design and senior living design industries with the latest research, best practices and innovations. The Center can help you solve today's biggest healthcare challenges and make a difference in care, safety, medical outcomes, and the bottom line. Find out more at healthdesign.org.
Additional support for this podcast comes from our industry partners:
The American Academy of Healthcare Interior Designers
The Nursing Institute for Healthcare Design
Learn more about how to become a Certified Healthcare Interior Designer® by visiting the American Academy of Healthcare Interior Designers at: https://aahid.org/.
Connect to a community interested in supporting clinician involvement in design and construction of the built environment by visiting The Nursing Institute for Healthcare Design at https://www.nursingihd.com/
FEATURED PRODUCT Porcelanosa are at the forefront of sustainable manufacturing – clients not only expect this of their suppliers but are increasingly asking to see the receipts.
Let's unpack this, did you know that hundreds of preeminent members of The American Institute of Architects – The AIA – have signed the AIA Materials Pledge? The Pledge is aligned with the Mindful Materials Common Materials Framework – the CMF. This is just one, very impressive example of how the movement to support decision making for building product selection has reached new highs. We can see these explained as 5 pillars of sustainability:
(The first) - Human Health: Focusing on avoiding hazardous substances and promoting well-being.
(Then) - Social Health & Equity: Addressing human rights and fair labor practices throughout the supply chain.
(The third) is Ecosystem Health: Supporting the regeneration of natural resources and habitats.
(This is followed by) Climate Health: Reducing and sequestering carbon emissions.
(And the fifth pillar) is The Circular Economy: Promoting a zero-waste future through design for resilience, adaptability, and reuse.
I mentioned the receipts -How do we track the progress of these principles and values? Without measurement, there's no clear path to improvement or accountability.
The Mindful Materials CMF maps a framework of over 650 sustainability factors across those five key areas.
A cornerstone of material health transparency is an Environmental Product Declaration EPD report. The best are independently verified for accuracy by third party certification bodies – a company cannot mark their own report cards. EPDs are highly technical documents containing scientific information on the embodied carbon used to manufacture products. I have just read and included here an EPD for a Porcelanosa Tile – there are upwards of 1000 data inputs to quantify its climate impact.
Porcelanosa offer the confidence and certainty of knowing that every tile, every slab of XTONE porcelain or KRION solid surface has a Product Specific EPD – when architects and designers work with these materials they are making a robust decision to meet their sustainable design goals.
To learn more about how Porcelanosa help their customers design for resiliency, here is a link to their comprehensive Corporate Social Responsibility Report: https://www.porcelanosa.com/en/corporate-social-responsibility/
Episode 68: Kelly Guzman, MN, RN, FAAN, President/CEO at Yellow Brick Consulting and Kevin Meek, RN-BSN, BA, MHI, EDAC, LSSBB, CCHM, FACHE, Vice President – Advisory Services at Haskell
2025/06/09
"I wanted to be a dolphin trainer... But here I am." - Kelly Guzman What happens when emergency nurses become healthcare design consultants? In this fascinating episode of Healthcare Interior Design 2.0, host Cheryl Janis sits down with two remarkable guests who made the leap from bedside care to transforming how healthcare spaces are designed.
Meet Kelly Guzman, who traded her childhood dreams of training dolphins for a nursing career that began during the 1987 nursing shortage. After years managing emergency departments and clinical services at UCLA Health, Kelly discovered her true calling when tasked with moving entire hospitals into new buildings. Now CEO of Yellow Brick Consulting, she orchestrates complex healthcare facility transitions with military precision - including dress rehearsals with up to 900 staff members testing new spaces before they open.
Meet Kevin Meek, whose journey started at age 13 as a hospital candy striper, inspired by the TV show Emergency 51. His design awakening came in 2014 when he walked through a micro hospital under construction and immediately knew it would be an operational nightmare. One complaint to his boss led to a game-changing meeting with architects in Texas, launching his transition from trauma nurse to design consultant.
Both Kelly and Kevin have served on the board of the Nursing Institute for Healthcare Design (NIHD), our podcast industry partners. They found their tribe in this organization that connects clinical "unicorns" who felt alone in the design space. The NIHD's mission is to engage and integrate clinical expertise into healthcare facility planning through leadership, education, and advocacy - ensuring that the voices of those who actually work in these spaces are heard in the design process.
Together, they've pioneered the concept of "clinically informed design" - and the stories they share will make you question everything you thought you knew about healthcare facility planning. From door handles placed in impossible locations to the eternal struggle of finding space for critical patient information at the bedside, this episode reveals the often hilarious (and sometimes heartbreaking) disconnect between beautiful design and functional reality.
