Academy of Architecture for Health

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The Academy of Architecture for Health (AAH) provides knowledge which supports the design of healthy environments by creating education and networking opportunities for members of – and those touched by – the health care architectural profession.

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You can contribute information to the AIA COVID-19 project database, and view all submitted projects. Visit the Alternative Care Sites preparedness site to learn important areas to evaluate when selecting ACSs for the care and treatment of COVID-19 or surge capacity patients.

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From the President's Desk

By Ellen M. Taylor AIA posted 02-09-2022 10:47 PM

  

It’s hard to believe that we’re already more than a month into 2022 with two years of unexpected twists and turns due to SARS-CoV-2.


Backing up to go forward

For the past two years the Academy, along with other organizations, learned to adjust. Through the leadership of past presidents Kirsten Waltz and Brenna Costello, we adapted. We continued to fulfill our mission to create educational and networking opportunities through virtual platforms. Whether participating in the AIA COVID-19 task forces, piloting a colleague to colleague mentoring program, offering online Academy updates, or continuing our exceptional webinar opportunities, we leveraged our strengths and were able to help so many understand the power and importance of designing for health.


Reboot 2 for 2022

Last year was billed as the great reset. There was an in-person Healthcare Design Expo and Conference, but by the end of the year, we found ourselves once again evaluating case counts and hospitalizations. Headed into the downward trend of yet another SARS-CoV-2 variant, we may need “another” reboot. Perhaps 2022 will give us time to reflect on our collective lessons learned and brush up on some of the basics that we had to overlook during the pandemic. It should also be a time to look back at the Academy’s 2016 strategic plan. While we don’t need to rethink our mission or vision, we have evolved in the successful implementation of that strategic plan, and we need to reconsider the best alignment of current and new initiatives. There is no time like the present to fine tune our strategic path forward.


Strengthening our Foundation for Common Goals

Several years ago, the “Pillars” initiative helped clarify the roles of the AAH, ACHA, FHER, and FGI – all born out of a relationship with the AIA. However, the Academy continues to nurture many existing relationships and collaborations, as well as develop new ones. My leadership role within three organizations (AAH, FGI, and The Center for Health Design) lets me see first-hand how closely aligned we are in a common goal of better and safer care in any number of healthcare settings. In the theme of a reset, we should be more inclusive in our approach and the ways we can leverage some of our long-standing relationships for an even stronger foundation to advance our collective goal for improved health and healthcare.


Our strategy and the AIA Strategic Plan (2021-25)

As an AIA Knowledge Community, the Academy is supported by AIA staff but has a high level of autonomy in deciding how to best serve our membership. However, we have the opportunity to align our own initiatives with several imperatives outlined in the AIA Strategic Plan—emphasize climate action, emphasize justice, and catalyze equity. It is important for the Academy to integrate these imperatives into both how we think and how we do business. These should not be silos unto themselves, but woven into the fabric of each committee, each initiative, each project, and ultimately, our profession. We need to become more proactive to reset the status quo. On the climate action front, we have already started to include sustainability within our committee structure and added the Framework for Design Excellence into the Healthcare Design Awards program, but we can do more. We will be working to integrate these imperatives across all of our work in 2022.

We will strive for these new goals in 2022, even though we don’t yet know the trajectory of COVID-19 in the coming year. Nearly 25 years ago, a wise and caring man (my husband) told me, “Maintain maximum flexibility to cope with a fluid situation.” It’s still relevant in 2022, and I look forward to serving the Academy’s membership with this mantra in mind.


Sincerely,

Ellen Taylor, PhD, AIA, MBA, EDAC

Ellen Taylor, AAH 2022 President
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