The Center for Health Design

The Center for Health Design Research: We help facilitate research on how the design of the built environment affects outcomes.

The Center for Health Design is a non-profit organization - through design research, education and advocacy we improve and maximize health, safety and wellness in environments where people live, work and heal. A major initiative is the Pebble Project, a unique and dynamic collaborative, where forward-thinking healthcare, design, and industry professionals learn, research, and share information with one another. Our website has more than 40 free research reports and whitepapers that link the built environment to outcomes and searchable databases of relevant research and project examples. Education: Our Evidence-based Design Accreditation & Certification (EDAC) program is an internationally recognized educational program that awards credentials to individuals who demonstrate a thorough understanding of how to apply an evidence-based process to plan and design healthcare facilities. With more than 1,200 certified individuals since its launch in 2009, EDAC is quickly becoming one of the healthcare design industry’s most important credentials. Each year, more than 4,000 individuals attend our annual Healthcare Design conference and 30,000 subscribe to Healthcare Design magazine (both produced by Vendome Group in association with CHD). Advocacy: We recognize and promote excellence in design and leadership through 5 award programs. By providing input into the Guidelines for the Design and Construction of Health Care Facilities, we are advocating for change in the building codes and standards. A partner in the Healthier Hospitals Initiative, we are an active participant in a coalition of major health systems and organizations committed to improving sustainability and safety across the healthcare sector. Hundreds of individuals and organizations are engaged to support our work and help transform the industry through our affiliate membership program.

Don’t miss our free behavioral health webinar day on April 23. In our first webinar, Lori Epler of CannonDesign and Anne...
04/17/2026

Don’t miss our free behavioral health webinar day on April 23. In our first webinar, Lori Epler of CannonDesign and Anne Felton of UW Medical Center explore the UW Medicine Center for Behavioral Health and Learning and how its design integrates safety-focused environmental features and therapeutic spaces.

Then, tune into an in-depth look at Denver Health's Integrated Medical and Psychiatric (IMAP) Care Unit. Carrie Pink, Anita Aitwal and Kimi McBryde of Denver Health and Jessica Massie and Kevin Gould of RTA Architects, Inc. will share the design features that define the unit and what early outcomes reveal about care quality. Learn more and register: https://loom.ly/uQirfvw

Thanks to our webinar sponsors: Accurate Lock & Hardware Co., Altro, ModuForm, Inc, Norix Furniture, Patcraft, Spec Furniture, Stance Healthcare and Whitehall Manufacturing

Join the EDAC Class of ’26. The EDAC credential after your name shows that you know how to apply an evidence-based desig...
04/17/2026

Join the EDAC Class of ’26. The EDAC credential after your name shows that you know how to apply an evidence-based design process to healthcare environments. Signing up now for the exam is a sure-bet first step toward advancing your skills, career, organization and projects, and joining a global community of evidence-based design certified professionals.

You’ll be on the fast track to certification and savings with our once-a-year Double Down Deal – 15% off exam registration AND study guides for savings of up to $100. Just register to take the exam by May 31 and use the code "doubledown" to receive these savings! Read about our promo here: https://loom.ly/R-urYcY

Day one of our Pediatric Environment Network’s (PEN) annual meeting at Cincinnati Children's’s Hospital Medical Center w...
04/16/2026

Day one of our Pediatric Environment Network’s (PEN) annual meeting at Cincinnati Children's’s Hospital Medical Center wrapped up with a vigorous member discussion about the different approaches and elements that constitute a post-occupancy evaluation (POE).

A typical design team's POE will focus on a holistic evaluation of project-specific building performance issues and goals, whereas a pre-post research evaluation is a hypothesis-driven study that looks at the relationship of design interventions and intended outcomes, and aspires to being generalizable.

It’s a frequent discussion point among PEN members, which prompted this PEN subgroup to plan and lead this conversation, both to help everyone with their own POE undertakings and ultimately share with the broader healthcare design community.

Thanks to the following PEN members for moving this important topic front and center: Ed Cheshire, Nationwide Children's Hospital; Nora Colman, MD, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta; Sarah Walter, Stantec; Cory Sassano, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia; SueEllen Donahoe, Boston Children’s Hospital; and Ellen Taylor (pictured here), Vice President for Research at The Center for Health Design.

