Most trusted healthcare architecture companies 2021

AUGUST
ISSUE
01
#TechTalks
Are IoMT Devices the
Future of Personalized
Healthcare?
MOST TRUSTED
COMPANIES
2021
HEALTHCARE
ARCHITECTURE
Building it Right
5 Reasons Why The
Right Healthcare
Architecture is Vital
Kimberly Stanley AIA
Healthcare Sector Leader and
Senior Principal

ne cannot deny the positive impact that space,
Oventilation, and color of construction have on the
user's well-being. And when the infrastructure is of
a healthcare establishment, the social impact of the built
environment becomes paramount for better patient
outcomes and smooth functioning of the staff.
Until a few decades back, the architecture of a healthcare
facility and patient outcome were not related. But things
have dramatically changed, and architects are transforming
the way healthcare spaces are designed and constructed.
Gone are the days when bed occupancy was an important
deciding factor for a hospital’s success. Obviously, many
tried to accommodate as many beds as possible, thus
reducing free space, proper ventilation, and light. Clutter
makes one feel claustrophobic even under normal health
conditions. Hospitals today prefer space over clutter for
improved patient outcomes. These are the days when
patient experience and patient outcome occupy center stage.
Realizing the role a building can play in the health of its
inhabitants and the functioning of the staff, healthcare
professionals and architects came together to provide the
relevant infrastructure to its users.
Usability of space is critical for the staff to perform tasks
safely, effectively, and efficiently. Hospitals need
specialized areas for smooth movement of staff, patients,
and the general public, for hospital equipment and
machinery, for gadgets, operating, and diagnostic
equipment.
The design of consulting rooms, operation theatres, ICU,
acute care, ambulatory care, diagnostic imaging platforms,
research facilities, laboratories, emergency departments,
diagnostic rooms, blood banks, medical stores, cabins for
medical professionals, staff rooms, general and specialty
wards, special rooms, dedicated walking spaces, lobby, staff
changing rooms, accounts, and administrative offices,
surgical suites and many other facilities need to incorporate
the rules of social design.
Besides, the overall ambiance to make the patient feel
better, like ample light and appealing colors, is essential for
healthcare architecture. The ambiance of a healthcare
facility should be pleasant not only for the patients but also
for the medical and non-medical staff of the hospital and the
visitors.
A well-thought hospital design also helps mitigate and
reduce the transmission of diseases through overall layout,
patient and staff flow, and natural cross-ventilation. The
COVID-19 pandemic enhanced the need for such well-
thought designs and environments for improved patient
experience and outcomes.
Some healthcare architects have created benchmarks with
their designs that are known to have brought better patient
outcomes. In our crusade to focus on healthcare architects,
we handpicked a few who stood distinguished from the
crowd.
Our latest edition of Insights Care - The 10 Most Trusted
Healthcare Architecture Companies 2021, speaks about the
thoughtfulness of architects exclusively designing
healthcare spaces. Read to know more about their work and
the importance of hospital infrastructure for all its
stakeholders.
Have a great read!
Sumita Sarkar
Improving Patient Experience and
Outcome through Architecture

EYP
Redening the Possibilities of
Healthcare Architecture
Cover Story
08
Articles
22
36
Are IoMT Devices the Future
of Personalized Healthcare?
Five Reasons Why the Right
Healthcare Architecture is Vital
#TECHTALKS
BUILDING IT RIGHT

16
32
26
40
Contents
Leveraging Innovation to
Create Safe Spaces
Sculpting Architectural
Masterpieces
Breathing Life into
Comprehensive Modern
Healthcare Architecture
Overcoming the Obstacles
Impeding Clinical Trials
CO ARCHITECTS
DIAMOND SCHMITT
ARCHITECTS
DIGROUP
ARCHITECHTURE
Enlarging the Integrated
Construction Services
CUHACI & PETERSON
CxO
20
Expert Opinion

Co-designer Paul Belin
Art & Picture Editor Rohil Shinganapurkar
Art & Design Head
Editor-in-Chief Sumita Sarkar
Managing Editor Abhishaj Sajeev
Senior Editor Anish Miller
Visualiser David King
Priyanka Rajage
Circulation Manager Tanaji
Research Analyst Eric Smith
Sarah Wilson, John Smith, Alex Vincent
Business Development Executives
Amy Jones
Business Development Manager
Sales Executives Kelli, Bill, Anna
SME-SMO Executives Atul, Gemson
Digital Marketing Manager Alina Sege
Technical Consultants David, Robert
Technical Head Jacob Smile
Marketing Manager John Smith
Assistant Technical Head Pratiksha Patil
Assistant Digital Marketing Manager Amol Wadekar
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August, 2021
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Description
Featuring
CO Architects
COArchitects.com
Jenna Knudsen
Managing Principal
Los Angeles-based CO Architects is nationally recognized for
architectural planning, programming and design in the higher
education, science & technology, civic and healthcare sectors,
and works with leading institutions from coast to coast.
Cuhaci & Peterson
C-P.com
Greg Simpson
CEO
Cuhaci Peterson is a Central Florida-based design firm offering
end-to-end solutions. Licensed in all 50 states, the firm offers
architectural, engineering, planning and permitting services
nationwide.
Diamond Schmitt
Architects dsai.ca
Matt Smith
Principal
DIGroupArchitecture
digrouparchitecture.com
Bob Ryan
Principal
DIG is a NJ and Philadelphia-based minority-owned
architecture and design firm. DIG is Architecture for
Change.
FCArchitects
fcarchitects.com
John B. Campbell
President
FCA is a full-service architectural and design firm. Employing a
rigorously collaborative process between its clients and
employees, the company defines, designs, and creates resonant
spaces uniquely suited to the needs of those who use them.
Steve Demetriou
CEO
Jacobs delivers impactful global solutions to create a more
connected, sustainable world — from intelligence to
infrastructure, cybersecurity to space exploration.
Jacobs
jacobs.com
Patrick Brosnan
CEO
Legat Architects works with building owners and
communities to overcome facility challenges with design
that improves performance and lives.
M+AArchitects
ma-architects.com
Mark Daniels
Principal, President
Wendel
wendelcompanies.com
Stewart C. Haney
President and CEO
Wendel is an innovative architecture, engineering, energy
efficiency, and construction management firm that
collaborates with private and public entities to holistically
approach facility and infrastructure projects.
Diamond Schmitt is a global architecture firm designing
transformative, purpose-driven, and highly sustainable
buildings from its four studios located in New York,
Toronto, Calgary, and Vancouver.
M+AArchitects is driven by a vision of enriching lives
through innovative design, working every day to enhance
communities, elevate human experiences, and define a
sustainable future.
EYP Inc
eypae.com
Kimberly Stanley
Senior Principal
EYP is an integrated design firm specializing in higher
education, government, healthcare, and science & technology.
Legat Architects
legat.com
Company Name

