Valued ACHA Certificant Holders,

I hope you had a fantastic time reconnecting with colleagues and friends at the 2024 ASHE PDC Summit in sunny San Diego. The sessions were informative, and the networking opportunities were plentiful.

I’m excited to share some important updates:

  • New “Think Tank” Initiatives:  We’re exploring ways to leverage the expertise of our  client-employed certificant holders. Soon we will form a new “Think Tank” that will focus on communicating the value of having ACHA-certified architects on design teams to healthcare organizations. Reach out to me if you are interested in being part of this group.  Our AI Think Tank is already hard at work.
  • ACHA Student Competition Expansion:  Preparations are in progress to expand the reach and impact of the 2024-2025 ACHA Student Competition which was so successful in its inaugural year .
  • ACHA Emeritus Status Update:  We have revised our requirements for ACHA Emeritus status.  These are posted on our website.
  • ACHA / AIA AAH Collaboration: Working with the AIA Academy of Architecture for Health (AIA AAH), we established a policy for recognizing newly deceased distinguished members of both organizations at the annual Summer Leadership Summit.  This information has been posted to our website as well.
  • ACHA Exam Preparation:  For those candidates who are preparing for the ACHA Exam in June, let us know if you are interested in an Exam Study Group.  If so, e-mail [email protected] and we will connect everyone.

Join Us in Denver!

I look forward to seeing you in Denver, Colorado, for the ACHA/AIA AAH Summer Leadership Summit on July 26-27, 2024. Dive deep into the “Health and Healthcare in an AI Future” theme  exploring the exciting ways Artificial Intelligence is transforming our field. Denver’s stunning mountain scenery provides the perfect backdrop where you can learn, network, and be inspired! The ACHA luncheon for the first time will include the induction of Class of 2024 Fellows. Early bird registration opens in May.

I’m eager to connect with you in Denver.  Feel free to reach out to me at [email protected]  anytime for any reason.

Let’s make this a  year to remember!

Ann H. Adams, AIA, FACHA
ACHA President

The AIA Academy of Architecture for Health (AAH) and the American College of Healthcare Architects (ACHA) will select up to two emerging professionals seeking licensure, or newly licensed, to be chosen as 2024 Summer Leadership Summit (SLS) Next Generation Scholars. The SLS is an annual gathering of health care design leaders from the U.S. and around the world. Attendees convene for two days of presentations and panel discussions that address the future of health care from speakers representing health disciplines including the government, health care organizations, finance, business, and design community perspectives.

Each selected recipient will receive complimentary registration for the summit, $1,500 towards travel/hotel and be recognized during the event. The 2024 SLS will be held in person on July 26-28, 2024, in Denver, Colorado. 

See the link below for more details on the application and materials needed. The submission deadline is April 21:

https://healtharchitects.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/AAH_ACHA_SLS-Next-Generation-Scholarship-2024.pdf

Basil Sherman II, AIA, EDAC, ACHA, NCARB (2022)

Basil Sherman II, AIA, EDAC, ACHA, NCARB is a Principal and Lead Healthcare Planner at Pulse Design Group, a full-service healthcare architecture firm. Basil has 17 years of experience preparing healthcare facility design documents and managing projects from initial programming and schematics through construction completion. He is skilled in master planning and conceptual design. Basil plays an integral role in facilitating discussions on the creative aspects of environments and assisting clients through the design process.


Carolyn Johnson (2022)

Carolyn is an architect at Little Diversified Architectural Consulting in Charlotte, NC. With a passion for design and eight years of healthcare experience, she has worked on significant projects for clients such as Levine Cancer Institute and Levine Children’s. Her attention to detail and graphic communication skills have made her a client favorite. Carolyn has presented at large conferences, including IFMA World Workplace and HFSE, and serves on the York County Building Board of Appeals.


Damian Huneycutt, AIA, ACHA (2022)

Damian Huneycutt has a passion for designing healing and anxiety-free healthcare environments. With over 21 years of experience in healthcare design, Damian holds the title of Principal and Healthcare Client Leader at global integrated design firm, DLR Group. Outside of architecture, Damian is dedicated to giving back to his community as a Cubmaster. He was recently recognized as Cubmaster of the Year in 2019 and is raising four amazing children.


Hans Walter, AIA, ACHA (2022)

A Senior Associate with DLR Group, Hans Walter, AIA, ACHA, designs environments balancing the technical demands of healing with the psychological demands of caring. Hans has worked on diverse design solutions for nationally renowned healthcare and academic institutions including The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Mount Sinai Health System, and the Cleveland Clinic. Hans serves on the Design Awards Committee for the AIA Academy of Architecture for Health.