The evening ended with a reception for PEN members hosted by GBBN Architects in its downtown office. Earlier this morning they were off to tour Cincinnati Children’s Eastgate Ambulatory and Critical Care Buildings.

The Center for Health Design website attracts highly competent and skilled professionals seeking the latest research and...
04/16/2026

The Center for Health Design website attracts highly competent and skilled professionals seeking the latest research and information in the health design field. What better place to look for talent for your company? Purchase a job posting - either 30 days, 60 days, or 90 days - and we will add it to our website's job board. To purchase a job posting, visit this link. https://loom.ly/DOjH7Bo

One of the unique and invaluable experiences afforded to our Environment Network members are behind-the-scenes tours and...
04/15/2026

One of the unique and invaluable experiences afforded to our Environment Network members are behind-the-scenes tours and project insights shared by senior facility management.

At today’s first day of the Pediatric Environment Network (PEN) annual meeting, attendees broke up into small groups for tours with facility executives from our host, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center.

Here, Cincinnati Children’s Vice President of Planning, Design, Construction, and Real Estate Michael Browning engages with PEN members Ed Cheshire of Nationwide Children's Hospital and Nora Colman of Children's Healthcare of Atlanta.

The Pediatric Environment Network is one of five executive-level, collegial groups convened and facilitated by The Center for Health Design, providing year-round engagement and opportunity for shared learning, problem solving, resource exchange and network expansion. Membership is limited. For information on PEN and other Environment networks visit https://loom.ly/N47wNeg

The Center’s Pediatric Environment Network (PEN) annual meeting kicked off today with a welcome and project overview by ...
04/15/2026

The Center’s Pediatric Environment Network (PEN) annual meeting kicked off today with a welcome and project overview by our meeting hosts at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center: Michael Browning, Vice President of Planning, Design, Construction, and Real Estate; Jason Luthy Director of Space Planning; Rhonda Cable, Director of Operations; and, Andrew Zoller, Director of Design and Construction.

Over these three days PEN members, led by PEN facilitator Jill S.M. Pearsall, will tour multiple facilities, discuss post-occupancy evaluations, do deep dives into mental health and spectral lighting, and share time and conversation with PEN colleagues over meals and group activities.

The Pediatric Environment Network is one of five executive-level, collegial, topic-focused groups convened and facilitated by The Center for Health Design, providing year-round engagement and opportunity for shared learning, problem solving, resource exchange and network expansion. Membership is limited. For information on PEN and other Environment Networks visit https://lnkd.in/gSmUY5uJ.

We are now accepting proposals for the Joseph G. Sprague New Investigator Award! Presented by The Center, we will award ...
04/15/2026

We are now accepting proposals for the Joseph G. Sprague New Investigator Award! Presented by The Center, we will award up to $15,000 to support high quality research by new investigators around the world, whose research can fill critical gaps in the field of evidence-based design.

The award is open to graduate students, and other recent research degree recipients whose contributions reflect their potential to conduct original, empirical research to improve our understanding of the relationships between the physical environment and health-related outcomes & wellness. To learn more about submissions, follow this link: https://loom.ly/iAamALg

Continued advancement in evidence-based healthcare design requires not only new research, but new researchers to ask que...
04/15/2026

Continued advancement in evidence-based healthcare design requires not only new research, but new researchers to ask questions, conduct studies, and share their findings.

To support new researchers, The Center for Health Design – through the generosity of the Joseph G. Sprague Foundation – provides annual financial awards and opportunities to share their work with the broader healthcare design community as they launch their research careers.

Attend this webinar to hear from two past New Investigator Award recipients, recent Texas A&M University graduate Dr. Homa Pesarakli and Dr. Deborah Wingler, PhD, MSD-HHE, EDAC, LSSYB of HKS Architects, as they share their research journeys and findings with our research team Ellen Taylor and Yolanda Keys.