Kimberly Stanley AIA
Healthcare Sector Leader and
Senior Principal
EYP

Evolution, transformation, progress, metamorphosis
– the nature of the healthcare industry has been in
dynamic flux. Without a doubt, the discipline of
healthcare architecture is on a parallel path, striving to cater
to the swiftly changing demands of the healthcare industry
and the delivery of patient-centered planning and design.
As a consequence, this edition, titled 10 Most Trusted
Healthcare Architecture Companies 2021, brings into the
spotlight those firms that exhibit the expertise in building
healthcare infrastructure that can anticipate and withstand
the changes ahead.
One prominent name among such companies is EYP, a full-
service architecture and engineering firm specializing in the
planning and design of facilities for health care, higher
education, science and technology, and the federal
government.
EYP’s commitment to critical thinking is balanced by an
ingrained empathy, which results in improved project
outcomes that offer positive experiences for its clients, their
staff, and the end users.
Research and evaluation, a participatory process, and
applied innovation are the hallmarks of EYP’s work in
healthcare design. “These characteristics not only help us
deliver a high level of client satisfaction, they also bring a
new accountability to design and consulting. At the same
time, we are striving to meet the challenges of technology
integration, operational and financial performance, safety,
and productivity,” says Kimberly Stanley, AIA –
Healthcare Sector Leader and Senior Principal at EYP.
Business Excellence and Critical Thinking
Serving clients from academic medical centers and large
health systems to smaller community-based healthcare
organizations, the team at EYP believes that healthy,
sustainable, and resilient buildings help organizations
succeed in the evolving healthcare landscape. EYP has
particularly deep healthcare expertise in master planning
and facility design for
Ÿ Behavioral Health
Ÿ Cancer Care
Ÿ Heart and Vascular
Ÿ Orthopedics and Sports Medicine
Ÿ Women & Children’s Health
The team states that EYP feels fortunate to be working with
a wide range of healthcare clients—and many academic
medical centers—and can offer them cross-disciplinary
teams when it adds value, engaging experts from other parts
of the company when it may benefit their project. So, not
only can a client expect a team of healthcare professionals,
but also, when appropriate, experts in modernization, health
sciences, biomedical research, or innovation hubs.
“Having critical thinkers at the table at the outset of design,
can mean the difference between accomplishing the
ordinary or achieving the extraordinary. That extra level of
inquiry can have a big impact,” says Kimberly.
“
“

“We begin every project by asking, ‘What’s possible?’ EYP
is an interdisciplinary, people-first organization focused on
providing optimal solutions. We embrace collaboration,
innovation, empathy, and the sheer joy of exploration. This
is who we are, why we’re different, and what makes us the
right team for so many healthcare opportunities,” she adds.
Distinctive Expertise
At the helm of EYP’s healthcare practice is Stanley, who
attributes the firm’s ascending prominence in architecture to
an outstanding healthcare leadership team, including a core
group of strategic master planners, medical planners,
designers, and marketing professionals who team up to
discuss and strategize the direction of the practice.
A life-long fascination with buildings, coupled with a love
of science, led Kimberly to study architecture, with a
specialty in healthcare design. For over 25 years, she has
worked with national and international design firms, and
now serves as the healthcare sector leader for EYP.
Kimberly is recognized for innovative work at academic
medical centers. She is a national expert in children’s
healthcare design and a staunch advocate for putting the
patient at the center of the healthcare experience. She is
passionate about the ‘big ideas’ in healthcare today, and
how design can play a role in positioning clients for
success.
A big believer in collaboration, Kimberly draws on EYP’s
family of creative thinkers in the exploration of ideas. She
works with clients to deliver innovative, patient-centered,
and technology-enabled buildings that can respond to a
dynamic and competitive industry.
By optimizing the workplace, leveraging new and emerging
technologies, and embracing the philosophy behind
population health, Kimberly’s design ideas have raised
expectations about what the future of healthcare should
look like, and feel like, for patients, healthcare providers,
and communities.
10 Most Trusted Healthcare Architecture Companies 2021
“
“

Sharing insightful advice to those aspiring to venture into
the healthcare architecture space, Kimberly says, “Building
knowledge and expertise in the healthcare space takes time,
and it also requires a certain passion about the industry as a
whole. It is complex, multi-faceted, data-rich and requires a
full immersion to become proficient – and, even then, the
healthcare industry is in a constant state of change. It takes
a real passion and commitment to operate at the highest
level of design performance in this field. So, for those
starting out and enthusiastic about healthcare architecture, I
would say, it’s a meaningful journey: a long process of
building expertise, learning from extraordinary healthcare
providers along the way, and being part of a team, whose
goal is to build healthier communities.”
Opinions that Matter
We asked Kimberly for her opinion on the impact of the
current pandemic on the global healthcare architecture
market, and the challenges she and her team faced during
the initial phase of the pandemic. Kimberly said, “The
pandemic had a profound impact on the healthcare
architecture market. My respect for our healthcare clients
has never been higher given what they endured and the vital
service they provided over the last year.”
“Institutions, large and small, were grappling with an
unprecedented public health crisis at the same time they
were experiencing staggering financial losses. Many capital
plans were scrapped or put on hold, and the healthcare
architecture community stepped up to provide emergency
assistance during the pandemic: expediting ICU
conversions, repurposing space for patient care, retrofitting
mechanical systems to increase isolation capacity,
designing Covid testing sites and more.”
“In terms of operations, surprisingly, many projects that
were in progress proceeded as planned, and EYP was
fortunate in that regard – remaining busy throughout 2020,
balancing pro-bono Covid work alongside projects in
progress. We were initially challenged, as all firms were, by
the quick pivot to working from home, the rapid changes to
workflow, the virtual design process, and the technology
bandwidth.”
“We were also challenged by the very real need of parents
to balance childcare and work commitments in an at-home
environment – and I’m proud to say that we met that
challenge quite well. EYP’s leadership team and ‘people-
first’ culture allowed us to quickly rally the troops,
collaborate on flexible approaches, and move forward with
a plan that really worked. We learned so much over the last
year that will forever change how we work.”

“We were also curious about how our clients were faring,
so in the middle of the pandemic, a team at EYP launched
‘The Healthcare Workplace Consortium’ and invited about
a dozen academic medical centers across the country to
join a conversation about the pandemic’s impact on the
workplace, what they were experiencing, and how they
were thinking about the future with regard to their
facilities. It was enormously insightful, and the consortium
continues today, with healthcare organizations sharing how
the pandemic has influenced their thinking about real
estate, facilities and the workplace,” adds Kimberly.
Is Technology the Way Forward?
It is always the best practice to seek opinions from experts
with firsthand experience. In that sense, we asked
Kimberley for her opinion on the future of healthcare
architecture considering the normalization of technologies
such as AI and machine learning, to which she says,
“Healthcare architecture is already undergoing a
transformation where technology—and techniques to
leverage technology—are becoming an integral part of
architecture and design, and how a building is expected to
perform.”
“In many respects, technology is no longer a separate topic
from the building itself – it is the building. When we
conceive of the infrastructure necessary for a hospital’s
future flexibility, for instance, we must acknowledge that
the healthcare industry is changing so rapidly that the
future is unknowable – so designing facilities that are
technologically enabled will be one of many important
design criteria going forward. With so many new and
emerging technologies, it’s not surprising that IT is getting
an ever-growing piece of the pie as we examine the budget
for new and renovated facilities.”
“The future of healthcare architecture may be one in which
‘value’ is more precisely defined than in the past. I might
liken it to a smart chess match, where the environment is
the queen, but technology is king: playing a central role in
the design process; pushing data to drive decisions,
pushing the envelope of experiential design, and allowing
the client a real-time understanding of the cost associated
with choices they make. Although there is not yet a unified
platform for all the software and tools to help streamline
what is possible – in many ways, the future is now. Buckle
up!”
Toward New Horizons
EYP’s healthcare practice has been growing steadily for
some time and is envisioned to continue throughout 2021
and beyond, both in project volume and geographically.
Currently, the firm has about ten offices nationwide and
recently opened a new office in Florida.
Although EYP already has sizable offices in Washington,
DC; Albany, NY, and Boston, MA, it is planning to further
expand its healthcare presence in the mid-Atlantic and the
Northeast. EYP is also looking into several strategic
initiatives to offer its clients access to even more expertise.
“
“

