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Healthcare Interior Design 2.0

Healthcare Interior Design 2.0

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 Healthcare design is undergoing a revolutionary transformation. How can we create healing environments that embrace innovation, celebrate human diversity, and serve everyone in our communities? From reimagining cancer care delivery to integrating infection-resistant materials and sustainable product solutions, how can thoughtful design enhance the experience of patients, families, caregivers and clinical staff? With compassion and curiosity, host Cheryl Janis interviews the world's top wellness leaders and healthcare design professionals who are challenging conventional thinking and creating spaces that heal, nurture, and welcome all. Join us as we explore groundbreaking innovations and human-centered approaches that are reshaping the future of healthcare design. Tune in and be part of the conversation that's transforming how we experience healthcare. #DesignHeals #InclusiveHealthcare Art Hygiene & Healthy Living Physical Illness & Disease
Episodes
  • Episode 73, Ghina Itani, MBA, CHID, NCIDQ, EDAC, ASID, Owner/Principal Interior Designer of Itani Design Concepts (IDC)

    Episode 73, Ghina Itani, MBA, CHID, NCIDQ, EDAC, ASID, Owner/Principal Interior Designer of Itani Design Concepts (IDC)
    Feb 17 2026
    "Art is underutilized as a tool. We should ask: what's the intent behind this piece? Why this piece… and what is this going to do for patients?" —Ghina Itani on HID2.0 What if "beautiful" isn't just a nice-to-have — but a clinical tool? In this episode, Cheryl sits down with Ghina Itani, MBA, CHID, NCIDQ, ASID, EDAC — founder and principal designer of Itani Design Concepts (woman-owned, founded in 2007). Together they unpack how healthcare design decisions ripple outward: influencing everything from patient stress to staff retention, wayfinding, and even workplace culture. You'll hear Ghina's origin story — including the moment she rediscovered her portfolio in a box during her "little ones" season and realized her career was still waiting — and how one early hospital project helped raise expectations for what healthcare spaces could feel like. Then we will dive deep into neuroaesthetics (the brain's response to beauty and environment), why designers must avoid "paint-by-numbers" claims, and how color research can be shared without overpromising. Along the way, Ghina breaks down the famous Baker–Miller Pink story and what it teaches us about context, demographics, and why no single color is a universal prescription. Finally, you'll explore art as care — including the idea of museum prescriptions — and why art is often underutilized as a real tool for healing and connection (not just decoration.) What you'll hear in this episode A powerful origin story about timing, identity, and returning to ambition Why healthcare design is never just aesthetic — it's operational Neuroaesthetics: what it is, why it matters, and what it isn't Color guidelines: where they help… and where they fall apart The "pink prison" story — and what it teaches about context over clichés How designers can present research logically (especially with clinical leaders) Art as a care intervention, not an accessory — including museum prescription programs Why instinct still belongs in evidence-based work Key Takeaways Design has reach. A chair choice can affect not just comfort — but operations, loyalty, and even patient flow. Color isn't a magic button. It's about dose, placement, scale, lighting, and culture — not "blue = calm." Neuroaesthetics is a lens, not a guarantee. Designers can use research to guide decisions without promising outcomes. Inclusion builds trust. Bringing staff and stakeholders into the design process reduces resistance and improves buy-in. Art can be therapeutic. When chosen with intent, it can open conversation, reduce stress, and support care experiences. Memorable Quotes from Ghina Itani "I kind of realized that… my career is waiting. It's right here." "I took chances and I was gutsy." "Even if I didn't have an idea what I'm doing at the time, I always think: I'm going to figure it out." "When an opportunity comes, you have to seize it." "If I think too much about something, I probably won't do it." "Owning a business and being a designer are two different things." "Now we're affecting operation." "We cannot just say, this color gives you this outcome." "Neuroaesthetics is misunderstood… it's not a prescription that you put it and solve the problem." "Art is underutilized as a tool." "We still think of it as pretty and not pretty… but we shouldn't think that way." "We should think: what's the intent behind this piece? Why this piece… and what is this going to do for patients?" "We are the product of our environment." "We cannot make it ever robotic… it will always need the human." "At the end of the day… I would trust what I think of it and what my instincts tell me as well." Resources & Links ITANIA DESIGN CONCEPTS - Itani Design Concepts (website): https://itanidc.com/ - About Ghina Itani: https://itanidc.com/index.php/about/ - Contact page: https://itanidc.com/index.php/contact/ - Portfolio: https://itanidc.com/index.php/portfolio/ - ASID Design Finder listing (Ghina Itani): https://designfinder.asid.org/listing/ghina-itani CREDENTIALS & ORGANIZATIONS MENTIONED - AAHID (American Academy of Healthcare Interior Designers): https://aahid.org/ - CHID credential info (AAHID): https://aahid.org/certification/ - EDAC (The Center for Health Design): https://www.healthdesign.org/certification-outreach/edac/ - The Center for Health Design (home): https://www.healthdesign.org/ - CIDQ / NCIDQ Certification: https://www.cidq.org/ TOPICS FROM THE EPISODE - Neuroesthetics (overview): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neuroesthetics - Baker–Miller pink (overview): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baker%E2%80%93Miller_pink - Museum prescriptions (Montreal Museum of Fine Arts): https://www.mbam.qc.ca/en/news/museum-prescriptions/ - Penn Center for Neuroaesthetics: https://neuroaesthetics.med.upenn.edu/ Connect with Ghina Itani Email: gina@itanidc.com Phone: 661-549-5886 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ghina-itani/ Our Industry Partners The ...
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    55 mins
  • Episode 72 Elizabeth Johnson, PhD, MS-CRM, RN, Assistant Professor, Montana State University Mark and Robyn Jones College of Nursing, Incoming President of the Nursing Institute for Healthcare Design