Dr. Pesarakli will discuss her study on medication processes in the ICU and how unit spatial layout and the physical environment contribute to unnecessary interruptions. Dr. Wingler will reflect on her research journey from her PhD at Clemson to her current work integrating research into practice at HKS. Learn more and register: https://loom.ly/wKDwg-s

The PHMC Public Health Campus on Cedar is a first-of-its-kind model for community-centered health and wellness. In 2020,...
04/14/2026

The PHMC Public Health Campus on Cedar is a first-of-its-kind model for community-centered health and wellness. In 2020, as a 100-year-old safety-net hospital prepared to close, Public Health Management Corporation acquired the property and, with Penn Medicine, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, and the Independence Blue Cross Foundation, preserved vital services and reimagined the campus as a 21st-century hub for health and opportunity.

PHMC engaged Fifteen Architecture + Design to program, plan, and design the 450,000-square-foot property. The revitalized campus features a Community Health Hub, upgraded inpatient and outpatient spaces, and new programs including an FQHC, dental clinic, behavioral health, hospice, and medical respite units—serving 35,000 community members while advancing health, equity, and community well-being. Learn about the project: https://loom.ly/ESd8WHw

Haven’t registered for our free behavioral health webinar day yet? There’s still time to join us! In our first webinar, ...
04/14/2026

Haven’t registered for our free behavioral health webinar day yet? There’s still time to join us! In our first webinar, Lori Epler of CannonDesign and Anne Felton of UW Medical Center explore the UW Medicine Center for Behavioral Health and Learning and how its design integrates safety-focused environmental features and therapeutic spaces.

Then, tune into an in-depth look at Denver Health's Integrated Medical and Psychiatric (IMAP) Care Unit. Carrie Pink, Anita Aitwal and Kimi McBryde of Denver Health and Jessica Massie and Kevin Gould of RTA Architects, Inc. will share the design features that define the unit and what early outcomes reveal about care quality. Learn more and register: https://loom.ly/uQirfvw

Thanks to our webinar sponsors: Accurate Lock & Hardware Co., Altro, ModuForm, Inc, Norix Furniture, Patcraft, Spec Furniture, Stance Healthcare and Whitehall Manufacturing

The interview: Understanding the Unique Design Needs of Behavioral Health Facilities with James Hunt, AIA, NCARB discuss...
04/13/2026

The interview: Understanding the Unique Design Needs of Behavioral Health Facilities with James Hunt, AIA, NCARB discusses why behavioral health facilities have very different design requirements than general hospitals. Located in our Behavioral & Mental Health Toolbox sponsored by Accurate Lock & Hardware Co., Altro, architecture+, Whitehall Manufacturing and ModuForm, Inc, hear how different areas of a behavioral health unit have different safety needs that influence design choices, which types of safety measures and products should be incorporated into behavioral health units and more. Visit the toolbox: https://loom.ly/P7yT99M

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Research: We help facilitate research on how the design of the built environment affects outcomes. A major initiative is the Pebble Project, a unique and dynamic collaborative, where forward-thinking healthcare, design, and industry professionals learn, research, and share information with one another. Our website has more than 40 free research reports and whitepapers that link the built environment to outcomes and searchable databases of relevant research and project examples. Education: Our Evidence-based Design Accreditation & Certification (EDAC) program is an internationally recognized educational program that awards credentials to individuals who demonstrate a thorough understanding of how to apply an evidence-based process to plan and design healthcare facilities. With more than 1,200 certified individuals since its launch in 2009, EDAC is quickly becoming one of the healthcare design industry’s most important credentials. Each year, more than 4,000 individuals attend our annual Healthcare Design conference and 30,000 subscribe to Healthcare Design magazine (both produced by Vendome Group in association with CHD). Advocacy: We recognize and promote excellence in design and leadership through 5 award programs. By providing input into the Guidelines for the Design and Construction of Health Care Facilities, we are advocating for change in the building codes and standards. A partner in the Healthier Hospitals Initiative, we are an active participant in a coalition of major health systems and organizations committed to improving sustainability and safety across the healthcare sector. Hundreds of individuals and organizations are engaged to support our work and help transform the industry through our affiliate membership program.