Hayley Johnson, AIA, ACHA (2022)

Hayley’s experience in healthcare design is driven from a love of caring for people and providing the best experience for them. Located in downtown Indianapolis, arcDESIGN is a people-focused architecture firm where innovation and client dedication create a culture of big ideas, teamwork, and fun. Hayley serves as a client leader, architect, and healthcare planner managing over 50+ million dollars’ worth of work. In the Office, Hayley participates on the leadership team and encourages professional growth of younger staff.


Hernan Rivera, AIA, ACHA (2022)

Hernan Rivera, AIA, ACHA, has over 17 years of industry experience, and has been with HuntonBrady Architects since 2009. As Associate Principal, Hernan provides innovative solutions for healthcare clients on a variety of projects across Central Florida, and is an integral member of the firm’s design team. He is also the recipient of the 2018 AIA Orlando Fred H. Pryor Young Architects Forum Achievement Award.


Jason Hartz, AIA, ACHA, NCARB (2022)

Jason is a principal in the firm that is actively involved in all parts of the design process from conceptual planning through construction administration. Jason has completed projects in multiple fields but is a healthcare specialist. Jason has been led teams and completed projects spanning across much of the United States.

Jason’s design approach is rooted in a ‘for-profit’ healthcare system model. His focus is developing right-sized, efficient spaces that meet the goals of the client while keeping the return on investment of every square foot in mind. This design approach has led him to provide his clients with innovative ideas in space planning and design, while collaborating with client teams to implement these concepts to improve the overall patient experience, and the experience of families, physicians, and staff. The healthcare climate today demands that every dollar spent on capital investments be wise and highly utilized. This is Jason’s focus on all projects – big and small.


Jeff Monzu, AIA, ACHA, NCARB (2022)

Jeff is the Healthcare sector leader for LEO A DALY’s Omaha studio. Driven by the power of design to improve quality of life for patients and staff, he has delivered exceptional planning, programming, design, and project management for healthcare projects of all types over 28 years. He is an adjunct professor for Design and Professional Practice at the University of Nebraska College of Architecture and as a Past President, he stays active with AIA-Nebraska committees.


Kelly Miller, AIA, ACHA, NCARB (2022)

Kelly is the Assistant Vice President of Facilities Planning & Design at RWJBarnabas Health in New Jersey. After working with the Health System as her beloved client for over 15 years at several Architecture firms, she joined the RWJBH Corporate Facilities Management Team in 2019. Kelly is passionate about encouraging Architects to join Healthcare Systems; it is a truly challenging, educational, immersive and rewarding experience like none other.


Laurie Keenan (2022)

Laurie Keenan, a licensed architect with ZGF, has over 20 years experience working on a variety of healthcare projects. She provides clients with programming, design services, medical equipment planning, and project management. Her experience with interior design and medical planning allows her to transition the written program to three-dimensional form. She takes the needs of medical staff and integrates it into their environment starting with the unit plan and continuing it through to casework details.


Ledia Valdez, AIA, ACHA, RID, NCARB (2022)

Ledia is currently a Vice President and Senior Medical Planner at HKS Inc. in Houston, TX. She is an architect with 16 years of experience in healthcare architecture. She is focused on the design of most complex hospital spaces including surgical suites and critical care. She has a remarkable ability to envision the experience of families in the pediatric environment, and she uses this insight to guide the planning process. She has dedicated her career to reducing the fear and anxiety experienced by children/patients receiving medical care while increasing hospital safety and functionality. Her community and pediatric healthcare experience totals over 5 million square feet.


Luke Leyden (2022)

Luke is currently serving as an Assistant Director and Chief Architect for Capital Management at the University of Iowa Hospital and Clinics. He has spent the last 17 years of his career focusing exclusively on the design of health care facilities, looking for waysto improve the patient, visitor, and staff experience. The academic and research focus at UIHC has allowed Luke to lead the design, and demonstrate his innovation on many cutting-edge projects.


Maria Kook, AIA, ACHA, PMP, LEED AP, Lean Six Sigma (2022)

Maria is a Senior Vice President at CannonDesign and the Business Practice Leader of Chicago office. She has served in project leader and manager roles for major projects for healthcare and corporate clients. Her passion is for creating high-performing teams with the culture of learning, collaboration, and ownership to deliver high-quality spaces for our clients, our communities, and our planet.

She has supported the following causes through AIA and ULI involvement throughout her career: building safety education, elevating project management quality, promoting equity and inclusion in AEC industry, and supporting emerging professionals career development. In 2023, she will be serving as part of the Advisory Group to develop programming for AIA Women’s Leadership Summit in Boston.
She has received my Master of Architecture from the University of California, Berkeley.


