Healthcare Design - September 2021 - 48

f a ce Time
RAY WONG
Associate principal, healthcare design market leader,
Baker Barrios Architects (Tampa, Fla.)
COFFEE OR TEA?
I'm Hispanic, raised in
Miami, and have lived in
Tampa the past 20 years.
Take a wild guess.
Ray Wong's mother was a nurse and the emergency department
manager at the hospital where he frequently received treatment for severe asthma
as a child. And while the stories his mother shared about her work turned him off
to a career on the clinical side, his time as a young patient-and the understanding
he gained regarding the importance of a positive care experience-drew him to
healthcare design. He's now dedicated more than two decades to the fi eld, while in his
spare time he likes to refi ne his photography and car mechanic skills.-Anne DiNardo
WHAT DREW YOU TO A CAREER
IN HEALTHCARE DESIGN?
I had fi rsthand knowledge of the anxiety, fear, and
trepidation that one feels when one's life is in another
person's hands and felt that I could contribute to improving
that experience.
WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST
HEALTHCARE PROJECT?
A very large and complicated expansion to one of
Tampa's most prominent healthcare institutions. The
design solution had to overcome incredible design
challenges-access, traffi c circulation, limited footprint,
surrounded by water-as well as incredibly unique
programmatic requirements. I was a cog in a wheel of
incredible team members that would go on to shape my
career for years afterward, as colleagues but also as
mentors and friends.
THREE UNEXPECTED ITEMS ON
YOUR DESK
1 thoughtful notes from clients. They
remind me of the importance of creating
meaningful connections with people.
2plants. I come from a long line of
folks with green thumbs.
3 hand sculpture showing the peace
sign. It was given to me by a mentor and
reminds me to strive for inner peace.
WHAT LESSON FROM THAT
PROJECT DO YOU STILL CARRY
WITH YOU TODAY?
That a project's success will largely depend on two
things: the ability of leaders to harness the trust of the
team and the ability of leaders to motivate the team
throughout all phases of the project. This is as true today
as it ever was.
IF YOU WEREN'T WORKING
IN HEALTHCARE DESIGN, YOU
WOULD BE ...
Restoring old British cars. I recently got my 1979
Triumph Spitfi re running again.
FAVORITE HOBBY
I recently started getting into bird photography from
the comfort of my own back yard.
HOW DID YOU
MAKE YOUR FIRST
DOLLAR?
THREE HEALTHCARE PROJECTS
YOU'VE WORKED ON IN THE
LAST YEAR AND YOUR ROLE
1
ED and patient tower expansion, Tampa, architect
of record (delivered under previous employer).
2
3
NICU expansion, Tampa, architect of record
(delivered under previous employer).
Pediatrics and progressive care expansion,
Tampa, architect of record (delivered under previous
employer).
48
SEP TEMBER 2021
HCDMAGAZINE.COM
COCKTAIL OF
CHOICE
Whisky, neat.
My mother would pack
my lunch and I would
turn around and sell it at
school. She found out and
eventually started packing
me two lunches.
YOUR HIDDEN
TALENT
I'm a pretty mean
salsa dancer.
YOUR GO-TO
KARAOKE SONG
You've obviously never
heard me sing.
FICTION OR
NONFICTION?
Nonfi ction. I struggle a
bit with the suspension of
disbelief that fi ction requires,
which often puts me in a
state of thinking, " That
would never happen!!! "
YOU HAVE AN
IRRATIONAL
FEAR OF...
Zombies. Hands down,
zombies.
APG ENGINEERING (PEDIATRICS AND PROGRESSIVE CARE EXPANSION)
http://www.HCDMAGAZINE.COM
Healthcare Design - September 2021

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