In this eye-opening conversation, you'll discover:
How two emergency nurses found their calling as healthcare design "unicorns" and why the industry desperately needs more clinical voices
The game-changing difference between evidence-based design and clinically informed design (hint: one involves research, the other involves asking the right questions)
Why a door paddle eight feet from the door could be a matter of life and death - and other design details that seem obvious once you know them
The fascinating world of hospital transition planning, where entire facilities rehearse their opening like a Broadway production
How the Nursing Institute for Healthcare Design is connecting clinical expertise with architectural brilliance
Real-world horror stories of beautiful spaces that staff absolutely hate to work in
Practical strategies for nurses thrust into design meetings and architects wanting to truly engage clinical teams
Why post-occupancy evaluations could prevent future design disasters (and why they rarely happen)
Discover why nurses are the ultimate design unicorns, learn about the organization connecting clinical voices to design teams nationwide, and find out what happens when a nurse tells a prospective client that they "hate" their gorgeous new facility - with the architect standing right there.
Learn more about Kevin Meek: https://www.haskell.com/
Learn more about Kelly Guzman: https://consultyellowbrick.com/
Learn more about The Nursing Institute for Healthcare Design: https://nursingihd.com/.
Industry Partners
The world is changing quickly. The Center for Health Design is committed to providing the healthcare design and senior living design industries with the latest research, best practices and innovations. The Center can help you solve today's biggest healthcare challenges and make a difference in care, safety, medical outcomes, and the bottom line. Find out more at healthdesign.org.
Additional support for this podcast comes from our industry partners:
The American Academy of Healthcare Interior Designers
The Nursing Institute for Healthcare Design
Learn more about how to become a Certified Healthcare Interior Designer® by visiting the American Academy of Healthcare Interior Designers at: https://aahid.org/.
Connect to a community interested in supporting clinician involvement in design and construction of the built environment by visiting The Nursing Institute for Healthcare Design at https://www.nursingihd.com/
FEATURED PRODUCT The prevention of nosocomial infections is of paramount importance. Did you know that bathrooms and showers – particularly in shared spaces – are a veritable breeding ground for pathogen, some of which we see in the form of mold and the build-up of toxic bio films on surfaces.
Body fats and soap scums provide a rich food sauce for micro-organisms such as airborne bacteria Serratia Marcescens, which thrive in humid conditions.
We know that people with weakened immune systems are so much more vulnerable to the illnesses associated with infection and let's face it, none of us go into the shower with an expectation that we might get sick.
So how do we keep those shower walls clean? Well let's think big – BIG TILES.
Porcelanosa have developed XXL Hygienic Ceramic Tiles that are 5 feet long - which means just one piece fits the wall of a shower or tub surround. XTONE Porcelain slabs are 10 feet high which means a floor to ceiling surface with no joints.
Why does this matter? Well hygienic glaze will not harbor pathogen and surface impurities are easily removed to prevent build up – it is reassuring to know the evidence - INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS Test ISO 10545 - Resistance to Stains - has determined these surfaces can be easily cleaned and the most difficult contaminants washed away, greatly reducing the need for aggressive chemicals.
Think about this. When we unload our dishwasher our ceramic tableware is sparkling clean, sanitized and fresh to use - again and again. The principle is the same with large ceramic walls - So, when planning the shower surrounds for your facilities please reach out to Porcelanosa. The designer in you will love the incredible options and your specification will deliver the longest & best lifecycle value bar none.
Episode 67, Megan McNally, CHID, CID, IIDA, EDAC, NCIDQ, Director of Interior Design at RYAN Companies and Stephanie Fallon, M.S., CHID, IIDA, Director of Interiors at PhiloWilke Partnership.
2025/03/03
"Certification enhances your credibility and your expertise in healthcare interior design. It distinguishes you from non-certified healthcare interior designers that are practicing in the healthcare design space and illustrates the amount of knowledge to deliver these types of environments." —Megan McNally on The Healthcare Interior Design 2.0 podcast Step into the world of healthcare design certification, where interior designers develop specialized expertise to create healing environments that protect patients and improve outcomes.
In this informative episode, host Cheryl Janis sits down with Stephanie Fallon, President-Elect, and Megan McNally, President of the American Academy of Healthcare Interior Designers (AAHID), who share insights about the path to becoming a Certified Healthcare Interior Designer (CHID).