Marianne Graffam, AIA, ACHA, NCIDQ, CHID, EDAC, LEED AP BD+C (2022)

Marianne is a Senior Associate at EskewDumezRipple and studio lead of the Health + Wellness sector. She is a proud proponent that architecture and design should utilize the scientific process to address a problem or question a hypothesis to achieve outcomes that are both aesthetically pleasing, and functionally beautiful. In the community, Marianne is serving on the AIA Louisiana State Board, active with the non-profit unCommon Construction, and since 2009 she has served as the PechaKucha Nights city organizer.


Matt Glassner, AIA, ACHA, NCARB (2022)

Matt Glassner, AIA, ACHA, NCARB, is specialized in healthcare planning and design, bringing creative ideas, technical capability, flexible solutions, and patient-centered ideas to each project. With more than 11 years of experience, Matt actively manages a variety of healthcare design projects, from complex renovations to new construction. Matt is skilled in collaborating with healthcare representatives and end-users, creating design solutions that best fit their needs.


Megan Gallagher (2022)

Megan is a senior health planner at HDR. Her range of project work spans from outpatient clinics to highly technical pharmacy renovations and large scale integrated procedural platforms. Her focus for any project is to design solutions that incorporate best practices, account for client needs and are forward thinking. She also believes in the importance of outreach leading to clinic designs in rural India and Haiti to advising a healthcare architecture graduate studio.


Michael Ferment, AIA, ACHA, EDAC, LEED GA (2022)

Michael Ferment, AIA, ACHA, EDAC, LEED GA is a Senior Architect and Project Manager at BSA LifeStructures in the Raleigh, NC studio. For the past 15 years, Michael has focused on designing healthcare facilities utilizing evidence-based design research to create healing spaces. He strongly believes that the built environment can improve people’s lives. His project experience ranges from complex surgical and interventional renovations and additions to freestanding medical office buildings emergency departments.


Patrick Leahy, AIA, ACHA, ACHE, EDAC, LEED AP (2022)

Patrick is a principal for Emergent Architecture, leading healthcare planning, design & construction projects. Patrick helps clients improve their healthcare & service outcomes using tools like Lean 3P, Design Thinking & Evidence-Based Design, focusing on the needs of staff, clinicians, patients & visitors first. His 20+ years of expertise in experiential design & LEED design principles offer unique solutions to meet the evolving needs of today’s healthcare facilities. His approach to integrated project delivery & open-book construction management helps improve project quality, schedule & cost efficiency. As a member of FGI’s Healthcare Guideline Review Committee since 2014, Patrick is a direct contact for interpretations and is involved in soliciting, reviewing & approving proposed changes.


Ray Minotas, AIA, ACHA, LEED AP (2022)

Ray Minotas, AIA, ACHA, LEED AP, Senior Project Director at Perspectus, specializes in the design of complex medical facilities, delivering award-winning, innovative design solutions focused on patient care. His talent and commitment have contributed to Perspectus’ growth and helped cement its reputation as a leading healthcare design firm. Ray was previously awarded the Emerging Professional Award by the Cleveland AIA chapter for his contributions to the workplace and leadership in the profession.


Renee Fiala, AIA, ACHA, EDAC (2022)

Renee Fiala, AIA, ACHA, EDAC, is a Senior Medical Planner and Associate Principal with EYP, a Page Company, in Houston, Texas. As a Tradewell Fellow, Renee has a strong commitment to research and improving the healthcare experience through evidence-based design. She focuses on early project stages and believes in an interactive design approach. Renee currently serves as the Tradewell Fellowship National Curator and as part of the AIA-AAH STERIS Student Design Charrette Taskforce.


Robin Anderson (2022)

Robin leads the planning of projects that range from complex interior renovations to replacement hospitals, focusing on operational improvements, integrating Lean design concepts and evidence-based design. Robin started her Lean journey 10 years ago and uses Lean tools and concepts to design spaces that support clients’ operational and process improvement goals. She is active in the Lean Construction Institute – Milwaukee Community of Practice and enjoys sharing her knowledge with industry partners and clients.


Stephanie Vito, AIA, ACHA (2022)

Stephanie Vito, AIA, ACHA is a tireless advocate for improving people’s lives through design. Working as a lead programmer, planner, and designer at CannonDesign, she consistently delivers successful projects that elevate behavioral healthcare across communities, specific populations, and society at large. Stephanie’s professional goal is rooted in basic human empathy – seeking to eliminate stigmas that surround behavioral health by pushing society’s preconceptions through design. She has worked with clients across the country and along the continuum of care from prevention to inpatient hospitalization.


Tracy Stocking (2022)

Tracy Stocking, President of TSA Architects, has 30 years of design experience making him the ideal architect to create efficient, flexible, orderly plans for healthcare facilities. His passion led to his work on Jordan Valley Cancer Center, winner of the Generative Space Award as well as Rocky Mountain Care, winner of Regional Best Projects (Healthcare). Tracy has been a leader and champion of healthcare architecture as a founding member of AIA Utah Architecture for Health.