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When it comes to buildings, be it a home, office,
hotel, etc., architecture plays a very vital role in
making it appealing or comfortable for people.
Similarly, healthcare institutions need a good sense of
architecture to them as well. People depend on healthcare
institutions and organizations for their health and recovery,
and therefore, building places that provide those healthcare
facilities are majorly important.
While considering the specs of building a healthcare
institution like a hospital, it is imperative to consider all
aspects. From patients and visitors finding it comfortable to
find their way around and even have access to certain
amenities and facilities like parking, waiting rooms,
washrooms, cafeterias; to even making it a comfortable
place of work for the staff, with rooms to relax, change, etc.
While intensively doing research on the topic for our
edition titled, 10 Most Trusted Healthcare Architecture
Companies 2021, we came across CO Architects, a highly
recognized and trusted healthcare architecture firm
specializing in creating spaces that promote healing and
learning.
In an exclusive with Jenna Knudsen, AIA, LEED AP
BD+C, Managing Principal, we received insights into the
firm's journey in the Healthcare Architecture Industry and
her opinions about the market that the firm caters to along
with the products and services they provide.
Below are the highlights of the interview:
Please brief our audience about CO Architects, its
mission, and the key aspects of its stronghold within the
healthcare architecture niche.
CO Architects specializes in creating spaces that promote
healing and learning. The practice is internationally
recognized for its planning, programming and design
expertise for hospitals, medical centers, clinics, MOBs, as
well as medical and health-sciences educational projects.
Since the firm's founding in 1986, CO Architects’ principal
goal has been to design environments that have lasting
impacts for both; the communities these buildings elevate
and the people who use them to provide vital services and
CO Architects’
principal goal
has been to
design environments
that have
lasting impacts.
“
“
16|August 2021|www.insightscare.com

proliferate knowledge. The firm's proficiency in design,
technical systems, documentation, and project delivery
plays an essential role in fulfilling this goal. CO Architects
also provides its clients with comprehensive facility
evaluation.
Tell us more about your services and solutions that
make your firm stand out from the competition?
Each healthcare project gives us the opportunity to advance
design. By applying evidence-based data, we create
environments that enhance human interaction, help improve
patient outcomes, and support caregivers.
A decade ago, CO Architects pioneered the acuity-adaptable
patient-room model commonly referred to as the Universal
Room. This approach accommodates a variety of care levels
while minimizing movement within the hospital, thereby
limiting exposure to other patients and potential infections.
Since we also design health-sciences teaching
environments, CO Architects can integrate future
caregivers' insights when creating clinical spaces, while
incorporating the latest in clinical environments and
processes into education.
For example, the current learning environment is more
collaborative than ever. To ease the transition between med-
ed and professional practice, we are designing healthcare
staff spaces that are less hierarchical, with fewer private
offices to encourage a team-based approach to caregiving.
We consider ourselves problem-solvers for our clients and
are able to apply user input from health-sciences education
and clinical projects to improve design.
Jenna, please share with our readers, your journey in
the design and architecture industry.
From a young age, my father noticed my immense interest
in architectural drawing and encouraged me to pursue
architecture. An architect is the only thing I wanted to be.
After graduating from USC Architecture, my first project
was in healthcare. I enjoyed the size and complexity of the
Leveraging Innovation to Create Safe Spaces
Exhibiting Excellence
During the past 35 years, CO Architects has
won more than 175 awards for innovative
design and project delivery, including nine
honors for the Palomar Medical Center project
alone. Following are a few highlights:
• AIA California Architecture Firm of the Year
(2014)
• Engineering News-Record California Design
Firm of the Year (2019)
• AIA Academy of Architecture for Health
Design Award, Palomar Medical Center, San
Diego, CA (2013)
• American Architecture Award, Palomar
Medical Center, San Diego, CA (2013)
• American Architecture Award, University of
Kansas Medical Center Health Education
Building (2019)
• LA Architectural Award, Shriners for Children
Medical Center, Pasadena, CA (2018)
• Engineering News-Record California Best
Healthcare Project, Kaiser San Diego Medical
Center (2017)
• AIA Academy of Architecture for Health
Design Award, University of Arizona Cancer
Center North Campus, Tucson, AZ (2008)
• AN Best of Design Honorable Mention
(Interior Healthcare), Cedars-Sinai Advanced
Health Sciences Outpatient Pavilion, Beverly
Hills, CA (2020)

An emphasis on daylight to promote patient
healing and decrease caregiver stress is
evident at Cedars-Sinai's Advanced Health
Sciences Pavilion Outpatient Surgery Suite.
Natural light is channelled into operating
rooms through the staff-only scrub corridor.
Photo: Kim Rogers/Courtesy CO Architects
Shriners for Children Medical Center in
Pasadena, CA, presented the opportunity to
create soothing spaces for children
undergoing orthotic procedures and
rehabilitation. Natural light, colorful wall
murals, and signage enhance clarity of
wayﬁnding for patients, families, and visitors.
Photo: Tom Bonner/Courtesy CO Architects
A decade ago, Palomar Medical Center in San
Diego showcased several innovative design
features. It was one of the ﬁrst healthcare
buildings in the US to bring natural light into
operating rooms, and the project was an early
adopter of biophilia: patient rooms were
purposely designed with landscape views,
and the 11-story facility includes a massive
green roof and gardens within the building
Photo: Tom Bonner/Courtesy CO Architects.
CO Architects leverages newer technologies, such
as robotics and virtual reality, to attract and
inspire the next generation of healthcare
providers. The recently completed University of
Arizona Health Sciences Innovation Building in
Tucson has a simulation “theater” that includes
elements from the Grey's Anatomy soundstage.
The design incorporates insights from a faculty
member who served as a consultant on the TV
show.
Photo: Bill Timmerman/Courtesy CO Architects

