We’ll see you at the PDC Summit in Atlanta!

It’s hard to believe a year has passed since The Center for Health Design collaborated with the American Society for Health Care Engineering (ASHE) to introduce the new Research, Design and Outcomes track at the International Summit & Exhibition on Health Facility Planning, Design & Construction™ (PDC Summit™), which will be held March 9-12 in Atlanta.

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Both organizations recognized the long-term value of an annual event that unites the design and health care communities and solutions providers under one roof. ASHE has been working for years to create a unique event — a multifaceted community that represents every aspect of our field. With the additional programming by The Center, attendees now have complete access to the latest insights in health care facility research and design. By fostering opportunities for meaningful interactions over the four days of the PDC Summit, we aim to promote a deeper understanding of the value of collaboration to drive improvements in patient and staff outcomes while impacting the financial health of our health care systems.

This year, The Center has curated a robust program tailored to this multifaceted audience. Highlights include 25 breakout sessions on diverse topics to equip attendees with actionable insights they can apply when they return to work; an Evidence-Based Design Accreditation and Certification (EDAC) workshop to provide a hands-on, in-depth experience; and three short, impactful educational presentations in the exhibition hall’s Discovery Theater.

Highlights include this year’s EDAC pre-conference workshop, which will focus on integrating Lean and evidence-based design (EBD) principles. Although both concepts are well-known in our field, they usually operate independently. Lean prioritizes efficiency, while EBD emphasizes research-driven design choices. Merging these approaches in a program lasting more than 7 1/2 hours enhances project outcomes.

In the exhibition hall, attendees can engage with The Center staff in the Discovery Theater to explore research tools like the Knowledge Repository, a searchable online database with more than 6,000 citations, and learn more about programs like EDAC and the value they bring. These quick-hit 20-to-30-minute sessions are a great introduction to a wide variety of useful resources.

The main program features a diverse array of speakers and topics centered around design research, case studies and project outcomes. The emphasis of many of these programs is for attendees to walk away with knowledge that can be immediately applied to their work.

Staying true to its mission of promoting research-driven design decisions, The Center has organized sessions that illuminate various aspects of design research and its practical applications. One session, led by The Center’s research team, will highlight six compelling studies from the past year, linking the research to practical uses.

Several programs tackle aspects of technology, including the use of artificial intelligence tools to improve the design and construction process, as well as exploring the best ways to integrate technology for patients, staff, clinical outcomes, care experience and even health equity.

The variety of population groups also was considered in the programming, with programs touching on behavioral health facilities, design for dementia, understanding neurodiversity and projects geared toward pediatrics and adolescents.

Anchoring the program are topics relevant to today’s environment. With more than half of all nurses considering leaving the profession, multiple programs focus on the impact of facility design to address staffing issues like mitigating nurse burnout and designing supportive spaces for caregivers in crisis.

Along with the focus on research in our field, nuts and bolts issues like daylighting, materials selection, improving health care equity and exam room design run throughout the program. A standout program addresses capital planning and the ongoing challenge of balancing a hospital system’s resources between funding projects that align with the system’s long-term strategy and supporting daily infrastructure needs. Attendees will gain insights and perspectives from various systems and learn how technology is assisting in these difficult decisions.

Presentations featuring thought leaders from various Center initiatives, such as the Environment Networks, will be exclusively available at the PDC Summit. These small, thought-leadership groups consist of senior leaders from top hospitals and design firms. Three of these networks — Built Environment Network, focusing on acute care; Behavioral & Mental Health Environment Network, addressing behavioral and mental health; and Pediatric Environment Network, dedicated to pediatric settings — will discuss topics explored in their meetings over the past year. The Environmental Standards Council will showcase its work on digital health, while editors from HERD: Health Environments Research & Design Journal will present the highlights of the last decade of publications.

We hope the PDC Summit is a part of your plans, but for those unable to attend, most sessions will be recorded and made available for later viewing. To learn more about The Center and our programs, tools and resources, visit us online. 

About this column

“From The Center” is by the leadership of The Center for Health Design and appears in alternating issues of Health Facilities Management magazine.

Debra Levin, Hon. FASID, EDAC, president and chief executive officer, The Center for Health Design.