Jennifer L. Storey, senior principal, health sector lead (U.S.), Stantec (Cleveland)
Editor’s Note: This article is part a Healthcare Design’s Industry Predictions series. Throughout January, HCD will share perspectives from respected industry voices on where the sector may head in 2026 and what challenges and opportunities are on their radar.
Jennifer L. Storey (Headshot: Courtesy of Stantec)
Healthcare Design’s 2026 Healthcare Design Industry Predictions series continues with Jennifer L. Storey, senior principal, health sector lead (U.S.), Stantec (Cleveland).
Here, Storey discusses some of the opportunities and challenges she sees for 2026, including compressed project timelines, designing facilities to support current and future technologies, and the potential of AI and wearables on healthcare.
Healthcare Design: What lessons did the healthcare design industry learn from 2025’s challenges?
Storey: Last year underscored that we need to talk about prefabrication and modular strategies much earlier. We can’t afford to treat supply chains as something we investigate after design is done. Questions such as where materials come from, if they can be sourced locally, and if there’s adequate supply need to be asked and answered up front.
Fast-track delivery compressed our design timelines for years, but now the volatility of materials and lead times is forcing a reset. Upfront planning isn’t optional anymore, it’s risk management.
HCD: Where do you think the healthcare design industry is heading in 2026?
Storey: Tech integration is only going to accelerate, especially with artificial intelligence (AI) becoming more embedded in building systems. The challenge will be true futureproofing: How do we design facilities that can support technologies that don’t even exist yet?
The pace of change we saw in 2024 and 2025 isn’t slowing. Our buildings need to be capable, flexible, and resilient enough to absorb whatever comes next.
HCD: What do you see as the biggest opportunity for change in the new year?
Storey: I think we’re finally recalibrating from the idea that AI and virtual care can solve everything. There’s a renewed appreciation for the human touch—patients still need in-person conversations, hands-on assessments, and relational care.
Empathy is becoming a strategic priority. On one recent cancer center project, our construction team watched an inspirational video every quarter about what is on people’s minds, especially in a hospital setting, that you don’t realize. Nearly everyone was in tears, not because the message was sad but because it was grounding.
It reminded us that every person entering a facility is facing something we can’t see. That kind of awareness should shape how we design, build, and interact with each other.
Grace and empathy aren’t soft skills; they’re essential services.
HCD: What emerging trends or opportunities are you most excited about—and why?
Storey: AI is still one of the most exciting frontiers, not because it replaces expertise but because of how quickly it can synthesize research and reveal patterns. We’re on the cusp of breakthroughs in disease prediction and treatment that would have seemed impossible a decade ago.
Wearable tech is another huge opportunity. The amount of daily data patients can generate—from sleep cycles to physiological trends—opens the door to more proactive, personalized care. Combine that with emerging disease-tracking technologies (such as wastewater testing) and you start to see a world where early detection becomes far more accessible.
At the same time, we have to acknowledge the risk of widening disparities. Rural hospitals continue to close, and without intentional investment, the gap in access could become even more severe.
Additionally, I love the idea of every home becoming a mini telehealth hub—but we can’t forget that technology doesn’t replace compassion. Specialists can beam in from anywhere in the world, but sometimes a caregiver still needs to be in the room with you, touching your arm, translating medical jargon, or just being a calm, reassuring presence.
Anne DiNardo is editor-in-chief of Healthcare Design and can be reached at [email protected].