design problem, but also quickly understood the societal
importance of good healthcare design.
What is your opinion on the impact of the current
pandemic on the global healthcare architecture market,
and what challenges did your firm face during the initial
phase of the pandemic?
We have anticipated high-demand, pandemic-type scenarios
for years. The Universal Room approach was heavily
influenced by the desire to contain virulent diseases. In
addition to addressing patients' needs, the pandemic also
highlighted caregivers' workplace concerns.
Recent on-the-job stress has led to unprecedented burnout
among healthcare providers, inspiring us to create
environments that are as soothing as possible for caregivers.
These include staff-only floors that prioritize natural light
and outdoor views, and private, soundproof ‘Lavender
Rooms' where caregivers can seek respite from work-
related stress.
With disease-centered patient care becoming more
complex, interdisciplinary collaboration has become more
critical. We believe in design principles of flexibility and
diversity of space to design all the different ways that care
providers collaborate—huddles, telemedicine, and training.
Based in Los Angeles, our transition from office-based to
remote working was fairly abrupt. Fortunately, the firm has
a long history in adopting the latest technological tools for
doing our jobs better, so we pivoted quickly. Our staff went
above and beyond to ensure that clients were happy with
project progress, and the firm assessed employees' remote-
working situations individually to provide everyone with
the resources they needed. As our workload grew
throughout 2020, we adapted by conducting job interviews
over video and onboarding new talent remotely.
We have prioritized team and office connections through
various forms of outreach, from individual check-ins to
firm-wide 'Town Halls'. Even remotely, the staff came
together and arranged catered meals for local healthcare
workers during the height of the pandemic to show our
appreciation for their caring efforts in response to the surge
in patients.
With continuous development in technologies such as AI
and big data, what is your prediction about the future of
healthcare architecture?
We pride ourselves on being industry leaders in digital
design technology and are constantly exploring digital tools
that help optimize building and interior design and delivery.
We created a virtual-reality experience that lets us
collaborate with OR staff to optimize surgical
environments. Caregivers can wear VR googles and “work”
virtually, providing us with early-stage feedback about the
3D-modeled OR's features and amenities.
We'll still see the use of traditional data-gathering and
continue to conduct follow-up focus groups and surveys
months after completing projects. Through their first-hand
accounts, caregivers and administrators provide valuable
feedback, telling us which features work best, as well as
how staff and patient spaces can be made more effective.
With our Data Knowledge Manager, we are developing a
database of design metrics that will inform our work.
As an established leader, what would be your advice to
the budding entrepreneurs and enthusiasts aspiring to
venture into the market?
Healthcare design should remain strong for the foreseeable
future, as our population increases, and people are now
living longer. Advances in medicine, as well as new
diseases, continue to evolve healthcare design solutions.
There are incredible design opportunities for individuals
who aspire to make an impact through design, and who
don't shy away from complexity. Healthcare should remain
one of the most vibrant typologies in the
architecture/engineering/construction segment.
We'd recommend aspiring architects and interior designers
send résumés to firms that already specialize in healthcare
projects and let your passion and interest be known.
How do you envision scaling your firm’s operations and
offerings in 2021?
Most of our institutional projects have multi-year timelines,
and many of our in-progress buildings were planned and/or
funded before the pandemic. We continue to bid on new
healthcare and health-sciences complexes in addition to K-
12 facilities, labs, and higher-ed buildings. We plan to
pursue more interiors-only projects for companies and
organizations exploring post-pandemic changes to the
workplace.

Overcoming the Obstacles
Impeding Clinical Trials
o say that COVID-19 has been
Ta challenge to healthcare
systems around the world is a
gross understatement. The pandemic
has also been very effective at
exposing gaps in the U.S. healthcare
system. Front-line healthcare workers
have been drastically overworked,
hospitals ERs and ICUs have been
filled to capacity, and innumerable
other effects from the pandemic have
been felt across the healthcare system.
Medical trials, in particular, have
experienced serious adverse effects.
As someone focused on accelerating
medical trials, the complex processes
of developing drugs and devices that
are regulated at the international,
national, and regional levels, I have
seen the fallout first-hand.
The first phase of the pandemic quickly
brought most ongoing clinical trials to
a grinding halt as clinical trials relied
on in-person face-to-face interactions
between clinical researchers and
patients. Patients were scared to go out
of their homes and not to a hospi-
tal/clinic as there was a significant risk
of exposure to COVID-19. The clinical
trial industry was caught unprepared to
ensure continuity and integrity during
the pandemic. Most new clinical trials
had to be postponed indefinitely.
In addition, there was a lack of
validated tools that could enable
flexible remote clinical trial operations.
Stitching together numerous a la carte
tools on a per-clinical trial basis is not
scalable. These gaps were already
known to the life science industry, but
for far too long, there had been
inaction.
However, platform technology is
helping to decentralize clinical trials by
bringing them to patients’ homes rather
than forcing patients to travel to the
trial sites. That’s the paradigm shift we
are witnessing in the life science
industry:
Ÿ “Bring Your Own Device” (BYOD)
apps work on any browser-enabled
mobile device.
Ÿ Cloud-based centralized real-time
data collection is enabling remote
patient screening, education,
engagement, enrollment, remote
electronic informed consent, and
retention in clinical trials. The
advantages are numerous.
Ÿ Telemedicine and video
conferencing systems are enabling
secure follow-up visits between
trial sites and patients, further
reducing the travel burden on
patients.
Ÿ Continuous stream of clinical
endpoints is collected from patients
using wearable sensors in between
episodic visits.
Ÿ Patient-reported outcomes are
captured directly in electronic
formats from questionnaires.
Ÿ Medication adherence and concom-
itant medications are captured in
daily electronic diaries.
Ÿ Trial sites and patients can
communicate with each other
throughout the clinical trial via
video, audio, SMS, and emails.
Furthermore, the emergence of
integrated or a la carte and scalable
technology platforms enable flexible
options for patients with virtual or
in-person participation in each aspect
of clinical operations. Centralized
monitoring enables trial sponsors,
CROs, and sites to manage risks and
take corrective action preventive action
(CAPA) early on.
Decentralization of clinical trials
improve recruitment, diversity, and
retention by expanding the reach to
patients living far away from the trial
sites. This breaks the traditional
paradigm where most patients lived
within a 50-mile radius of the trial
sites. AI-based algorithms operating on
electronic medical records (EMRs) are
enabling sites to match patients to
complex inclusion/exclusion criteria of
a clinical trial protocol. By utilizing
telemedicine and digital health
technologies, prospective patients are
being identified via social media
channels to refer them to sites.
In extreme cases, clinical studies are
being conducted entirely on digital
platforms without any face-to-face
interactions. This is helping address a
long-standing industry problem of lack
of diversity in clinical trials. While less
than 1% of patients had a chance to
access traditional brick-and-mortar
clinical trials, more than 82% of
- By Harsha Rajasimha, Ph.D., Founder, and CEO, Jeeva Informatics Solutions Inc.

Dr. Rajasimha is the
founder and CEO of the
decentralized clinical trials
software company, Jeeva
Informatics Solutions,
based in Virginia. He is a
precision medicine data
scientist-turned social
entrepreneur on a mission
to accelerate human-
centric clinical research
through technology
innovation and global
advocacy.
About Harsha Rajasimha,
MS, Ph.D.
Americans and over 60% of the
world’s population having Internet
access are starting to have the
opportunity to participate in clinical
research.
It has been generally acknowledged
there has been a lack of diversity,
equity, and inclusion in clinical trials,
particularly since 2014. However, there
has never been a regulatory mandate
on this matter. Doing what’s right is
not always easy when incentives are
not favorably aligned. However, with
growing public awareness about this
issue, we have seen a negative impact
on the stock performance of
biopharmaceutical companies that
showed a lack of diversity during the
pandemic.
This means healthcare leaders must
make this a priority at the board
governance level and make strategic
organizational upgrades at various
levels. This includes hiring and
maintaining a diverse workforce,
responsible adoption of decentralized
clinical trials, and uncompromisingly
reinforcing commitments to uphold the
moral and ethical principles of
diversity, equity, and inclusion. Above
all, they are now putting operational
excellence as a top priority. Leaders at
organizations such as the Association
for Clinical Research Professionals
(ACRP), Clinical Trials
Transformational Initiative (CTTI), the
recently formed decentralized clinical
trials alliance (DTRA), and others can
inﬂuence educational curricula,
industry standards, best practices, and
multinational declarations such as the
Declaration of Helsinki and the
Belmont Report.
It’s imperative that the C-Suite
understands that public trust is hard to
gain and easy to lose. There is
historical mistrust among minorities
with the healthcare systems in general
and clinical research in particular. Life
science organizations have to make
eﬀorts to earn the trust of minorities,
women, and underrepresented
populations in the geographies they
serve. As we saw with COVID-19,
healthcare is a global issue. Clinical
trial leaders should make it a priority to
include the target populations propor-
tionally in clinical trials as a way to
earn back public trust.
As clinical trial leaders, we seek to
address patient recruitment, patient
retention, and quality of real-time
evidence generation while adhering to
national and international regulatory
guidelines. I strongly believe through
overcoming these obstacles; we will go
far to accelerate clinical trials and
allow all concerned stakeholders to
make meaningful contributions to
medicine, which is always the ultimate
goal.
Expert Opinion