From understanding the rigorous examination process to exploring the unique challenges of healthcare environments, Stephanie and Megan reveal why specialized certification has become increasingly critical in an industry where design directly impacts patient safety, infection control, and healing. Their combined 30+ years of experience creating award-winning healthcare spaces illuminates why certified designers are essential members of any healthcare project team.
Discover how AAHID's certification process is elevating the standard of healthcare design nationwide and creating a community of professionals dedicated to advancing evidence-based design practices. This conversation will give you a comprehensive understanding of how specialized certification is transforming healthcare environments and improving outcomes for patients and staff alike.
Learn more about the American Academy of Healthcare Interior Designers at: https://aahid.org/
Stephanie Fallon serves as Director of Interiors and Associate Partner at PhiloWilke Partnership, with 15 years specializing in Healthcare and Health Science Interiors.
Megan McNally is the Director of Interior Design at RYAN Companies, where she leads their National Healthcare Interior Design Practice. She was recently recognized as Healthcare Design's HCD10 in the Interior Design category.
In this enlightening conversation, Cheryl, Stephanie, and Megan explore:
The mission and 20-year history of the American Academy of Healthcare Interior Designers (AAHID) and its role in certifying healthcare design professionals
The comprehensive CHID examination process that tests designers' knowledge of critical healthcare environments, from acute care to ambulatory and residential settings
The two distinct pathways to CHID certification, accommodating both experienced designers and those newer to the healthcare specialty
How certified designers understand and address unique healthcare challenges related to infection control, patient safety, staff functionality, and code compliance
The professional benefits of certification, including leadership opportunities, networking with passionate CHIDs, and volunteer positions within committees
The important impact CHIDs have on planning healthcare environments that promote healing through access to natural light, cleanable materials, and thoughtful design
Emerging trends in healthcare design, including design for neurodiversity, increased focus on staff retention through supportive amenities, and community integration
How sustainability, wellness, and technology integration are shaping the future of healthcare design, from robot pathways to AI integration
A call for healthcare systems to require certified healthcare interior designers on project teams to ensure specialized expertise
The personal stories of meaningful projects, including a dementia-friendly heart center designed with acoustic controls, intuitive wayfinding, and supportive aids
Whether you're a healthcare professional, interior designer considering healthcare specialization, or someone interested in how design impacts healing environments, this episode offers valuable insights into the specialized world of healthcare interior design certification. Join us for an informative discussion about how certified designers are transforming healthcare spaces and improving outcomes through thoughtful, evidence-based design. Listen to the episode now!
Shout Outs
Past Episode Mentions: [30:43] "For anyone who's listening out there, Episode 64 was" (about the Durable Codings Fabric Task Force) [36:53] "Episode 65, " (featuring Dr. Katie Padito about neurodiversity) Individual Shoutouts: [29:10] "on the committee as well and represented our group, Jane Rohde." https://www.jsrassociates.net/jane Industry Partners
The world is changing quickly. The Center for Health Design is committed to providing the healthcare design and senior living design industries with the latest research, best practices and innovations. The Center can help you solve today's biggest healthcare challenges and make a difference in care, safety, medical outcomes, and the bottom line. Find out more at healthdesign.org.
Additional support for this podcast comes from our industry partners:
The American Academy of Healthcare Interior Designers
The Nursing Institute for Healthcare Design
Learn more about how to become a Certified Healthcare Interior Designer® by visiting the American Academy of Healthcare Interior Designers at: https://aahid.org/.
Connect to a community interested in supporting clinician involvement in design and construction of the built environment by visiting The Nursing Institute for Healthcare Design at https://www.nursingihd.com/
FEATURED PRODUCT The prevention of nosocomial infections is of paramount importance. Did you know that bathrooms and showers – particularly in shared spaces – are a veritable breeding ground for pathogen, some of which we see in the form of mold and the build-up of toxic bio films on surfaces.
Body fats and soap scums provide a rich food sauce for micro-organisms such as airborne bacteria Serratia Marcescens, which thrive in humid conditions.
We know that people with weakened immune systems are so much more vulnerable to the illnesses associated with infection and let's face it, none of us go into the shower with an expectation that we might get sick.
So how do we keep those shower walls clean? Well let's think big – BIG TILES.
Porcelanosa have developed XXL Hygienic Ceramic Tiles that are 5 feet long - which means just one piece fits the wall of a shower or tub surround. XTONE Porcelain slabs are 10 feet high which means a floor to ceiling surface with no joints.
