Day two of the Healthcare Design Conference + Expo, held Oct. 25-28 in Kansas City, Mo., kicked off with a powerhouse of industry association representatives on the main stage for the breakfast keynote, “Healthcare Design Through the Lens of Our Association Partners.”
The panelists represented Healthcare Design’s association partners, including the AIA Academy of Architecture for Health (AIA-AAH), Association of Medical Facility Professionals (AMFP), American Academy of Healthcare Interior Designers (AAHID), American College of Healthcare Architects (ACHA), IIDA, Institute for Patient-Centered Design (IPCD), and Nursing Institute for Healthcare Design (NIHD).
Moderator HCD Vice President and Brand Director Jennifer Kovacs Silvis set the stage for the panel discussion by inviting speakers to share what key industry issues are shaping their organization’s work, with respondents sharing a range of challenges from challenges related to sustainability and behavioral health to driving equity in underserved communities as well as growing and supporting a future workforce.
AIA-AAH’s Southern Ellis, senior medical planner, vice president at HKS, noted one priority for his organization is bringing people to the table who historically haven’t had a seat. Workforce development was another key issue noted by the panelists, including Robert Feldbauer, with AMFP. “We need to do knowledge transfer,” he said, adding that the organization is also looking globally to see “what can we learn from international community.”
Megan McNally, associate director of interior design at Ryan Companies, shared a priority for AAHID is growing credentialed professionals as well as advocating the value of having certified interior designers on project teams.
Building on the idea of advocacy, NIHD’s Elizabeth Johnson, assistant professor, College of Nursing at Montana State University, discussed the role of her organization in being a “critical voice” for nursing professionals, 33 percent of whom leave the profession in the first year, she noted. “We need to look at the health of our professionals,” she said. “Nursing is so crucial to what we’re doing.”
Diving deeper into the idea of who should be at the table shaping healthcare environments, the speakers noted the importance of mentoring and supporting young professionals as well as continuing to work to break down silos. Cheryl Durst, executive vice president and CEO at IIDA, shared her organization aim to build competency and rigor, including introducing a 10-week Certified Futurist Design program, whereby candidates learn and apply research-based foresight practices to real-world scenarios.
ACHA’s David Allison, alumni distinguished professor, director of graduate studies in architecture and health at Clemson University, also noted the need for better coordination among industry organizations to build off each other’s focused strengths. “The key is not to dilute what organizations are already doing,” he said. “Let’s work and coordinate what we all do with each other.”
IPCD’s Tammy Thompson, director of experience engagement, education, and design, at ECU Health, added “It’s also increasing awareness of the value of having us all involved in healthcare design.”
In closing, the speakers shared some takeaways. Thompson reminded attendees that patients are depending on industry members to speak for and address their needs. “How do you incorporate the voice of the patient into the work you do?” she asked.
Durst reiterated the importance of connecting with others and ensuring diverse voices are involved on project work. “Human being are the art and science of design, especially interior design,” she said. “You can’t design for the world if you’re not of the world.”
A resounding “get involved” message was also shared by the panelists, including McNally and Allison, who added, “We have to continue advancing the notion of research and what we all do.”
Anne DiNardo is editor-in-chief of Healthcare Design and can be reached at [email protected].
Find additional information on the 2025 HCD Conference + Expo here.
