Next week, I’ll be heading to Kansas City, Missouri for this year’s Healthcare Design Conference + Expo — the biggest gathering in the country of professionals involved in the planning, design, and construction of healthcare facilities.
Are you going?
With four keynote sessions, more than 100 educational and interactive breakouts across 14 tracks, four facility tours, five hands-on workshops/deep dives, 19 association events, and over 250 exhibitors, there’s a lot to take in. It’s always one of my favorite events of the year to connect with colleagues, get inspired, and find out the latest trends in healthcare facility design.
And if you’re interested in learning more about designing for behavioral health, ambulatory care, or sustainability, you’ll find many sessions on those topics — as well as more cutting edge topics on the impact of AI and robotics on facility design. There are so many sessions to choose from, it’s hard to pick.
So I’ve done a little legwork for you — my list of educational session picks (beyond the keynotes) is below.
What interests me might not interest you. You also may want to choose sessions that are CEU-approved for your credentials.
Let me know if you’ll be at HCD — I’d love to connect!
Sunday Session Picks
9:45 a.m.
E07: Circadian Supportive Lighting — What Is It and How Do I Implement It?
Speakers: Mary Alcaraz, Sr. Project Manager, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia; Karen Murphy, Global Director of Lighting Design, HDR.
Why I Like It: This is still an emerging technology — and we have a lot to learn about it.
11 a.m.
E15: Back to the Future: Layered POE Lessons from the Past
Speakers: Marybeth Dietz, Architect and Project Manager, SmithGroup; Prerana Kamat, Architectural Designer and Healthcare Planner, SmithGroup; Sudhiksha Srinivasan, Architecture Designer and Researcher, SmithGroup; Christine Strom, Director of Planning and Construction, Northwestern Memorial Healthcare.
Why I Like It: A good post-occupancy evaluation is worth its weight in gold. Lessons learned from Northwestern Memorial Hospital’s iconic Galter Pavilion.
2 p.m.
E32: Cultural Competency and Humility: Advancing DEI and Advocacy in Practice
Speaker: Cole Kiser, Executive Director, Aziza Clarity Collective.
Why I Like It: Despite the current political climate in the U.S. this is still a very important topic for healthcare and design professionals to bring into their work.
Or
E33: From Rural to Revolutionary: The Journey to a Smart Hospital
Speakers: Michael Ahlman, Area Manager, Planning Design Construction, CommonSpirit National Realestate; Gary Buss, Vice President, Senior Technology Specialist, Hoefer Welker; Matt Gosa, Senior Manager, Design Integration, McCarthy Building Companies, Inc.; Patrick McCurdy, Partner/Regional Healthcare Practice Leader, Hoefer Welker.
Why I Like It: Let’s hear it for a small-town smart hospital in Georgia.
3:15 p.m.
E41: Lutathera Radionuclide Therapy: Designing a New Cancer Care Environment
Speakers: Michael Apple, Senior Health Planner, HDR Inc.; Beth Otto, Senior Manager – Planning and Design, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center; Fernando Rodrigues, Vice President | Senior Principal Health Planning, HDR Inc.; Pranav Shauche, Health Planner, HDR Inc.
Why I Like It: Anything MD Anderson does is usually good. Fascinating to see how cancer care is evolving.
Monday Session Picks
9:30 a.m.
E45: Ten Projects That Changed Healthcare Design
Speakers: Jennifer Aliber, Principal, Shepley Bulfinch; Bryan Langlands, Principal, NBBJ.
Why I Like It: Blast from the past. The objective ICONs series has always given us good insights into what works and what doesn’t work.
3:45 p.m.
E67: Architectural Visualization with Artificial Intelligence
Speakers: Reid Cimala, Studio Design Leader, Gresham Smith; Ellen Fuson, Architect, Gresham Smith; Patrick Gerhart, Architect, Gresham Smith; Christopher Hoal,
Director of Healthcare Design, Gresham Smith.
Why I Like It: No, AI won’t take your job, but the more we can learn about how to use AI as a tool, the better.
Tuesday Session Picks
8:15 a.m.
E73: Setting New Standards in Healthcare: Achieving WELL Certification Today for a Healthier Tomorrow
Speakers: Sara Kania, Senior Project Manager, Associate Vice President, HGA; Kyle Prochaska, Regional Director – Planning, Design & Construction, SSM Health; Tim Scanley, Senior Designer, Associate Vice President, HGA; Paul Widlarz, Principal, Practice Group Leader, Vice President, HGA.
Why I Like It: Except for administrative spaces, WELL Certification hasn’t been a great fit for healthcare. Will be interesting to see how/if clinical spaces are addressed.
9:30 a.m.
E77: Whole Person Care: Learning from the VA
Speakers: Carly Fenton, Associate, Architect and Healthcare Planner, SmithGroup; John Moorhead, Senior Principal / Design Leader, SmithGroup; Dan Therrien, Federal Healthcare Practice Leader, Guidon.
Why I Like It: The behavioral health issues of veterans are unique and yet similar to what our general population faces, so it makes sense to look to the VA for ideas.
1:15 p.m.
E86: Bridging the Gap: Planning for Community and Rural Healthcare Opportunities and Innovations
Speakers: Ann Adams, Principal, Davis Partnership; Nico Brown, Chief Strategy Officer, Vail Health; Lindsley Withey, Principal, ECG.
Why I Like It: Equitable access to quality medical services in underserved areas is a critical need. Curious to learn about trends in rural healthcare.
2:30 p.m.
E93: Designing the Future of Care: A Simulation Hospital for Training Tomorrow’s Healthcare Professionals Speakers: Basil Sherman II, Principal, Pulse Design Group; Lisa Toms
Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, Missouri Southern State University; Emily Wallbillick, Director of Interior Design, Pulse Design Group.
Why I Like It: Besides being a cool idea, creating a virtual hospital for training purposes could be a new skill design professionals could bring to a project.
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What’s my story? I’m a healthcare and senior living design knowledge expert who writes and speaks frequently about trends and issues affecting these two industries. I’m also a strategic marketing consultant and content creator, working with companies and organizations who want to improve the quality of healthcare and senior living through the design of the physical environment. You can reach me at sara@saramarberry.com.