Why does this matter? Well hygienic glaze will not harbor pathogen and surface impurities are easily removed to prevent build up – it is reassuring to know the evidence - INTERNATONAL STANDARDS Test ISO 10545 - Resistance to Stains - has determined these surfaces can be easily cleaned and the most difficult contaminants washed away, greatly reducing the need for aggressive chemicals.
Think about this. When we unload our dishwasher our ceramic tableware is sparkling clean, sanitized and fresh to use - again and again. The principle is the same with large ceramic walls - So, when planning the shower surrounds for your facilities please reach out to Porcelanosa. The designer in you will love the incredible options and your specification will deliver the longest & best lifecycle value bar none.
Episode 66, Anthony Treu AIA, ACHA, LEED AP, Principal and Healthcare Practice Leader at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM)
2025/01/21
"When somebody shows you who they truly are, believe them the first time. From the very beginning, we took Emory at their word when they said they wanted to design and build a cancer center never before seen or imagined." —Anthony Treu on The Healthcare Interior Design 2.0 podcast
Step into a world where healthcare spaces nurture healing, empower caregivers, and transform the patient experience. In this inspiring episode, host Cheryl Janis sits down with visionary healthcare architect Anthony Treu, AIA, ACHA, LEED AP, Principal and Healthcare Practice Leader at Skidmore Owings and Merrill (SOM), who is revolutionizing how we think about healthcare design.
From a fourth-grader sketching houses to the one of the architects behind award-winning cancer centers at SOM, Anthony shares the remarkable journey of creating spaces that combine cutting-edge innovation with profound human comfort. He and his teams' work on the groundbreaking Emory Winship Cancer Center in Atlanta, Georgia shows us what's possible when we dare to reimagine healthcare delivery from the ground up.
Discover how Anthony and his team are creating healthcare environments that feel less like institutions and more like sanctuaries of healing, where high-tech innovation meets human-centered design. This conversation will leave you believing in the power of architecture to transform the healthcare experience.
Learn more about Anthony Treu and SOM's pioneering healthcare architecture projects at: https://www.som.com/.
SOM partnered with May Architecture, https://www.mayarchitecture.com/ on the Emory Winship Cancer Center project. Anthony credits this collaboration as a cornerstone of the project's success, combining SOM's innovative approach with May Architecture's specialized clinical design expertise.
In this enlightening conversation, Cheryl and Anthony explore:
The revolutionary spirit behind Emory Winship Cancer Center, where traditional cancer care was completely reimagined to put patients first
How rethinking the basic layout of cancer care reduced treatment planning from weeks to a single day
The stunning results of patient-centered design: registration times cut in half, satisfaction scores soaring into the 90th percentile, and staff retention improving by 10%
The beautiful balance of creating spaces that feel both technologically advanced and warmly inviting
How questioning core assumptions – like "Do we really need waiting rooms?" – can lead to breakthrough innovations
The future of healthcare spaces, where rooms might quietly monitor vital signs without patients even knowing
Anthony's philosophy of approaching each project with fresh eyes, free from the weight of convention
Stories from some of SOM's global projects in Egypt and Kazakhstan that reveal universal truths about human-centered healthcare design
The exciting frontier of healthcare design, where ambient technology and passive monitoring could transform the patient experience
How collaboration and trust between architects, engineers, and visionary clients can turn seemingly impossible dreams into reality
The power of asking better questions rather than just designing better solutions
Whether you're a healthcare professional, designer, architect, or someone who cares about improving the healthcare experience, this conversation will inspire you to think differently about what's possible in healthcare design. Join us for a masterclass in how thoughtful design can transform not just buildings, but the entire experience of giving and receiving care. Listen to the episode now!
Shout Outs
May Architecture (00:24:11) Described as cornerstone partner for Emory project CBR Healthcare (00:25:19) Program manager for Emory project Batson Cook (00:25:24) Contractor for Emory project Newcombe and Boyd (00:25:24) Engineering partners Featured Projects:
Emory Winship Cancer Center - Atlanta, Georgia (00:00:48) Egypt's National Cancer Institute (00:44:23) Almaty's International Medical Center (00:44:27) Roper St. Francis Healthcare - Charleston, South Carolina (00:48:55) Industry Partners
The world is changing quickly. The Center for Health Design is committed to providing the healthcare design and senior living design industries with the latest research, best practices and innovations. The Center can help you solve today's biggest healthcare challenges and make a difference in care, safety, medical outcomes, and the bottom line. Find out more at healthdesign.org.
