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In their own words: The 2019 Herman Miller Scholars

By Maggie Brown posted 12-06-2019 06:24 PM

  


In their own words: The 2019 Herman Miller Scholars

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Image: Rebecca Lewis, FAIA, FACHA, CID


Each year the AAH Herman Miller scholarship sponsors emerging professionals to attend the 2019 Healthcare Design Expo and Conference (HCD). Hear in 2019 class' own words about their HCD experience!

"I sincerely believe that there is no other occasion where one can find a larger group of professionals who are passionate about healthcare design."

It was an amazing experience for me to attend HCD as a Herman Miller scholar in New Orleans this year. I sincerely believe that there is no other occasion where one can find a larger group of professionals who are passionate about healthcare design. Great things happen as the brightest minds gather under one roof with all the insights shared and ideas exchanged. For a young professional like me, it certainly was an unparalleled learning opportunity where I had the chance to attend multiple seminars to catch up with the latest trends in both research and practice.

I would like to give special thanks to Rebecca Lewis who organized the luncheon where the Herman Miller scholars got a chance to sit at the same table with the past ACHA presidents. We did not only have a chance to catch a glimpse of how those celebrated healthcare architects work but also, probably more importantly, their life stories on how they assumed the leadership roles in shaping the knowledge sharing community to what we get to enjoy today. It reminded me to not take it for granted and perhaps, with dedication and hard work, we can take over the torch someday and make the community even better for the younger generations to come.

Attending HCD as Herman Miller scholar was nothing less than a reminder of the bigger picture. As I return to my sometimes mundane daily duties, I keep what I experienced—the things I learned in the seminar, the conversations I had with others, the products I saw at the expo, in the back of my head, like a seed laying quietly in the winter soil, waiting for the time to bloom.

~ Jonathan Jiang, Chapman Sisson Architects

"This award allowed me to expand my connections across the profession and I left the conference feeling reinvigorated and motivated to push the boundaries of design."


When initially being selected to be a Herman Miller Scholar, I did not realize the importance or significance this award would have on my career and my experience at the Health Care Design Conference. Having the opportunity to attend this knowledge rich conference is invaluable. Not only were the sessions extremely informative, but the invitation to attend the ACHA Luncheon and AAH Reception allowed me to see the caliber of professionals in our industry and connect with these individuals. These events also opened my eyes to the leadership opportunities that are available within the profession. This award allowed me to expand my connections across the profession and I left the conference feeling reinvigorated and motivated to push the boundaries of design. The connections and friendships I created with the fellow Herman Miller Scholars and others in the profession are priceless and I can’t thank Herman Miller and AIA AAH enough for providing this opportunity to me. I am extremely grateful and I am left wanting to give back to the AAH and affiliated organizations!

~ Julie Ramsey, ZGF Architects

"Attending the 2019 Healthcare Design Conference as a Herman Miller Scholar was an honor that I will cherish for the rest of my career."


Herman Miller is a company established in the art of comfort and delight. It’s a name known for unwavering dedication to improving the human experience through innovative design and sustainability. Attending the 2019 Healthcare Design Conference as a Herman Miller Scholar was an honor that I will cherish for the rest of my career. Walking the halls alongside remarkable design professionals from all over the world was empowering, as my green ribbon—which marked me as a scholarship recipient—sparked many conversations.

I was moved by the sheer volume of discussions, presentations, and products regarding mental and behavioral health this year. Our world is fraught daily with the violent reality that our global mental and behavioral health challenge is not diminishing, and we are behind in establishing an appropriate response. However, for a few bright days, I watched rival firms unite to share strategies to help these patients, encouraging audiences to take their hard-earned knowledge to the next level.

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Image: Rachel Farrell


Of the various compelling sessions that I was privileged to attend, “The Future of Mental Health Inpatients: Designing for Medical/Mental Comorbidity” was the most intriguing. Representatives from HGA and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs conducted the review of a patient room design for comorbid behavioral health patients, citing that 68% of adults with a mental health disorder also have one or more medical conditions. Insight on how to approach and prioritize Critical to Quality Measures was harvested from a panel of medical planners, clinicians, and researchers, before the design outcome was tested in a virtual environment, to expose and mitigate issues not inherent of the 2D representation. I especially appreciated the team’s attention to family centered care. So often, designers’ concentration on the safety and satisfaction of patients and staff push the comfort and support of families and caregivers to a peripheral concern, further disintegrating the patient’s continuum of care. However, the Behavioral Health Comorbid Inpatient Room Design, shared in this session, empowered caregivers by integrating thoughtful solutions for family egress concerns and ‘sitter’ security to apply if the patient begins to present violent behavior. The evidence-based process the team followed to prioritize and address the great number of needs these unique dual diagnosed patients warrant was fascinating, and it was obvious that tremendous thought and care was given to the entire spectrum of concerns. I left the session and conference feeling inspired with an array of new ideas.

