Tammy Thompson, CLC, EDAC, M.Arch, NCARB
President and founder, Institute for Patient-Centered Design (Atlanta)

Who she is: A registered architect and medical planner, Thompson is a prolific writer and speaker on topics relating to patient-centered design and space design focused on lactation support for new mothers. In 2010, spurred by personal healthcare experiences, she put her architectural/design background to work on the launch of the Institute for Patient-Centered Design, a nonprofit organization that promotes active patient involvement in the design process.

Year in review: Thompson’s still-young institute had a tremendous year of growth and innovation, highlighted by the ambitious launch of the Patient Experience Simulation Lab at this year’s HEALTHCARE DESIGN Conference in Phoenix. Thompson brought in 20-plus sponsors, a team of local design and construction professionals, and real-world patients and their families to create and experience a full-scale patient room mockup on site. Conference attendees had the opportunity to attend one of 23 interactive sessions in the lab, where they received firsthand feedback on room design from patients and families. The sold-out sessions received rave reviews, according to conference program director Michael Raggiani, and were one of the highlights of the event.

What’s next: Thompson hopes to take the Patient Experience Simulation Lab on the road, setting up shop in an empty patient room of a participating hospital so that local architects and designers can observe patient-caregiver scenarios, ask questions, and learn more about the role of design firsthand. The institute is also launching a webinar series in 2013, which is focused on the design of mother/baby-friendly hospital spaces to facilitate breastfeeding.

 

THE HCD 10 (Click any winner's name for more information):

  • Architect: Joan Saba, partner, NBBJ (New York)
  • Association/foundation executive: Tammy Thompson, president and founder, Institute for Patient-Centered Design (Atlanta)
  • Construction/building executive: Andrew Quirk, senior vice president and national director, Healthcare Center of Excellence, Skanska USA Building (Nashville)
  • Researcher: Nicholas Watkins, director of research, HOK (New York)
  • Facility manager: Dennis Monty, director of facilities planning, compliance, and special projects, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (Boston)
  • Interior designer: Jean Hansen, senior professional associate and sustainable interiors manager, HDR Architecture (San Francisco)
  • Owner: Gary Kusnierz, vice president, performance excellence, Ministry Health Care (Menasha, Wis.)
  • Educator: Frank Zilm, Chester Dean lecturer on healthcare design, University of Kansas School of Architecture, Design & Planning
  • Rising star (under 40): Natalie Miovski, principal and director of healthcare, EwingCole (Philadelphia)
  • Firm of the year: NBBJ (headquartered in Seattle).