Additional support for this podcast comes from our industry partners:
The American Academy of Healthcare Interior Designers
The Nursing Institute for Healthcare Design
Learn more about how to become a Certified Healthcare Interior Designer® by visiting the American Academy of Healthcare Interior Designers at: https://aahid.org/.
Connect to a community interested in supporting clinician involvement in design and construction of the built environment by visiting The Nursing Institute for Healthcare Design at https://www.nursingihd.com/
FEATURED PRODUCT The prevention of nosocomial infections is of paramount importance. Did you know that bathrooms and showers – particularly in shared spaces – are a veritable breeding ground for pathogen, some of which we see in the form of mold and the build-up of toxic bio films on surfaces.
Body fats and soap scums provide a rich food sauce for micro-organisms such as airborne bacteria Serratia Marcescens, which thrive in humid conditions.
We know that people with weakened immune systems are so much more vulnerable to the illnesses associated with infection and let's face it, none of us go into the shower with an expectation that we might get sick.
So how do we keep those shower walls clean? Well let's think big – BIG TILES.
Porcelanosa have developed XXL Hygienic Ceramic Tiles that are 5 feet long - which means just one piece fits the wall of a shower or tub surround. XTONE Porcelain slabs are 10 feet high which means a floor to ceiling surface with no joints.
Why does this matter? Well hygienic glaze will not harbor pathogen and surface impurities are easily removed to prevent build up – it is reassuring to know the evidence - INTERNATONAL STANDARDS Test ISO 10545 - Resistance to Stains - has determined these surfaces can be easily cleaned and the most difficult contaminants washed away, greatly reducing the need for aggressive chemicals.
Think about this. When we unload our dishwasher our ceramic tableware is sparkling clean, sanitized and fresh to use - again and again. The principle is the same with large ceramic walls - So, when planning the shower surrounds for your facilities please reach out to Porcelanosa. The designer in you will love the incredible options and your specification will deliver the longest & best lifecycle value bar none. For more information, visit https://www.porcelanosa.com/us/healthcare.
Episode 65, Dr. Kati Peditto, PhD, Senior Design Researcher at DLR Group, Design Psychologist | Keynote Speaker | AuDHD | Designing Spaces for Neurodiversity and Mental Health
2024/12/03
"There's a great saying among the neurodivergent community. If you've met one person with autism, you've met one person with autism." -Kati Peditto on The Healthcare Interior Design 2.0
Meet Dr. Kati Peditto, an environmental psychologist and Senior Design Researcher at DLR Group who's transforming how we think about neurodivergent design. Featured in The Washington Post, The Atlantic, and The BBC, Kati brings both professional expertise and personal experience as someone with AuDHD to this vital conversation about creating truly inclusive spaces. Join host Cheryl Janis for an illuminating discussion that will challenge everything you thought you knew about healthcare design.
Get ready to discover why designing for neurodivergence goes far beyond quiet rooms and sensory spaces, the surprising ways our environments affect behavior - from ICU alarms to office kitchen smells, and how a 49-day cross-country run shaped her revolutionary approach to healthcare spaces.
Whether you're a designer, healthcare professional, or someone passionate about creating more inclusive spaces, this conversation will open your eyes to the profound impact of thoughtful, evidence-based design. Join us for an unforgettable journey into what's new in healthcare design with Dr. Kati Peditto!
Want to Learn More? Learn more about Dr. Kati Peditto and DLR by visiting this link: https://www.dlrgroup.com/
Connect with Kati:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katipeditto/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pedittophd/
Ready to have your perspective transformed? In this episode, Cheryl and Kati explore: The eye-opening truth about neurodivergence:
Why it's so much more than today's "hot topic"
The surprising differences between male and female presentations
How neurodivergent minds process environments differently
What designers often miss when creating "inclusive" spaces
Game-changing design insights:
The unexpected reason office kitchen locations matter more than acoustics
Why traditional "quiet rooms" aren't enough
How hospital alarm systems are failing our healthcare workers
The missing pieces in current universal design approaches
Personal revelations and powerful experiences:
Kati's fascinating journey to discovering her own neurodivergence
The life-changing 49-day cross-country run that shaped her research
What it's really like navigating the design world as a neurodivergent professional
Why some environments exhaust neurodivergent individuals
The future of inclusive design:
Moving beyond one-size-fits-all solutions
Revolutionary approaches to stakeholder engagement
Why evidence-based design is crucial for neurodivergent spaces
How to create truly adaptable environments
Shout Outs
4:03 - Cornell University - PhD in human behavior and design
4:08 - The Washington Post, The Atlantic, BBC
4:12 - Center for Health Design - 2018 new investigator award
4:26 - St. Mary's College of Maryland - 2017 scholarship award
21:39 - Johns Hopkins Hospital - ICU research experience
30:20 - Ulman Cancer Fund (now Ulman Foundation) - cross-country fundraiser
47.42 - DLR Group - current role
Industry Partners
The world is changing quickly. The Center for Health Design is committed to providing the healthcare design and senior living design industries with the latest research, best practices and innovations. The Center can help you solve today's biggest healthcare challenges and make a difference in care, safety, medical outcomes, and the bottom line. Find out more at healthdesign.org.
