PDC Summit brings together multiple leading organizations

ASHE is hosting the 2025 PDC Summit in Atlanta March 9-12.

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More than 3,300 professionals from all disciplines of health care planning, design and construction (PDC) will gather from March 9-12 in Atlanta to share perspectives on designing, building and optimizing the health care physical environment at the International Summit & Exhibition on Health Facility Planning, Design & Construction™ (PDC Summit™).

The PDC Summit is hosted by the American Society for Health Care Engineering (ASHE) of the American Hospital Association in collaboration with 11 other leading health care PDC and clinical organizations, mirroring real-life PDC stakeholder collaboration across professions and career stages.

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They include the American Institute of Architects’ Academy of Architecture for Health (AIA/AAH), the American Academy of Healthcare Interior Designers, the American College of Healthcare Architects, ASHRAE, the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses, the Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturers Association, The Center for Health Design, the Facility Guidelines Institute, the International Association for Healthcare Security and Safety, and the Nursing Institute for Healthcare Design.

No other event in the field unites this many health care segment leaders. Meeting stakeholders at the PDC Summit means attendees can achieve the following:

• Complete projects more efficiently.
• Get more insight per market research dollar they invest.
• Enhance their future projects so they exceed stakeholder expectations.

The PDC Summit also provides ample opportunities to receive a variety of continuing education credits.

Summit program

The PDC Summit will feature a packed schedule of educational sessions and general sessions.

Educational sessions. Attendees can customize their PDC Summit experience by choosing sessions that address eight overarching subject matter tracks over four knowledge levels (strategic, applied, exploratory and foundational), creating the right balance for their unique roles and interests.

Tracks include behavioral health; clinical perspectives; collaborative PDC methodologies; safety and resiliency; site of care; sustainability and decarbonization; regulation and compliance; and research, design and outcomes (curated by The Center for Health Design).

General sessions. Thought-provoking and engaging general sessions will provide perspectives and strategies on topics facing health care PDC, including:

• Opening, awards and keynote: “Disrupt Yourself: Driving Change to Create Growth and Opportunity” — It’s no secret that human beings crave consistency and dislike change. Yet one thing remains clear — professionals must deliver results. In this program, entertainer, futurist and author Morris Morrison will teach attendees to abandon their need for certainty and comfort, to embrace change and disruption and develop new disciplines. The powerful message, unforgettable content and easy to apply learning outcomes in this program will challenge attendees to reimagine their roles to become disruptors.
• General session: “Extreme Collaboration: Training the Next Generation of PDC Professionals” — The rapid pace of change in health care, combined with an aging workforce, have made preparing the next generation of health care planning, design and construction professionals a paramount mission today. The AIA/AAH & ASHE PDC Student Design Challenge™ is an interdisciplinary competition for students in architecture, construction, engineering and nursing that has created space for students to put their classroom lessons to work in a mock design competition. This immersive and interactive experience enables multidisciplinary student, faculty and field collaboration that is not easy to replicate.
• General session: “The Center for Health Design Awards Ceremony and Changemaker Keynote” — The Center for Health Design Changemaker Award celebrates visionary individuals and organizations whose transformative work reshapes how health care environments are designed and built. This year, The Center proudly presents the award to Henry Domke, M.D. As the founder of a global movement rooted in evidence-based research, Domke has shown how nature-inspired art can profoundly improve patient recovery. Additionally, attendees will gain insights from winners of the Healthcare Environment Awards, Joseph G. Sprague New Investigator Award, Touchstone Awards and Russ Coile Lifetime Achievement Award.
• General session: “Growth Game Plan™: Turning Challenges into Opportunities” — From nurse to group president of workforce at Aya Healthcare Inc. in San Diego, April Hansen led Aya’s remarkable 27-times increase in revenue in just six years. From navigating rapid change to managing major market movements, her strategic and authentic approach at the core of the Growth Game Plan™ resonates deeply with leaders and team members going through the same shifting realities every day.
• General session: “Crisis to Calm — EmPATH and BH Crisis Units Improving Emergency Throughput” — This engaging panel discussion will delve into the critical role of thoughtful design in creating supportive environments for individuals experiencing mental health crises. Drawing from diverse perspectives — clinician, owner and architect — the expert presenters will share invaluable insights on EmPATH/behavioral health crisis units.
• Closing General Session: “Building Bridges: The Role of Supporting Organizations in Shaping Health Care’s Future” — A panel of leaders in the field will share insights into their roles as critical partners in achieving health care objectives, from aligning strategic goals to navigating regulatory and operational challenges.

Additional events

Last, but not least, is a roster of add-on and pre-conference events that allow professionals to take deep dives into health care PDC concepts with respected faculty from leading organizations.

Related article // Multidisciplinary opportunities at the PDC Summit

Now more than ever, the quantity and quality of a health care facilities professional’s social network is critical to access and leverage connections and information. The International Summit & Exhibition on Health Facility Planning, Design & Construction™ (PDC Summit™) is the one conference that has a balanced representation of the full health care PDC team.

Through blending perspectives, the PDC Summit program offers a collaborative approach to building and renovating health care facilities. PDC Summit attendees include:

• Hospital administrators. New construction and renovation of a health care facility is a major investment. Senior administrators with responsibility for the design and construction of health care facilities should attend to gain insight on the strategic outlook for the health care physical environment and assess how to maximize operational efficiency through design.
• Health care facilities management professionals. Maximizing the efficiency of design and construction projects is critical to a health care facility’s bottom line. Facilities directors and managers working to optimize the physical environment of health care facilities will gain insight from the PDC Summit on innovative operational strategies that complement design and construction initiatives.
• Design professionals. Whether they want to learn about new building codes and standards, discover case studies on sustainable design practices or interact with prospective clients at one of the receptions, design professionals will gain insights on architectural trends impacting the physical health care environment.
• Contractors and construction professionals. Whether they’re attending the Certified Health Care Constructor Exam Review course, listening to a case study presentation on Lean methodologies or networking with prospective clients at one of the receptions, health care construction professionals will walk away from the PDC Summit with valuable knowledge and business connections.
• Care providers. The physical environment impacts the care experience. Whether providers are focused on improving their organization’s care workflow, working with colleagues on the design of new health care facilities, or seeking to share their experience delivering care with design and construction professionals, the PDC Summit will provide them with knowledge and connections to support their goals.