~ Rachael Farrell, HKS Inc.

"...having [sic] one to one discussion with national leaders in Healthcare Architecture, motivated and inspired me to contribute to our architecture profession."


Herman Miller Scholarship provided me a valuable experience by giving an opportunity to attend Healthcare Design Conference in New Orleans. I am a budding healthcare designer curious to learn new insights and trends in the Healthcare industry, healthcare design conference is the place for it. I got to attend interesting and intriguing sessions on the importance of research, frame of thinking for research work and its application, new software and simulation to influence design outputs, concerns from healthcare staff about the design issues they face. AIA provided a great opportunity to be a part of ACHA luncheon, having one to one discussion with national leaders in Healthcare Architecture, motivated and inspired me to contribute to our architecture profession. Being a Herman Miller scholar was very rewarding experience educationally and professionally. It helped me to gain some perspectives on merging my passion to work with healthcare, wellness, technology, design and the arts.

~ Sayali Wazalwar, GBBN

"If we do not seek continuous improvement, we will not keep pace with the ever-evolving technology and practice of medicine that our profession must support. "


Spending this year’s Halloween in New Orleans, Louisiana, is an experience that will be hard to forget. Not because I was exposed to the beauty, culture, rich history, and addictive creole cuisine of the South’s most interesting city. In fact, this memorable experience was exhilarated by the opportunity to attend the 2019 Health Design Conference as one of eight Herman Miller Scholars, representing architecture firms across the nation. I met some of the most intelligent peers in the healthcare design industry and made connections with industry experts who I will have as role models for the rest of my career. All while immersing myself in shared presentations on research and thought-provoking practices in designing forward focused care environments.

The most fascinating presentations I attended were focused on evidence-based research that can and is impacting how we program, design, and build healthcare facilities. The Center of Healthcare Design and Health Environments Research & Design Journal (HERD) as well as academia researchers from institutions such as Texas A&M University, Clemson University, and academic medical centers all led intriguing discussions on topics such as: operating room designed for improved ergonomics, operations, and safety, patient care units planned for flexibility and adapting to a future care model and how their layout affects nurse movement, and even psychological observations noting that new environments do not equal new behaviors. These are just a few examples of invaluable learning opportunities I would not have been exposed to without attending the conference.

The keynote speakers were just as inspiring, and one quote that struck me most was by Suzen Heeley from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center who said, “If we are not making you uncomfortable, then we are not innovating enough.” She was speaking about her experiences with design firms and how her organization will intentionally pair a seasoned healthcare architecture firm with a non-healthcare firm, such as hospitality, to generate a collaborative culture that inspires the design of non-traditional environments that can challenge and improve upon how we deliver care and cater to patient, families, and care givers. Her story reminded me that we should always be researching and evaluating how we practice and design. If we do not seek continuous improvement, we will not keep pace with the ever-evolving technology and practice of medicine that our profession must support.

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Image: Holly Harris


Lastly, the people I met and old friends I reconnected with were the most enjoyable and refreshing experiences of my time at the conference. As a Herman Miller Scholar, I had the opportunity to attend the American College of Healthcare Architect’s (ACHA) luncheon where I sat with Dr. Kirk Hamilton and Donovan (Van) Smith who shared their stories of how they reached their position in the profession and encouraged me to keep moving forward in my career as a young designer. Then later at the NextGen Forum Caroline Brigham, Perkins and Will’s Architectural Fellow, reminded me why I chose this career path when she asked, “What is your foundational motivation? What impact do you want to make?”, while sharing her contributions to helping underserved nations design better care facilities for their communities. And finally, as the scholars were recognized at the Academy of Architecture for Health’s reception, I looked around the room and realized how honored I was to be amongst such intelligent and inspiring professionals including those from my firm, SmithGroup, who hold leadership positions in AAH and ACHA and are paving the path for future generations of healthcare architects.

None of this would have been possible without the generosity of Herman Miller and the support from AIA and those who helped organize our experience. To end this reflection of my time in New Orleans, I encourage other young professionals to take advantage of all learning opportunities and pursue a career in which you are passionate, whatever that passion may be. For me, I find emotional fulfilment in planning and designing spaces that can create a positive impact while helping those in their most vulnerable state, and I challenge myself to design environments that alter the concept that healthcare facilities are for the sick. Ultimately, creating non-threatening, comfortable spaces that promote active participation in healthy lifestyles and health equity for all.

~ Holly Harris, Assoc. AIA, SmithGroup




Learn more about AAH scholarships and fellowships >

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