Additional support for this podcast comes from our industry partners:
The American Academy of Healthcare Interior Designers
The Nursing Institute for Healthcare Design
Learn more about how to become a Certified Healthcare Interior Designer® by visiting the American Academy of Healthcare Interior Designers at: https://aahid.org/.
Connect to a community interested in supporting clinician involvement in design and construction of the built environment by visiting The Nursing Institute for Healthcare Design at https://www.nursingihd.com/
FEATURED PRODUCT The prevention of nosocomial infections is of paramount importance. Did you know that bathrooms and showers – particularly in shared spaces – are a veritable breeding ground for pathogen, some of which we see in the form of mold and the build-up of toxic bio films on surfaces.
Body fats and soap scums provide a rich food sauce for micro-organisms such as airborne bacteria Serratia Marcescens, which thrive in humid conditions.
We know that people with weakened immune systems are so much more vulnerable to the illnesses associated with infection and let's face it, none of us go into the shower with an expectation that we might get sick.
So how do we keep those shower walls clean? Well let's think big – BIG TILES.
Porcelanosa have developed XXL Hygienic Ceramic Tiles that are 5 feet long - which means just one piece fits the wall of a shower or tub surround. XTONE Porcelain slabs are 10 feet high which means a floor to ceiling surface with no joints.
Why does this matter? Well hygienic glaze will not harbor pathogen and surface impurities are easily removed to prevent build up – it is reassuring to know the evidence - INTERNATONAL STANDARDS Test ISO 10545 - Resistance to Stains - has determined these surfaces can be easily cleaned and the most difficult contaminants washed away, greatly reducing the need for aggressive chemicals.
Think about this. When we unload our dishwasher our ceramic tableware is sparkling clean, sanitized and fresh to use - again and again. The principle is the same with large ceramic walls - So, when planning the shower surrounds for your facilities please reach out to Porcelanosa. The designer in you will love the incredible options and your specification will deliver the longest & best lifecycle value bar none.
I learn something new and directly applicable to my job every time I listen. Awesome topics and deep knowledge. Superstars guests. Brava!
★★★★★
Tytia K 2019/08/30
Thank You
Thank you Cheryl for such a helpful and informative podcast. You’ve chosen really wonderful guests to interview.
★★★★★
Madison Sq. Pk. 2019/05/25
Amazing- loved hearing this podcast! Thanks
A PhD in healthcare design - just listen and you’ll see what I mean!
Great interview with Avigail Eisenstadt, human centered design conversation - af...
★★★★★
Argseventytwo 2019/04/03
Thought-Provoking
I stumbled across this podcast and am glad I did. It features some very thought-provoking discussions of interior design in the healthcare industry. ...
★★★★★
DermDocinSR 2019/04/03
A wonderful podcast!
I’m a physician and love this podcast! Cheryl and the wonderful experts she interview are so great to listen to. I highly recommend this podcast to an...
★★★★★
ChefSc Sav 2018/12/06
Amazing podcast
I really enjoy this podcast ! Great content. I really love learning about the design side of healthcare and how impactful it can be .
★★★★★
Wallsceo 2018/11/29
So good!
Well done Cheryl! I love that you are making the healthcare space better physically as well as in the podcast world! Great content, and I can’t wait t...
★★★★★
Healthcare Advocate 2018/11/23
A Must-Subscribe for Healthcare Pros!
Cheryl Janis is a genius at what she does and this show has some of the world’s foremost design experts sharing their wisdom. Highly recommend!
★★★★★
rmj1963 2018/11/17
Fantastic and Fascinating!
This podcast was fascinating and entertaining! In addition, it was very informative and interesting, especially the stories. I work in healthcare and ...
★★★★★
Gbjxxcbuv 2018/11/13
Human Centered Design
As an interior architect that designs with empathy I am so happy to have more conversations like these happening. As Cheryl’s former cohost on The Wel...