Healthcare Design - September 2022 - 9

ED ITO RIAL
EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD
Hank Adams HDR
EQUAL FOOTING
Both the healthcare system and the facilities that
support it share a role in achieving a truly equitable
care environmentBy Jennifer Kovacs Silvis
THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC has exposed vulnerabilities
in both our healthcare system and its facilities. One
major weakness is tied to health equity-specifically,
the industry has realized the myriad ways that both our
system and facilities have fallen short in delivering it.
On the system side, a measure to correct course was
just announced by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid
Services (CMS). On Aug. 1, CMS issued a fi nal rule
for inpatient hospitals that encourages organizations
to build health equity into their core functions.
To address healthcare disparities within hospital
settings, CMS is adopting three health equity-focused measures. The first
assesses a hospital's commitment to establishing a culture of equity by capturing
activities across domains such as strategic planning, data collection,
and leadership engagement. The other two initiatives are tied to screening
and identifying patient-level, health-related social needs such as food insecurity,
housing instability, and transportation needs.
" By screening for and identifying such unmet needs, hospitals will be in a better
position to serve patients holistically by addressing and monitoring what are
often key contributors to poor physical and mental health outcomes, " a release
states. Additionally, CMS says in the future it's also interested in helping to connect
patients with such identifi ed needs to community resources and services.
The big-picture topic of community wellness and the role design plays is one
I've seen our industry members grapple with for some time, particularly as population
health initiatives have been introduced and pursued over the years. And
now, as challenges tied to care access come to light and as we gain understanding
of the reasons that some individuals simply don't have the same opportunities
for good healthcare as others, the question grows in importance. How exactly
can design contribute to improving health equity and community wellness?
I'm not sure there's one single answer to that, but I do know many of you are
taking on the challenge of answering it.
Just turn to our 2022 HCD 10 awards coverage in this issue and meet our Industry
MVP winners who are collaborating on a framework that will help healthcare
designers take meaningful steps toward creating more equitable settings. Or look
at our conference lineup for this year's Healthcare Design Conference + Expo
where our Design for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion track dives into some of the
initiatives and projects you're pursuing. Meanwhile, our upcoming HCD Forum
scheduled for Sept. 7-9 in Napa Valley, Calif., will allow our audience of high-level
industry members to explore issues of equity and community health via several
sessions exploring the topic from numerous angles.
Change won't happen overnight, but the work you're putting into ensuring
equitable environments for all is certainly starting to show. 
Wayne Barger SMITHGROUP
Carolyn BaRoss PERKINS&WILL
Sam Burnette EARL SWENSSON ASSOCIATES
Sheila F. Cahnman JUMPGARDEN CONSULTING LLC
Thomas W. Chessum CO ARCHITECTS
James Crispino GENSLER
Christine Hester Devens AECOM
Mary Frazier EWINGCOLE
Jocelyn Lum Frederick HC TANGRAM DESIGN
Catherine L. Gow FRANCIS CAUFFMAN
Natalie Miovski Hagerty
THE CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL OF PHILADELPHIA
Suzen L. Heeley
MEMORIAL SLOAN KETTERING CANCER CENTER
Scott Holmes BWBR
Walter Jones METROHEALTH SYSTEM
Randy Keiser TURNER CONSTRUCTION CO.
Julie Kent TRINITY HEALTH
Eric Koffl er NBBJ
Tiana Lemons ORCUTT/WINSLOW
Michael Lied GBBN ARCHITECTS
Mike McKay UW HEALTH
Victoria Navarro ADVOCATE AURORA HEALTH
Solvei Neiger ZGF
Kurt Neubek PAGE
Don Orndoff KAISER PERMANENTE
Diane R.K. Osan CANNONDESIGN
Chris Powers BURNS & MCDONNELL
Scott Rawlings HOK
William D. Repichowskyj E4H ARCHITECTURE
Kim Shinn TLC ENGINEERING SOLUTIONS
Janet H. Sisolak UT MD ANDERSON CANCER CENTER
Kurt Spiering HGA
Steve Stokes GRESHAM SMITH
Jeff rey C. Stouff er HKS INC.
Jocelyn Stroupe CANNONDESIGN
Melanie Taylor BOLDT
Joshua A. Theodore LEO A DALY
Anthony Treu SKIDMORE, OWINGS & MERRILL
Travis Tyson CLEVELAND CLINIC
Gary L. Vance VANCE CONSULTING
Roderic Walton MOODY NOLAN
SEP TEMBER 2022
09
Healthcare Design - September 2022

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