Five Reasons
Building it right
When people fall sick to an extent of severity,
they seek expert medical attention for a speedy
recovery with proper treatment. However, the
architecture and the design of the hospital are not among
their pressing concerns.
Imagine visiting a top-notch restaurant or a luxury hotel;
the first thing people appreciate is the lavish interior design;
well, it is the mindset and the thoughts while visiting such
places.
In a hospital, people are more concerned about the
condition of their loved ones, wishing for their quick
recovery and wanting them to feel better as soon as
possible. However, architecture and design matter more and
are more vital than people think. Here are the five reasons
why:
Good architecture can make people feel more confident
One of the primary goals at a hospital is to make the
patients feel better as they are in a place that provides the
best quality care for them. Bright lighting, positive and
catchy color scheme, well-utilized spaces, and modern
furniture can lead to an increase in the confidence of the

facility's adequacy and competence of the staff members
who are engaged in the process of healing.
The noise level of a hospital could lead to such assuredness
as well. If an environment is too loud and noisy, it can lead
to cause irritation among the staff and their patients as well.
With proper soundproofing, adequate utilization of the
space can reduce the sound waves, resulting in patients
carefully listening and focusing on the physician's
instructions or other home care instructions.
Thoughtful architecture design can improve patient
safety
Architecture design can influence patient safety in a myriad
of ways. The single-bed specialized treatment ward can
help in stopping the spread of infection. The research
indicates the facts which reveal, if these special treatment
wards are designed with flexibility in mind, where care
needs to be implemented in the designated manner,
problems like medication errors and falls are likely to
reduce to a greater extent.
It is easier to observe the patients throughout the healing
and medication process. Besides, it may not be a necessity
anymore to move the patients to different departments, such
as from intensive care to step-down care unit if their rooms
are more adaptable and compatible with the easy
accessibility of the required equipment. This enhances
patient safety and increases the continuity of the care, as the
patients are getting enough rest and are not getting shuffled
around to different departments.
Architecture assists in emergency evacuations
Few but crucial reasons behind evacuating hospitals - if
there is any fire incident or gas leak in the premises. During
this situation, the staff must decide which patients to move
first and what can be the safest way to evacuate the patients
safely. Professionally designed wide hallways, anti-slip
surfaces, and backup lighting can help all the personnel to
move throughout the building during these emergency
situations.
Architects design the structure with a stable base,
accordingly with the concerns of natural calamities. Some
of them also safeguard against progressive collapse, which
means that one damaged portion of the hospital will not
create a domino effect and disturb the other stable portions
of the building. Also, these healthcare buildings are
elevated for protection against heavy rains or floods so that
the water cannot enter the premises with the concerns of
preventive measures that can make the situation less
dangerous.
Well-designed architecture can boost staff morale and
productivity
In addition to patient wellness and health care on priority,
hospitals are designed with a contradictory color scheme
which enhances the mood and creates a positive mindset
among the staff members and the patients. Ergonomic
workspaces could retain strain, while the dining area for the
staff members is designed with a special theme that can
eventually enhance their mood.
The architects also design the dedicated areas for outside
team members, such as social workers and clergy, who are
not involved with the patient healthcare directly but still are
required within the hospital environment. Those people can
focus on their work and in the areas that are separate from
but accessible to where doctors and nurses’ work.
Architecture influences patient healing and
stress-management
Eventually, people will recognize that architectural design
affects the patient's healing process. Beginning with the
basics, the windows play a vital role and are the pioneers to
start the natural healing process. When human brain
recognizes the calm and ambiance enhancing sunshine
through the window, it starts to think positively about the
surroundings, which initiates the healing process.
Some of the healthcare facilities offer garden-facing patient
rooms that allow bed-bound people to enjoy nature, even if
they cannot go out. Nonetheless, healthcare facilities are
prioritizing the use of natural materials like wood, and stone
within their interior design, resulting in the surroundings,
feeling warmer and inviting.
Building it right:
These factors contribute to the healthcare facilities in
creating a friendly and supportive environment for their
patients. People will soon realize that the only fundamental
which is driving these facilities by increasing the
engagement with their patients through creating a positive
atmosphere is happening because of precisely designed
healthcare architecture.
-Abhishek Joshi

Cuhaci & Peterson
Planning to build something be it
a shop, restaurant, hospital, or
house requires persistent efforts
as it entails imagination and unique
ideas. An ingenious design and
arrangement can create a strong visual
impact on the observer's mind and
would also be comfortable for the user.
Organizations that provide integrated
construction services reduce your
excessive efforts and allow you to
focus on your visionary dream.
One such company is Cuhaci &
Peterson, which is a nationally
recognized architectural and engineer-
ing services, planning, interior design,
and government relations company
based in Maitland, Florida. This
company’s excellence in work has won
the trust of many clients across the
world.
In an exclusive interview with Insights
Success, Greg Simpson, the Chief
Executive Officer, Steven Blevins, the
Director of Digital Service, Sean
Topper, the Technical Manager, and
Scott Parker, the Senior Project
Coordinator of Cuhaci & Peterson,
shared their journey of making Cuhaci
& Peterson one of the most trusted
healthcare architecture companies in
2021.
Following are the highlights of the
interview:
Please brief our audience about
Cuhaci & Peterson, its mission, and
the key aspects of its stronghold
within the healthcare architecture
niche.
Cuhaci & Peterson is a nationally
recognized design firm with 50
registered professionals in 50 states.
Dedicated to its mission to exceed
expectations by transforming an idea
into value, the Central Florida-based

firm is excited to partner with its
clients to create places that people
experience and remember.
For more than eight years, C&P has
designed assisted living facilities,
skilled nursing facilities, independent
living facilities, medical office
buildings, dental offices, memory care
facilities, and animal care
hospitals/facilities.
“Everything in our projects is
customized and personalized for
whatever our clients need,” said Scott
Parker, a Senior Project Coordinator at
the firm with 35 years-experience on
healthcare architecture projects.
“Our strength is that not only do we do
a good job, but we also listen and take
the time to see that our client’s job is
done with personalized care so their
customers will enjoy the experience.
We also keep tabs on everything to
make sure it’s moving forward in the
design process,” he added.
Tell us more about your services and
solutions which make Cuhaci &
Peterson stand out from the
competition?
Our suite of services ensures a
dedicated and thoughtful team that
identifies ways to understand our
clients’ needs and vision. Our
collaborative culture provides the best
client outcomes and fosters innovation
and improvement with each project
that we touch. Our services include -
Ÿ Architecture
Ÿ Architecture Design
Ÿ Engineering
Ÿ Mechanical & Plumbing
Ÿ Electrical
Ÿ Fire Protection
Ÿ Structural
Ÿ Permitting Services
Ÿ Construction Administration
Ÿ Project/Program Management
What is your opinion on the impact
of the current pandemic on the
global healthcare architecture
market, and what challenges did
Cuhaci & Peterson face during the
initial phase of the pandemic?
Current Pandemic on Global
Healthcare Architecture Market:
“Overall, it’s a dramatic impact on the
system, from staff and the facilities to
the architectural design, it brings up
challenges of how we modify our
approach, plan, and design for those
needs in the future,” said Sean Sopper,
Technical Manager at the firm.
“A lot of it is looking at all points of
containment of the infectious disease,
how it affects everything from space
planning, entry points of staff,
residents, and guests, and ways to
minimize the spread,” he added.
This means creating containment zones
within facilities to minimize the spread
of these types of diseases. We also
need to look at kitchen space, prep
areas, and the needs of the staff. For
residents - how do they quarantine in
their rooms and receive the same level
of care without feeling isolated?
Skilled nursing facilities and assisted
living communities are about a
community feel and how do you still
maintain a positive outlook for the
patients when their need states have
changed along with the rules around
visitation.
All these things affect the efficiency of
the facility and truly get to the root of
how it changes our design, space
planning, and programming to create
areas to allow for dealing with
infectious diseases.
Initial Phase of the Pandemic
Challenge:
Initially, a lot of projects were put on
hold due to the uncertainty of what is
this, what it is going to do, and what
type of legislation or mandate would
come up that may change healthcare.
Secondly, it affected the demand oddly

