Designing Care On-Air

Ready for your creativity to take flight? This initial overview of design thinking will propel you to take the lead on the big ideas that will move healthcare forward.

Clinical research depends on more than protocols. It depends on people, places, communication pathways, and the systems that support participant safety and trial integrity. In this episode, Dr. Gordon Hill joins Designing Care On-Air to discuss the evolving role of clinical research nursing and midwifery, the importance of professional visibility, and the clinical voices that help design safer, mo...

In this episode of Designing Care On-Air, we’re joined by Alex and Bri, both two-time cancer survivors, as they reflect on what it felt like to navigate cancer at an age when they were often told, “You’re too young to be here.” Together, we explore the unique needs of AYA cancer patients, the search for community and belonging, and the ways healthcare environments can either deepen isolation or he...

Climate change is no longer a background condition; it is actively shaping patient outcomes, workforce resilience, and the environments where care is delivered. In this episode of Designing Care On-Air , we speak with Grace Kistner about why climate health is a frontline healthcare issue and how nurses are uniquely positioned to lead advocacy and systems change. From translating climate data into...

This episode explores legacy mapping, risk-taking, and the lessons we borrow from those who came before us to shape the future of healthcare design. A reflective conversation with changemakers on courage, continuity, and lighting the path forward for the industry.

Join architect and mental & behavioral health planner Stephen Parker as we explore trauma-informed design, crisis center planning, and policy that supports mental health across generations. Stephen offers insights on peer support integration, reimbursement strategies, and the cultural influences shaping responsive spaces. Whether you're a planner, provider, or policy advocate, this conver...

Two-step into the heart of Texas with Jessica Gutierrez-Rodriguez, Senior Executive Director of Clinical Facilities at University of Texas Health San Antonio, as she shares how her journey as a mother to a child with congenital heart disease shapes her bold vision for healthcare spaces. In this episode of Designing Care On-Air , Jessica opens up about balancing cutting-edge design with deeply huma...

Christina Olivarria and Jhiah Chang unpack the high-pressure work of orchestrating over 100 projects in just 18 months on a busy academic medical center campus. They’ll reveal the pitfalls that nearly derailed progress, how staff-centric strategies turned resistance into collaboration, and the creative space modifications (yes, even furniture hacks) that kept care flowing while construction loomed...

With a catchment area spanning all of Vermont and northern New York, the University of Vermont Cancer Center is a success story in high impact, quality care across research, education, and clinical pillars of their mission. Drs. Jessica Heath and Christa Varnadoe share their complementary perspectives on the renown organizational responsiveness to community-identified needs – including cutting-edg...

Renown Health's Samantha Koblitz reflects on the importance of trusted partners during shifts in design approach and decision-making with Interface's Leslie Echols and Perkins&Will's Nicki Hellem and Holly Ewing. By giving users and leadership hands-on participatory roles in flooring selection, Renown Health was afforded deeper insights into their culture while promoting creativ...

Dr. Richard Kyte, Director of the D. B. Reinhart Institute for Ethics in Leadership and Endowed Professor of Ethics at Viterbo University in La Crosse, Wisconsin, approaches the concept of ‘Third Place’ from the lenses of leadership and ethics.

As the expert coordinators of a successful surgery, the circulating nurse role is one of the most pivotal to include in operating room design. Shilpa Bhardwaj shares her doctoral research centering and her insights on inclusivity, representation, and advocacy during the design process of high-stress environments.

Joey Shea of Interface shares his perceptions on the role of communities in conscious decision-making during the design life-cycle and tips to stretch purchasing power into sustainable, future-forward growth of healthcare systems.  

Francis encourages designers to consider relationship over form as we enmesh evidence and lived experience to design spaces for mental health that promote connection, contemplation, and skillbuilding.

 How might design and space planning support effective communication during the complex process of patient rounds? Swati Goel shares her research and recommendations 

With more children and youth requiring mental health services in community settings, psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner Samantha Reed gives a firsthand account of considerations necessary in the built environment to heal with hope.

As healthcare becomes more technologically complex, it’s time for designers to plug into best practices when tackling Division 25 with Will Maxwell of Smith Seckman Reid, Inc.

Through universal rail systems, Paladin Healthcare’s Gary Schindele provides insight on how to transform spaces from rigid and rundown to regenerative and renewed.

Violence against nurses in particular has risen over 70% in the last couple years. Kelsey Springer, RN, shares her experience and call to action for design changes that can save lives of healthcare staff.

Along the Pacific Northwest and Rocky Mountain West, hospitals have constructed parking lots for campers for equitable healthcare access. Ruth Tretter, Assistant Professor at the Mark & Robyn Jones College of Nursing – Montana State University shares her experiences and the science behind this ever-growing population seeking care.

Julie Dumser is a senior manager in healthcare consulting. As a nurse, Julie saw early on in her career the impact that the built environment had on patient outcomes and efficiency of care delivery. In this episode, Julie shares how including clinical voice early and often in the design process provides long-lasting benefits to the heroes save lives in those environments every day. 

With over 30 years in nursing and executive leadership roles, Kristina Krail has built a career being at the forefront of optimizing human performance in healthcare systems design. A design industry healthcare consultant, Kristina shares pearls of wisdom on moving the needle in high-impact project management. 

Marjorie Serrano is an architect and clinical consultant with a background as a pediatric nurse practitioner. In this episode, Marjorie shares her passion for advancing diversity in design teams through education, awareness, and learning to ask the right questions. 

Margaret Hammersla is an Assistant Professor at the Mark & Robyn Jones College of Nursing- Montana State University. As an adult nurse practitioner, Margaret shares her experiences advocating for rural and frontier residents when home-based care is warranted while sharing recommendations for optimizing care delivery in resource-tight environments. 

Bernadette McCrory is an Assistant Professor at the Norm Asbjornson College of Engineering- Montana State University. In this episode, Dr. McCrory describes the BioReD Hub for rural healthcare research innovation and the fresh approach to biomedical engineering education that will move mountains in solutioning for Montana’s healthcare delivery crisis.