Why are these healthcare professionals working in architecture?

Johnson County Health Services Building
Olathe, Kansas

The disciplines of public health and mental health evolved separately in the U.S. and now have different protocols, record systems, and facilities. But mental and physical well-being are intertwined, and the Johnson County health services building, which is still in design, will bring practitioners together under one roof to improve coordination and provide holistic care.

The concept seems simple in principle, but it’s challenging in practice. “We’re bringing two departments, with two completely separate operations, together into one building,” says Charlie Hunt, director of health and environment for Johnson County. “We’re designing a building, of course, but there’s also the functional piece. We needed experts who could help with both design and the operational side.”

As a former healthcare clinician, executive, and behavioral health specialist, Dr. Debbie Beck understood the needs and concerns of staff in both departments. Now a design consultant, she suggested ways to collaborate, guiding Johnson County’s team through creative exercises to determine optimal floor plans and processes.

Jackson West Medical Center
Doral, Florida

Marvina Williams, a registered nurse, former emergency department director, and clinical operations expert, helped hospital staff focus on the patient experience as they provided design insights for Miami-based Jackson Health System’s first built-to-suit campus.

Providing a tranquil patient experience was a primary design goal. Williams proposed calming design elements and workflow optimization strategies throughout.

With soothing views of surrounding wetlands, along with support spaces like storerooms, equipment rooms, and medication rooms located closest to points of need, the hospital’s layout promotes serenity while expediting care delivery. The patient-centered focus has proved successful: The hospital won the Guardian of Excellence Award for patient experience in 2023.

Lancaster General Hospital Trauma and Emergency Department
Lancaster, Pennsylvania

Williams also helped guide hospital administrators and staff through the complex process of designing a renovation and expansion of Lancaster General Hospital’s Trauma and Emergency Department (ED). The design team was tasked with creating an 84,000-square-foot ED that would be built in two phases: an addition followed by a refurbishment of the existing space. The ED needed to remain operational throughout.

Amy Sechrist, emergency department director, says the LGH team worked closely with Williams and appreciated her background in designing other EDs. The new department is bright and efficient, with 96 exam rooms, generously proportioned team stations, and convenient and comfortable staff areas. The robust structure could accommodate a future bed tower, and some support spaces are designed to flex into ED exam rooms during a surge. The hospital can now treat up to 140,000 emergency cases annually.

SAC Health
San Bernadino, California

SAC Health, the largest specialty-based and teaching health center in the U.S., provides comprehensive healthcare services to underserved populations. Anthony Mistretta, a registered nurse and former hospital administrator, co-led a recent master planning effort for the clinic’s network, as well as the pre-design process for converting a 280,000-square-foot office building into Brier Campus, a multi-specialty ambulatory health center.

The process allowed providers to consolidate services, optimize space, and collaborate on a bespoke fit-out that would complement the clinic network. Drawing on his operations experience, Mistretta guided staff and liaised with the rest of the design team in considering all aspects of the renovation, from the minute details of each room’s layout to the overall patient experience from arrival through departure. The health center is scheduled to open next year, and the five-year plan will streamline service provision throughout the system.