"Everything is shifting at once — our care models, technology, AI, capital pressures, workforce dynamics." — Elizabeth Sullivan on HID2.0 In this episode of Healthcare Interior Design 2.0, Cheryl Janis sits down with Elizabeth Sullivan, Principal and Regional Co-Leader of Healthcare Northeast at HOK and adjunct professor at The New York School of Interior Design for a deeply thoughtful conversation about healthcare architecture, lived experience, mentorship, and the future of humane healthcare environments. Elizabeth shares how she went from thinking healthcare architecture sounded "boring" to discovering that it is one of the most meaningful, complex, and human-centered areas of design. With experience spanning architectural practice, the owner side, teaching, and her own personal experiences as a patient, Elizabeth brings a rare and powerful lens to what healthcare spaces are — and what they still need to become. Together, Cheryl and Elizabeth explore the next wave of healthcare design, the importance of flexibility and adaptability, the emotional weight of hospitals, the role of respite spaces, and why small details — even the chair in a patient room — can have an enormous impact. In This Episode, Cheryl and Elizabeth Discuss Elizabeth's unexpected path into healthcare architecture Why healthcare design is far more creative, emotional, and complex than she first imagined How her experiences as a patient shaped the way she thinks about space The idea that healthcare architecture is on the edge of a major transformation Why future healthcare environments must be more adaptable and resilient How care models, AI, capital pressures, workforce dynamics, and sustainability are influencing design The importance of respite spaces for patients, families, and staff Why mentorship and apprenticeship still matter deeply in architecture What designers often misunderstand about the owner side of healthcare How curiosity can help young professionals find their place in healthcare design Why empathy is not abstract — it shows up in the questions designers ask The surprising importance of the chair in a patient room KEY TAKEAWAYS Healthcare design is deeply human. Elizabeth's early assumption that healthcare architecture would be overly technical changed when she realized the work is centered around people in some of life's most vulnerable moments. We are not waiting for transformation — we are already inside it. Elizabeth describes healthcare architecture as being on the cusp of a major shift, driven by care models, technology, AI, capital pressures, workforce dynamics, sustainability, infrastructure, and community health. Future healthcare environments need to behave less like static buildings and more like adaptable systems. One of Elizabeth's strongest points is that designers are no longer simply "building buildings." They are designing systems that must flex, evolve, and respond over time. Long-term healthcare planning has to become more flexible and realistic. Elizabeth challenges the idea of rigid 20-year master plans, pointing instead toward shorter planning horizons, modular thinking, strategic adaptability, and future-ready infrastructure. The owner's perspective changes everything. Her experience working on the owner side gave her a deeper understanding of capital constraints, operating budgets, shifting priorities, stakeholders, schedules, and why even strong projects can change direction. Mentorship is not extra — it is part of the profession. Elizabeth speaks beautifully about the mentors who shaped her and why she now feels called to teach what students and young professionals cannot always learn from books alone. Empathy shows up in the questions designers ask. For Elizabeth, empathetic design is not just a feeling; it is a process of listening carefully, asking people to walk through their day, understanding their pain points, and translating those insights into better environments. Healthcare design has many entry points. For people drawn to the field, Elizabeth emphasizes that healthcare design can include planning, research, furniture design, workplace strategy, operations, management, and more — not only traditional architecture. The most humane healthcare environments create comfort, safety, and emotional relief. Elizabeth imagines future healthcare spaces that help take people's minds away from the stress of being somewhere they may not have chosen to be. Small details carry enormous weight. Her reflection on "the chair" is a perfect example: a seemingly minor design choice can affect patients, family members, caregivers, clinicians, and staff for hours at a time. RESOURCES MENTIONED New York School of Interior Design — Master of Professional Studies in Design of Healthcare Environments A graduate program focused on healthcare interiors, including research methods, healthcare history and theory, environmental and behavioral studies, applied ...
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May 5 202650 mins
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