    Episode 72 Elizabeth Johnson, PhD, MS-CRM, RN, Assistant Professor, Montana State University Mark and Robyn Jones College of Nursing, Incoming President of the Nursing Institute for Healthcare Design
    Jan 13 2026
    "As a system scientist and a nurse, my patient is now the hospital." –Elizabeth Johnson on HID2.0 On today's podcast episode, Cheryl sits down with Dr. Elizabeth Johnson (PhD, MS-CRM, RN)—Assistant Professor at Montana State University's Mark & Robyn Jones College of Nursing, host of Designing Care On-Air, and incoming President of the Nursing Institute for Healthcare Design (NIHD). Elizabeth lives at the intersection of nursing, technology, and design, with a passion for designing healthcare systems—especially for rural, frontier, remote, and tribal communities where distance and infrastructure shape what care can look and feel like. In this conversation, Elizabeth shares the "permission" moment that changed her path into healthcare design, her research using mobile and wearable technology to support clinical trial participant safety, and the powerful insights coming from The Kind Room Project—where children use art to show what a healthcare space looks like when it helps them feel calm, safe, and brave. Along the way, she offers a reframe you won't forget: "My patient is now the hospital." In this episode, we cover The moment that changed everything: being asked (for the first time) what she thought—as a nurse—during a design challenge. The Kind Room Project: using art-based prompts so kids can show what "healthcare that feels kind" looks like. A surprising insight from children's drawings: many prefer softer, muted tones over the stereotypical "primary colors." Why rural hospitals are a "living, breathing apparatus" of community life—and what designers miss if they only visit during business hours. Wearables + clinical trials: how technology can help rural/remote participants stay safe and supported closer to home. "Day two design" (after the ribbon cutting): where latent errors show up—and how to ask great questions, not just good ones. The mindset shift she wants to normalize: making friends with the unknown. Memorable quotes "My patient is now the hospital." "Advocacy through vision and visibility." "Permission is granted. It's a yes—you belong." "Make friends with the unknown." Links & ways to connect Elizabeth Johnson's email: elizabeth.johnson37@montana.edu Elizabeth LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabeth-johnson-phd-ms-crm-rn-833590167/ Montana State University Nursing directory (Elizabeth): https://www.montana.edu/nursing/directory/bozeman/2344665/elizabeth-johnson MSU CAIRHE "Johnson Project" page: https://www.montana.edu/cairhe/other-investigators/johnson/ NIHD (Nursing Institute for Healthcare Design): https://nursingihd.com/ Elizabeth's NIHD bio: https://nursingihd.com/elizabeth-johnson-bio Join NIHD: https://nursingihd.com/join Designing Care On-Air (Apple Podcasts): https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/designing-care-on-air/id1696746547 Kind Room / design tool site (as mentioned): https://designkind.art If you liked this episode… Share it with a nurse, designer, architect, engineer, or administrator who cares about building healthcare environments that feel more human—and more kind. Our Industry Partners The world is changing quickly. The Center for Health Design is committed to providing the healthcare design and senior living design industries with the latest research, best practices and innovations. The Center can help you solve today's biggest healthcare challenges and make a difference in care, safety, medical outcomes, and the bottom line. Find out more at healthdesign.org. Additional support for this podcast comes from our industry partners: The American Academy of Healthcare Interior Designers The Nursing Institute for Healthcare Design Learn more about how to become a Certified Healthcare Interior Designer® by visiting the American Academy of Healthcare Interior Designers at: https://aahid.org/. Connect to a community interested in supporting clinician involvement in design and construction of the built environment by visiting The Nursing Institute for Healthcare Design at https://www.nursingihd.com/ ------------ The world is changing quickly. The Center for Health Design is committed to providing the healthcare design and senior living design industries with the latest research, best practices and innovations. The Center can help you solve today's biggest healthcare challenges and make a difference in care, safety, medical outcomes, and the bottom line. Find out more at healthdesign.org. Additional support for this podcast comes from our industry partners: The American Academy of Healthcare Interior Designers The Nursing Institute for Healthcare Design Learn more about how to become a Certified Healthcare Interior Designer® by visiting the American Academy of Healthcare Interior Designers at: https://aahid.org/. Connect to a community interested in supporting clinician involvement in design and construction of the built environment by visiting The Nursing Institute for Healthcare Design at https://...
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    56 mins
  • Episode 71, Andrea Kingsbury,RID, CHID, LEED AP ID+C, 
Creative Director of Interior Design, e4h, Environments for Health Architecture