in that many people decided to
postpone the enrolment of a family
member in skilled nursing or assisted
living facility. Many felt there may be
a health risk and there was a general
reluctance to using facilities unless it
was necessary.
Thirdly, there were challenges around
what design modifications would need
to be implemented in future facilities
so families would have comfort in
feeling their loved one is safe. We
started doing remodels to make sure
the facilities were safe to modify their
environment or methodologies of
cleaning or sterilization.
With continuous development in
technologies such as AI and big data,
what is your prediction about the
future of healthcare architecture?
“The main thing is the designer is
going to be more empowered
throughout the architecture design,”
said Steven Blevins, Director of Digital
Practice at the firm. “There is going to
be more decision-making capabilities
that will be empowered by artificial
intelligence. It doesn’t mean AI will be
in control but will allow designers to
make more real-time design decisions
based on more data that’s available,”
he added.
Blevins noted AI machine learning will
be an enabler of that real-time learning
and our designers will have more
capability, better design decisions can
be made sooner, and more options will
be presented based on enriched
detailed information.
As an established leader, what would
be your advice to the budding
entrepreneurs and enthusiasts
aspiring to venture into the market?
“There is a wide range of needs in the
healthcare market itself, from small
community clinics to full hospitals and
resident oriented-facilities,” explained
Greg Simpson, Chief Executive
Officer.
“Whether it’s physical or mental
health, explore the wide range of
opportunities and find the one that
speaks to you. Connect with that side
of the industry and look at new realms
of architecture that are improving the
quality of life for medical facilities,”
he added.
How do you envision scaling Cuhaci
& Peterson operations and offerings
in 2021?
We will continue to meet the demand
and needs of our clients and respond to
their needs. Our project portfolio will
remain diversified for the communities
we serve. We will also continue to offer
our personalized and customized
services to scale. C&P has strength in
its size and sector expertise.
The depth of our staff allows us to
operate at scale by easily integrating
additional staff resources with
comparable knowledge and skills.
When multiple projects are facilitated
through the same team members
efficiencies are gained, consistent
quality is delivered, and relationships
are established making for a strong
communicational link between the
client and team.
Provide us details regarding the
awards and recognition that Cuhaci
& Peterson has achieved since its
inception.
Cuhaci & Peterson has consistently
been recognized by national media
outlets as one of the top architecture
and engineering firms in the country.
While features about our firm are
appreciated, our biggest accolades
come from the feedback we receive
from our clients and supporters
throughout the United States.
Please feel free to add any other
additional details which we might
have missed out on or which you
want to highlight in the article.
Our project approach is simple. We
establish clear communications from
the start. This is key since there is
better communication and coordination
when the project team can meet
regularly and communicate.
Whether face to face or virtually, we
are working to ensure there are no
barriers to concise and consistent
communication. We also focus on the
big picture while planning the details.
Our goal is to look beyond the obvious,
identify potential issues and
opportunities based on our combined
experiences, and plan for options.

Sculpting Architectural Masterpieces
Have you ever pondered upon
the importance of strong
infrastructure for healthcare
institutions?
We believe that the answer lies within
the discipline of healthcare architecture
and this edition of Insights Care titled,
The 10 Most Trusted Healthcare
Architecture Companies 2021
highlights the organizations that have
designed contemporary and innovative
healthcare infrastructures.
One prominent example of such ﬁrms
is Diamond Schmitt, a global
architecture ﬁrm designing
transformative, purpose-driven, and
highly sustainable buildings from its
four studios located in New York,
Toronto, Calgary, and Vancouver.
In the following interview, Matt
Smith, the Principal at Diamond
Schmit Architects, shares with us the
company’s journey and its contribution
in the design of healthcare
infrastructures.
Below are the highlights of the
interview:
Please brief our audience about your
company, its mission, and the key
aspects of its stronghold within the
From its four studios located in New
York, Toronto, Calgary, and
Vancouver, Diamond Schmitt designs
cutting-edge, highly adaptable
laboratories for a variety of contexts,
The emergence
of big data is
improving system
intelligence.
Matt Smith
Principal

from urban medical facilities to
university science buildings.
These healthcare, research and
innovation spaces are designed to
support transformational research,
academic excellence, and communal
engagement, reflecting the firm’s
extensive experience and
characteristically thoughtful,
research-driven approach.
Each facility is expertly customized,
offering scientists and researchers
flexibility to adapt to the continually
shifting technical and spatial
requirements of their fields. Despite the
energy-intensive demands of many
healthcare and research facilities,
Diamond Schmitt’s designs meet
rigorous sustainability standards, often
achieving LEED certifications and
recognized with numerous
environmental leadership awards.
Tell us more about your services and
solutions which make your company
stand out from the competition?
To account for the increasingly
complex nature of the work undertaken
in laboratories and healthcare
buildings, these spaces are carefully
arrayed to allow for cross-disciplinary
collaboration and interaction. One of
Diamond Schmitt’s notable approaches
consolidates laboratories located in
dense metropolitan areas within
vertical structures linked by series of
atria and stairways, resulting in
increased connectivity and maximizing
the ability for researchers to more
naturally collaborate.
With designs informed by extensive
dialogue with researchers, students,
and teachers, Diamond Schmitt
integrates elements that promote the
physical and mental well-being of
those who ultimately use these
facilities, such as strategically placed
lab benches with ample natural light
and showers to encourage researchers
to bike to work.
Their designs also incorporate
features—from large street-facing
windows to education rooms—that
create opportunities for the community
at large to interact with and develop an
understanding of the research being
undertaken in these spaces.
Finally, Diamond Schmitt elevates
these environments by integrating site-
specific artworks and design
installations into the fabric of these
buildings, from commissioned
sculptures to living walls.
What is your opinion on the impact
of the current pandemic on the
global healthcare architecture
market, and what challenges did
your company face during the initial
phase of the pandemic?
Technological development
promises to address some of
the most pernicious obstacles
to system improvement
in the healthcare market.

