Health is More Than Just Healthcare
By Victoria Nichols, AIA, NCARB, ACHA
I’ve spent the last two decades managing large, complex healthcare projects around the country, with a special focus on pediatric hospitals in urban settings. In my twenty years of practice, I’ve seen over and over again that what happens before and after a patient’s visit to a medical facility is just as important as their time in the exam room—sometimes even more so. Because of this, I believe that we, as healthcare designers, have a responsibility to push our clients toward treating the whole person, and as a result, beginning to treat whole communities, through better design.
The good news: I’ve witnessed our clients expand their thinking beyond direct patient care and consider the healthcare journey more holistically, in both the design and operation of their facilities. There’s also greater acknowledgement of the extent to which we can help remove barriers that keep patients from seeking care in the first place—from lack of transportation, to fear of being treated differently because of the color of their skin.
This evolution is promising because our work as designers has a direct impact on improving access to care, creating more inviting and inclusive spaces that reflect the lived experiences of the people who use them, and ultimately supporting improved health outcomes. In other words, making health about more than just healthcare.
Good Design is Inclusive Design
Our healthcare work reflects our broader mission at ZGF: to create healthy communities through healthy buildings. That includes everything from engaging diverse voices throughout the design process to making healthy material choices and championing sustainable building systems. Serving as our client’s strategic partner, we collaborate with stakeholders at all levels to develop design solutions that have a positive impact on people and the planet. That includes the advancement of health and social equity.
At the end of the day, good design is inclusive design. It’s something we do without question. ZGF is a longtime believer in using the integrated design process to empower participants at all levels—including doctors, nurses, frontline workers, patients, families, students, and community members—to have a voice, to create a safe space where there are no bad ideas, and to test solutions from multiple perspectives. We often use ‘day in the life’ scenarios or a range of ‘use cases’ to test our designs for the 80/20 rule—routine care that happens 80% of the time, and worst case or less frequent events that happen 20% of the time. We also test for a range of cultures to see how their different needs impact the use of space.
Advancing Community Health
I feel privileged to partner with leading institutions around the country, from Cincinnati to Seattle to San Diego, that are already deeply invested in the health and wellbeing of their communities, through programs and services that aim to understand and measurably reduce disparities in underserved populations.
Cincinnati Children’s has invested $10 million in community building efforts over the last five years with the goal of improving child and neighborhood health. In my hometown, Seattle Children’s Hospital is advancing community health through uncompensated care, professional health education, research and community programs. Their community benefit focus for the coming year is mental and behavioral health—also a key priority for ZGF. And the Center for Healthier Communities at Rady Children’s Hospital San Diego partners with organizations throughout the region to provide programs and services that promote child health and safety, from oral health to nutrition.
I’m fortunate to work alongside these clients and communities, learn about them and their patient populations, the unique challenges they face, and collaboratively develop design solutions that translate the latest research and innovation into high-performance healing environments.
Applying this lens to all our healthcare projects, we can do so much more to advance health equity. We can design lobbies that are more than just waiting areas but provide a much-needed space to flex as needs change, like we’ve seen during the ongoing pandemic; we can advocate for more square feet devoted to nonclinical programming and outdoor spaces that encourage respite, physical activity, education, and healthy lifestyles; and through more inclusive design, we can build trust and assure patients that they will be treated with equal kindness, care, and dignity no matter who they are or where they come from.
Victoria Nichols is a partner at ZGF Architects based in Seattle and leading our healthcare practice.