    Episode 71, Andrea Kingsbury,RID, CHID, LEED AP ID+C, 
Creative Director of Interior Design, e4h, Environments for Health Architecture
    Dec 9 2025
    "If I can make a terrifying experience a little calmer and a nurse's 12-hour shift less exhausting—that's my why." –Andrea Kingsbury on HID2.0. Today on the pod, Cheryl sits down—virtually—with Andrea Kingsbury, RID, CHID, LEED AP ID+C, Creative Director of Interior Design at e4h | Environments for Health Architecture.With 18+ years in healthcare interiors, Andrea shares how she elevates design across a multi-office practice. She co-creates with clinicians so operations don't get value-engineered out. And on the Roper St. Francis Replacement Hospital, e4h is partnered with SOM (Skidmore, Owings & Merrill)—SOM leads the exterior and first-impression spaces while e4h leads the clinical environments. Together, they're translating a modern Low Country sense of place into calming, resilient settings from curb to bedside. What We Cover Origin story & staying power: finding purpose where "every decision has a human consequence" Creative Director lens: mentorship, cross-pollination, and guiding principles that anchor projects over time Digital collaboration: whiteboards as living libraries (and bringing sketching energy back across offices) Clinician-led, patient-centered: turning design ideas into performance metrics (steps saved, time gained, errors reduced) so they survive VE Roper St. Francis with SOM: a curb-to-bedside thread; visioning early, system finish master plan, and "modern Low Country" as a unifying concept Arrival sequence by landscape: Tidelands → Dunes → Marshes (lobby, promenade, café) for orientation, calm, and nourishment Community over cliché: avoiding "postcard Charleston," engaging North Charleston's distinct neighborhoods and local artists Standardization vs. soul: prefabricated pods and modular systems without losing local materiality and identity Flexibility & resilience: designing for future unknowns (pandemics, hurricanes, seismic), right-sizing and pre-planning utilities Pathways for emerging designers: timing CHID/EDAC, why to test early, and the portfolio experiences that matter now Key Takeaways Guide, don't dictate. A Creative Director cultivates mindsets and methods more than a single "house style." Metrics protect design. When choices map to operational outcomes (steps/time/errors), they're harder to cut. Place > postcard. Authenticity comes from community engagement, not clichés. Prefab ≠ generic. Standardization can speed delivery while finishes and details keep local soul. Design for tomorrow. Flexibility and resilience are now baseline program requirements. Invest early in credentials. CHID/EDAC/LEED are great signalers—easier to earn closer to school—and experience remains the difference-makers Memorable Quotes from Andrea Kingsbury "We're designing the backdrop of some of our most vulnerable moments—birth, death, recovery, crisis. Every decision has a human consequence." "If I can make a terrifying experience a little calmer and a nurse's 12-hour shift less exhausting—that's my why." "Our role isn't to impose a singular style; it's to cultivate a mindset that leads to successful projects." "Guiding principles set early become the anchor when projects evolve—they hold the vision together." "When design choices map to time saved, steps reduced, and errors prevented, it's almost impossible to value-engineer them out." "We used the Low Country landscape—tidelands → dunes → marshes—to cue orientation, calm, and nourishment." "Prefab doesn't have to look generic. We keep the speed and quality without losing local soul." "The next phase is flexibility and resilience—designing for tomorrow when we can't predict it." Resources & Links e4h | Environments for Health Architecture — Andrea's firm (Charlotte studio; healthcare-focused). https://www.e4harchitecture.com/ Roper St. Francis Healthcare — Replacement Hospital updates, community newsletters, and media (including VR/renderings when available). https://www.rsfh.com/ S.O.M. — Skidmore, Owings & Merrill — Design partner on exterior and first-impression spaces. https://www.som.com/ CHID Certification (AAHID) — Certified Healthcare Interior Designer credential referenced in the episode. https://www.aahid.org/certification/ EDAC (The Center for Health Design) — Evidence-Based Design Accreditation & Certification. https://www.healthdesign.org/certification-outreach/edac/ Biophilic Design (Primer) — Background on nature-connected strategies that inform "tidelands → dunes → marshes" concepts. https://www.healthdesign.org/insights-solutions/biophilic-design Connect with Andrea Kingsbury Email: andrea.kingsbury@e4harchitecture.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreahkingsbury/ Our Industry Partners The world is changing quickly. The Center for Health Design is committed to providing the healthcare design and senior living design industries with the latest research, best practices and innovations. The Center can help you solve today's ...
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    51 mins
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