Travis Tyson, AIA, ACHA, NCARB, MARCH (2022)

Travis Tyson, AIA, ACHA, NCARB, MARCH is Director of Planning at Cleveland Clinic. His current role is to lead the Planning & Design team for the Cleveland Clinic Enterprise. Responsible for the programming, planning and design of all renovation and new projects. Overseeing more than 38M square feet of space within the Cleveland Clinic Health system. He serves on the Healthcare Design Advisory Board and is on the Facilities Guidelines Institute (FGI) Revisions Committee. He is on his local Board of Zoning Appeals committee and is a member of the BGSU Architectural Advisory Boar

ACHA is starting a new “Think Tank” (formerly known as a Task Force) to study the immediate, and long-term impacts of Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) on the health facility design and planning industry.  This includes a review of the technology as a design and planning tool for the implementation of the work, as well as a review of how A.I. will change healthcare delivery, staffing, and costs.  The goal is to look at both near-term, and long term impacts.

To accomplish this mission, the “Think Tank” will be comprised of ACHA Certificants with an interest in this
topic.  Some of this effort will require expertise in the actual A.I. technology and its future road map.  Other parts of this effort will need participants that understand strategic planning, risk management, staffing, and corporate finance from both the design firm side as well as the healthcare delivery side.  By design, the structure of the “Think Tank” will consist of a variety of backgrounds and expertise. Connections to special guests that could contribute to this effort should be highlighted in your application.

Click here for more information and to apply to participate.

The American College of Healthcare Architects has announced the election of Ann H. Adams, AIA, FACHA, of Davis Partnership as the 2024 President of the Board of Regents.  Ann assumes this role as of January 1, 2024 and succeeds 2023 President Clyde “Ted” Moore III, AIA, ACHA, LEED BD+C. David Allison, FAIA, FACHA of Clemson University has been named 2024 President-Elect of the Board of Regents. In addition, Katie Fricke, AIA, ACHA has joined the Board of Regents.

The PDC Summit brings together thousands working in all disciplines of health care planning, design and construction to advance the health care built environment — mirroring real-life stakeholder collaboration across varied professions and career stages — in one centralized place. 

Registration now open! Join us March 17-20, 2024 in San Diego.

For more information and to register, please visit https://www.ashe.org/education/pdc-summit

What to Expect

Learn about new best practices, discuss your findings and challenges, discover solutions to complex challenges and stay informed about developments in the health care planning, design and construction field.

Attendees can expect:

The Healthcare Design Conference + Expo opened its 2024 Call for Presentations for the event to be held Oct. 5-8 at Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis.

Devoted to how the design of built environments directly impacts the safety, operation, clinical outcomes, and financial and experiential success of healthcare facilities, both now and into the future, the HCD Conference is driven by a robust conference program developed by industry professionals.

Organizers welcome presentation proposals that respond to the current needs of healthcare organizations and solutions being put into place across the healthcare planning, design, construction, and operations/facility management sectors. The deadline to submit a presentation proposal is Friday, Feb. 2. For more information and the proposal form, visit hcdexpo.com/conference/call-for-presentations.

Healthcare Design Conference + Expo is the industry’s ultimate networking, education, and product-sourcing event. Learn about the latest research and strategies in healthcare design, and discover innovative products that support the thoughtful design of hospital and clinic environments. Leave with new connections, new ideas for current and future projects, and earn AIA, IDCEC, EDAC, and nursing LUs to meet your continuing education goals. Learn more about attending >>

Join ACHA at HCD!

Certification Prep @ HCD

Date: Sunday, November 5, 2023
Time: 3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Central
Location: Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, New Orleans, LA

2023 Annual Meeting & Certificate Holder Luncheon

Date: Monday, November 6, 2023
Time: 12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. Central
Location: Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, New Orleans, LA

Join ACHA for a panel discussion featuring Bhargav Goswami, AIA, ACHA, MBA, Director of Facilities Planning Services at MD Anderson Cancer Center and Sunil Shah, Vice President, NFS Facilities Strategy Planning + Design, Kaiser Permanente.

This subject, “Shifts in Sites of Care,” addresses how the recent three years have accelerated work-place and work-life change across regions and industries. Healthcare has been no exception. Many of our country’s care practices have deep roots and traditions in proactive patient care.

Date: Thursday, September 28
Time: 4pm Eastern

Learn more and register here

Wednesday, May 24
3:00 – 4:00 PM CDT

Catch up with colleagues from across the country for a College update and to discuss the VA Task Force 2023 Report.

ACHA partnered with the Veterans Administration Construction and Facilities Management (CFM) Department to improve healthcare delivery to veterans via a yearlong Task Force. The Task Force recommendations included new healthcare paradigms to improve Veteran access to care and create an equitable system of care. Hear from some of the Task Force members during this Town Hall discussion.

Click here to register.