It is still early to predict what the
impact of COVID-19 will be on
hospital design and operations. Some
of our clients have spent the last year
contemplating how they will address
the system vulnerabilities that have
been exposed by the pandemic, such as
lack of isolation capacity, critical care
bed shortages, and triage and flow
management during surge events.
It will be challenging for hospitals to
remain focused on these issues as they
begin to re-open and address the
backlog in elective procedures and
perhaps the inevitable health impacts
to patients who intentionally delayed
diagnostics or treatment out of fear of
contracting the disease.
These impacts may be of the greatest
significance to the health system at
large as they suggest a change in the
way that we conceive of the hospital as
a single point of care in favour of a
more distributed system of services
that can remain functional during a
health crisis such as the pandemic.
Market conditions have been very
challenging during the pandemic,
particularly as they pertain to product
and material availability and related
costs.
Key supply chains have been disrupted
and, despite directives to remain open,
construction sites have experienced
significant reductions in productivity
due to COVID-19 protocols and
reduced manpower. These impacts
have negatively affected construction
schedules, but also led to delays in the
commencement of projects arising
from a need to recalibrate budget
allocations to deal with new market
conditions.
With continuous development in
technologies such as AI and big data,
what is your prediction about the
future of healthcare architecture?
Technological development promises
to address some of the most pernicious
obstacles to system improvement in the
healthcare market. The emergence of
big data is improving system
intelligence as it relates to population
health, demographics, and disease
prevalence, which in turn will help
Health Authorities to better calibrate
services and facilities to the
populations that they serve.
Remote monitoring, both through
wearable and implanted devices,
enhanced telemedicine capabilities and
the resulting development of
personalized medicine will empower
patients to better manage their personal
health and help to overcome resistance
to following care regimens and
interacting with the healthcare system.
AI technologies promise to improve
the accuracy of imaging diagnostics
and facilitate medical diagnoses, while
Facilitating the expansion
of our growing offices has been
a key area of focus for
management team in 2021.

also reducing medical errors. These
technologies will have a greater impact
on the delivery of care than on
healthcare architecture itself, however
taken together they have great potential
to reduce the prevalence and severity
of chronic health conditions which are
a growing burden to the health system.
A shift in focus from complex
continuing care to health maintenance
and prevention is an objective of the
healthcare system generally, as it will
allow hospitals to divert capital and
operations costs tied to beds in favour
of improved diagnostics and delivery.
The development of new technologies
certainly appears to be supporting this
transition.
As an established leader, what would
be your advice to the budding
entrepreneurs and enthusiasts
aspiring to venture into the market?
The healthcare market is broad and
diverse and presents significant
opportunity and considerable
complexity. It is not uncommon to be
engaged in projects that range in size
from a few thousand to a million
square feet or that require resolution at
a basic planning level through to a
complete and commissioned facility.
Many projects extend over years, or
even decades, as they proceed through
approvals milestones and changes in
system requirements. Care models
continue to evolve and, although there
are standards and similarities among
facilities, each hospital represents a
unique approach to caring for a specific
community with a specialized care
team.
Hospital buildings live long lives and
are subject to almost ongoing
renovations and re-programming.
Engaging in the healthcare market
requires some tenacity and humility -
being open to all these various project
types and scenarios with the attitude
that each affords an opportunity to
learn and to contribute positively to
improvements in public health and the
health system.
How do you envision on scaling your
company’s operations and offerings
in 2021?
Fortunately, the Canadian marketplace
has remained strong. Facilitating the
expansion of our growing offices has
been a key area of focus for
management team in 2021. Business
continues to grow with more and larger
commissions in both Canada and in the
United States. These growth challenges
have impacted our operational models
and we have augmented existing
structures to accommodate the growth
of both staff numbers and project
complexity.
In terms of business development, we
have sought to maintain a broad
sectoral and geographic distribution of
work that cushions potential downturns
in one sector from negatively
impacting overall growth. We have
made structural changes to our
operations that see focused teams
target major areas for growth - namely
post-secondary academic, health care,
performing arts and commercial
interiors.
A team-based approach to sector
specific work is a new undertaking,
and this model is intended to both
elevate our position in the marketplace
while providing training and exposure
for more junior staff to the
requirements of business
development.

ue to the pandemic push, the
Dfuture of interconnected
healthcare is already here. It is
revolutionized by the Internet of
Medical Things or IoMT in short. For
us, healthcare meant either using things
like pills, thermometers, blood pressure
monitors, and even stethoscope to
assess and treat ourselves, or going to a
doctor, who will then using the same or
more advanced devices like x-ray
machines, will assess and treat us.
IoMT has turned all such medical
things and wellness devices into smart,
interconnected, and
intercommunicating units of a single
ecosystem. This ecosystem enables
remote patient healthcare, real-time
information and data collection, data
storage, data analysis, data retrieval,
and data sharing. It also improves in-
hospital hygiene and patient status
monitoring, helps prevent patient
infections, and even assists in
expediting emergency care,
maintaining and regulating ICU,
mortuary, freezer, medicine cabinet,
refrigerator temperatures, etc.
IoMT further helps outside the hospital
or medical facilities where patients use
smart wearables like pulse, heartbeat,
and BP monitors and check their
insulin, glucose, and sugar levels using
apps on their smartphones. Although
the devices are outside the facilities,
they are constantly communicating and
exchanging data with the in-hospital
ecosystem via the internet, made
available by the tiny or miniature
computer chips embedded in all the
above-listed things and devices, in-
syncing them and enabling them to
exchange real-time info.
It seems like science ﬁction. But it is
science ﬁction becoming present and
future reality.
Smart Healthcare Ecosystem: The
Future is here
A healthcare system contains people
(patients, doctors, caretakers, clinic

technicians, etc.), processes (diagnosis,
treatment, healthcare delivery, patient
admin and support), info/data
(everything from patient info to
pre-in-and-post-treatment data), and
enablers (healthcare things and medical
devices, equipment, and care units).
IoMT connects these different aspects
(of people, infrastructure, and devices)
and brings them together on a single
online platform to enhance the entire
healthcare ecosystem and make it more
effective and inclusive.
There are many examples of IoMT like
smart consumer wearables, daily health
trackers, intelligent healthcare
monitoring equipment, smart sock
baby monitors and surgical robots, etc.
We can broadly categorize them into a
few major segments.
#On-Bosy Wearables:
It can be further divided into smart
consumer wearables and clinical and
medical-grade wearables.
Smart consumer wearables are
personal fitness/wellness consumer-
grade devices. They include smart
bands, smart wristbands, smart sport
watches, fitness/activity trackers, and
smart garments. Most of these devices
are unregulated yet may be endorsed
and advised by experts for specific
health conditions and applications. The
acceptance is based on informal
consumer studies, third-party surveys,
and private experimental, clinical
validations.
Clinical/medical-grade devices are
regulated and approved/certified by
one or more health regulatory
authorities. Most of these devices are
prescription and expert advice based.
Examples include smart belts (for
elderly fall detection and hip
protection), sports headsets (to
stimulate brain muscle memory,
strength, endurance, etc., during
physical workout and routine exercise
training), and Neuromodulation
wearable (it strokes sensory nerves to
provide faster relief from chronic
pain).
#In-home Smart Ecosystem:
This segment comprises remote patient
monitoring (RPM), emergency
response systems (PERS), and
telehealth virtual visits.
RPM encompasses all in-home health
monitoring sensors and devices. They
are used in chronic disease
management, acute home monitoring,
and medication management.
PERS is designed for emergency
medical care, where quick
communication and access to a
medical facility are necessary. So, in
such cases, the system integrates
different wearable relay units/devices
with an active medical emergency call
center unit to enhance homebound self-
reliance for seniors with limited
mobility.
Telephone virtual visits provide virtual
healthcare management and remote
prescriptions through video
observations, evaluation, online
assessment, digital tests, and video
consultations.
#Intercommunity services:
The first example is mobility, where
health parameters are tracked by
automated passenger vehicles
(ambulance) while the patient is in
transit. The second example is
emergency response intelligence
crafted to help first responders to the
emergency or paramedics and other
caregivers available. The third example
is POC or point-of-care devices used
outside the home or hospital facility
like in medical camps. The last
example is in healthcare logistics. It
includes delivering and transporting
healthcare goods and services (like
medical and surgical supplies,
pharmaceuticals, medical devices and
equipment, medicines, etc.) required
by the healthcare facilitators.
IoMT sensors are used in such cases to
measure shock, humidity, temperature,
and tilt, end-to-end visibility solutions
like radio-frequency identification
(RFID) and barcodes, and drones that
provide rapid last-mile delivery.
#In-hospital/In-clinic services:
IoMT devices in this segment include a
wearable defibrillator (to constantly
monitor patients who are at risk of
fibrillation or ventricular tachycardia),
a hand hygiene compliance system (to
track and determine whether hygiene
protocol is being flowed and
maintained by users), and a GPS-based
app (to guide hospital visitors through
the quickest route).
In-clinic devices such as clinical bags
(cloud-based examination platform),
digital stethoscopes, and telehealth
patient examination kits are used for
clinical and administrative functions.
IoMT Personalized Healthcare: The
future ahead
IoMT is transforming healthcare from
exclusive to personalized, all-inclusive,
and smart ecosystem. Yet, it is just the
beginning. And we are only seeing
initial applications which are futuristic,
nonetheless. But according to the
Fortune Business Insights predictions,
in the next five years, the global IoMT
market will grow to a whopping
$352.88 billion by 2027. Thus, the real
transformation is awaited.
-Gaurav Wankhade

