Well, it's been a frenetic few weeks since the current U.S. president took office. My head is spinning just keeping up with everything that's been happening that is disrupting our government and world.
When I consider the impacts to the healthcare industry, though, I'm concerned by the flurry of executive orders targeting the diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. These are initiatives that have evolved over decades, originating from the civil rights movement and expanding through federal legislation, corporate policies, and social advocacy.
However, the current administration believes that DEI initiatives now represent a misuse of resources that could be better allocated elsewhere.
I don't disagree that there is waste in our government.
But these recent actions could have significant effects on patient care, data accessibility, and operations -- particularly for the hundreds of federal hospitals and clinics.
Dismantling DEI Programs
Among other things, there is a mandate to dismantle DEI programs within federal agencies as well as federal hospitals and clinics. Restrictions on gender-affirming care will stop funding for medical institutions that provide such treatments to individuals under 19.
Federal health agencies have also removed critical public health data from their websites, including information on HIV prevalence, youth behavioral health risks, and the inclusion of diverse groups in clinical trials.
There are also plans to further scrutinize DEI practices in private sector organizations, specifically those with federal contracts. How that will affect the 8,000+ non-federal hospitals in the U.S., many of whom receive government reimbursements for patient care and also funding for special projects?
What This Means for Healthcare Facility Design
Designing healthcare environments to support diversity, equity, and inclusion has been gaining traction lately. It's one of the trends cited in recent reports from the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) and the Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA).
Both reports acknowledge that growing legislative efforts to dismantle DEI initiatives and increasing skepticism among the American people could derail the positive momentum of DEI design strategies.
And that would be a shame if it happens.
Because addressing the unique spatial needs of underrepresented groups, whether related to race, gender, or neurodivergence is critically important to a healthy, productive society. And this is not just me talking. The all-powerful American Hospital Association even believes that high-quality care must be equitable care.
Stay the Course
So, I encourage all of you who are planning and designing healthcare facilities and senior living communities to stay the course and follow these directives outlined in the CIDA report:
- Take steps to ensure that inclusivity remains at the core of your planning and design process, even as external pressures seek to limit such efforts.
- Continue to explore new and different approaches that can be adopted to address the unique spatial needs of underrepresented groups.
- Design spaces that evolve to meet the needs of all individuals and embrace diversity as a fundamental driver of creativity, precipitating long-term innovation in the built environment.
By the way, I found out recently that HGA has developed an “Equitable Design Toolkit,” which provides a series of prompts and exercises to guide designers and clients to create inclusive and equitable spaces.
While not available to everyone, it's something every design firm could do. Heck, give it the right prompts and ChatGPT could even create one for you.
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Photo Credit: Family Tree Clinic, courtesy of Perkins&Will; 2023 ASID FOCUS Diversity Award Winner.
