As rural hospitals face mounting financial pressures, widening health inequities, and expanding healthcare deserts, the role of strategic design has never been more critical. The 2026 Healthcare Design Conference + Expo, to be held Oct. 17-20 in New Orleans, will dive into these pressing challenges through its educational programming with a variety of sessions focused on rural healthcare design.
Among the topics on this year’s agenda are the future for independent rural hospitals, research-informed strategies to improve access to care in healthcare deserts, and design-build and target value delivery (TVD) approaches to support safer, more resilient rural healthcare environments.
Industry experts will also explore innovative strategies, dive into specific challenges and solutions, and share real-world case studies that showcase these concepts at work.
Below is a preview of some of the rural healthcare educational sessions at this year’s HCD Conference + Expo. For the full schedule, go here.
E03 – When Healthcare Scales Up: Designing Without Erasing Place A Community
Sunday, Oct. 18, 9:45-10:45 a.m.
Speakers: Ronald Lesher, associate vice president of project delivery, Geisinger Health System; Jason Fierko, principal and director of healthcare operations, EwingCole; Amanda Gee, associate and interior designer, EwingCole; and Saul Jabbawy, principal and design director, EwingCole
As healthcare organizations consolidate into large, national networks, hospitals with deep roots in rural and regional communities face increasing pressure to align with system-wide standards while preserving a strong local identity. This session will examine how healthcare design can mediate this tension—supporting operational consistency at scale while reinforcing a hospital’s enduring relationship with its community.
E29 – Is There A Future For Independent Rural Hospitals?
Sunday, Oct. 18, 3:15-4:15 p.m.
Speakers: Tim Doak, vice president – facilities, sustainability, and supply chain, and chief sustainability officer, Northern Light Health; Damir Vukovjak, vice president, Jensen Partners; Tim Hatch, strategy office partner, enterprise acute and ambulatory service delivery, Intermountain Health; and Kenneth Bellian, vice president, Jensen Partners
Across the U.S., hundreds of rural hospitals have closed since 2005, and more are expected to close in the coming years. Declining reimbursement rates, high expenses, and unpredictable patient volumes have created a sustainability crisis for these facilities. This session will explore strategies for repositioning rural hospitals, drawing on lessons from projects with Northern Light Health, Telluride Regional Medical Center, Intermountain Health, and others.
E65 – A Rural Health Transformation: Making A Difference For Those Who Come Next
Monday, Oct. 19, 3:45-4:45 p.m.
Speakers: Jill Woods, managing principal, healthcare practice leader, NAC; Glenda Bishop, chief operating officer, Quincy Valley Medical Center; and Jen Crawmer, senior associate and interior designer, NAC
Quincy, Wash., was on the verge of becoming another rural community lacking healthcare. The hospital faced $5 million debt and the challenges of an aging facility. This session will examine how Quincy Valley Medical Center survived by eliminating debt, obtaining funding, engaging the community, determining the right programs, planning for flexibility, and designing an inviting experience, while being good stewards of the community’s resources.
E79 – Designing Access To Care: Research-driven Responses To Healthcare Deserts
Tuesday, Oct. 20, 8:15-9:15 a.m.
Speakers: Michelle Jutt, global practice director, advisory, HKS; Susan Berry, vice president of operations, virtual care, Sanford Health; Preeta Bajaj, vice president and senior medical planner, HKS; and Jeff Cook, director of engineering, Reid Health
Healthcare deserts continue to expand across the U.S., particularly in rural and underserved communities. Addressing these gaps requires coordinated solutions that align planning, design, technology, and operations. This session will present a research-informed exploration of how healthcare design can improve access, safety, and outcomes through two complementary case studies: Sanford Health’s Virtual Care Center and Reid Health’s rural care delivery model.
E85 – Design-build + Target Value Delivery: A Lifeline For Rural Healthcare In Times Of Uncertainty
Tuesday, Oct. 20, 9:30-10:30 a.m.
Speakers: Tom Bahr, principal, BSA; Lauren Silvers, project manager/architect, BSA; Michael Alexander, president and CEO, Hillsboro Health; and Dan Sullivan, healthcare operations director, O’Shea Builders
Accelerated construction cost escalation, inflation-driven material and labor volatility, evolving federal funding conditions, and workforce shortages place critical healthcare capital projects at heightened risk. This session will examine how an integrated design-build and target value delivery (TVD) approach can support safer, more resilient rural healthcare environments by enabling informed decision-making, cost predictability, and risk mitigation throughout planning, design, and preconstruction.
E98 – Built To Remain: Hardening Rural Healthcare With Coastal High-rise Strategies
Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2:30-3:30 p.m.
Speakers: Angelle Lavergne Terry, partner and architect, WHLC Architecture; Paul Curole, vice president of facilities, Lady of the Sea General Hospital; Micah Morgan, partner and architecture, WHLC Architecture; and Jordan Aucoi, architectural designer, WHLC Architecture
In 2021, Hurricane Ida destroyed the roof of Lady of the Sea General Hospital in Cut Off, La., exposing critical building envelope deficiencies as staff worked to protect patients. This session will analyze how the original critical access hospital failed and how the 84,000-square-foot replacement facility incorporates construction techniques adapted from coastal high-rise design in high-impact zones like Miami-Dade County.
For more on the 2026 HCD Conference + Expo schedule and to register, go here.
More insights on rural healthcare:
- Healthcare Design’s 2026 A/E/C survey
- Building Confidence In Rural Healthcare Planning
- What’s Shaping Healthcare Design in 2025?
- How Design-Assist and Lean 3P Shaped Citizens Medical Center’s New Kansas Hospital