Bob Ryan
Principal Healthcare Architecture

The unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic put the
whole healthcare sector under a tough test. It has
become clearer that to handle such harsh situations,
efficient and sturdy infrastructure is just as important as
those who deliver healthcare services during times like this.
A dynamic and durable healthcare infrastructure will help
the working staff to deliver their services more efficiently
and with much more ease. By now, the world has realized
that the COVID-19 pandemic is probably not the last one to
surface, and to counter such a situation, a multi-dimensional
healthcare facility is the need of the hour.
DIGroupArchitecture is one company, which designs
facilities that deliver to almost all the healthcare needs.
Based out of New Hampshire, New Jersey, the company is
spearheaded by Bob Ryan, the Principal of
DIGroupArchitecture.
In the following interview, Bob tells us the story behind the
origin of DIGroupArchitecture and how it has been
efficiently designing architectural geniuses.
Please brief our audience about your company, its
mission, and the key aspects of its stronghold within the
DIGroupArchitecture is a Minority Business Enterprise and
a Small Business Enterprise. We were formed in 2006 as a
merger of four separate architectural firms specializing in
the planning, programming, and design of both public and
private spaces throughout New Jersey, New York, and
Pennsylvania. Since our formation, we have delivered
nearly $1 billion in construction value for our clients.
Tell us more about your services and solutions which
make your company stand out from the competition?
As a proponent of high-performance design, we understand
the unique challenges faced by today's healthcare leaders,
as they are continually tasked with evolving to address
changing norms, new technology, and the demand to
provide quality care using fewer resources. The
monumental impact that the current pandemic has had on
business operations and the delivery of care has forced
healthcare systems to change nearly all aspects of
operations.
Each project must be considered for not only today's
investment but the future life of the facility and its shifting
needs. This perspective spans planning for new
construction as well as the reinvestment process within
existing facilities. Our goal is to help our clients make
astute and strategic decisions about their facilities. That is
the foundation of our business and our passion. We
approach every project, large or small, with the same
passion and commitment to 'do whatever it takes' to help
our clients assure the success of their projects.
What is your opinion on the impact of the current
pandemic on the global healthcare architecture market,
and what challenges did your company face during the
initial phase of the pandemic?
This global pandemic continues to challenge the healthcare
industry's providers and designers, to re-think the way we
design and operate healthcare spaces. Clearly, we are all
focused now more than ever on design aspects such as air
filtration and antimicrobial finishes, but the challenge goes
much further than that.
We need to be able to provide our clients with spaces that
can 'flex' as needed to address the ever-changing demands
from varying census to need for changeable negative
pressure spaces, to telehealth, to reducing the density of
staff within their daily environments.

One thing is certain, this current pandemic will not be the
last time that the healthcare industry will be challenged
with treating an unknown pathogen. We, as trusted advisors,
must help our clients be prepared to react to the next threat
quickly without forcing them into the same staff overload
and economic strain that they faced with COVID-19
quickly.
With continuous development in technologies such as AI
and big data, what is your prediction about the future of
healthcare architecture?
As technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, Robotics,
and Big Data continue to develop at an accelerated rate,
without question, technology will also continue to influence
the operations of healthcare facilities. As facility architects,
we need to challenge ourselves to develop new benchmarks
for measuring the success of our design solutions. For
example, as technology alters the traditional care delivery
models and allows greater patient throughput, thereby
reducing space needs, our designs should allow our clients
to realize cost savings and adaptively reuse the resulting
extra space without compromising positive outcomes.
As an established leader, what would be your advice to
the budding entrepreneurs and enthusiasts aspiring to
venture into the market?
For those considering entering the healthcare design
market, be warned that healthcare design is not a market in
which you can simply 'dabble' because it is seen as a means
to increase revenue. The challenges of healthcare design
are unique in that they demand a complete understanding of
the specialized relationship of spaces, the efficient flow of
both staff and patient, often times a high level of technical
coordination, as well as the unique concerns and needs of
the clinicians.
It requires a true passion, and it needs to excite you,
knowing that you are making an impact on people's health.
Nowhere more than in healthcare environments can it be
said with more certainty that good design truly does affect
lives.
How do you envision scaling your company's operations
and offerings in 2021?
Since its inception in 2006, DIGroupArchitecture has
maintained a core principle to value the potential of every
staff member and to assist in their career development.
Accordingly, we have never added staff to fill a temporary
need or project load, but rather to run our studios 'lean'
during those times and maintain a sustainable growth
pattern and again, realize and reward the value of dedicated
team members.
We will continue to respond to our client's needs regarding
the services that we offer without compromising on our
core strengths, and although our current strategic plan does
not specifically call for us to add a specific service to our
portfolio, we will continue to flex and grow with our clients
and be their trusted advisors.
About the Leader
Being able to seamlessly cross public and private sectors of
the industry makes Bob able to more than fill his role as a
Principal of DIGroupArchitecture. Skilled in all aspects of
healthcare design, he can constructively manage and lead
his support team through all phases of a project to an
inspiring accomplishment of the established design
objectives.
Bob has enjoyed more than 35 years of experience in the
field of healthcare and life science design. He has been
involved in countless intricate and custom projects; he has
designed new buildings, the expansion, renovation, and
alteration of hundreds of projects in the Tri-State Area.
These projects run the gamut of medical modalities,
including acute care, ambulatory care, diagnostic imaging
platforms, research facilities, laboratories, emergency
departments, and surgical suites.
His in-depth ability to understand his client's methodologies
and objectives, along with his personal communication and
organizational skills, are key to the development of our
continuous long-standing relationships with clients.

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