Concord, CA - Lorissa MacAllister, PhD, BSW, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP, EDAC, has been selected as the 2015 New Investigator Research Award recipient by The Center for Health Design’s Research Coalition.  Dr. MacAllister is the founder of Enviah and a senior research fellow at Samueli Institute.  Her research, “Improving Patient Satisfaction and Experience through Supportive Design”, will build on her dissertation where she found that design factors such as the layout of inpatient rooms and nursing floors predicts patients’ perceptions of physicians and nurses—issues that are important for patient-and-family centered care and affect hospitals reimbursements. 

In this study, Dr. MacAllister will collaborate with Dr. Cláudia Campos Andrade (ISCTE-IUL, Lisbon University Institute), Dr. Ann Sloan Devlin (Connecticut College), Dr. Erica Ryherd (University of Nebraska-Lincoln), and Dr. Craig Zimring (Georgia Institute of Technology) to use Ulrich’s (1991) supportive design theory as a framework and the defined spatial variables by Andrade and Devlin (2015) lab study and Devlin, Andrade, and Lima (2014) field study report to further explore the role of spatial layout and design on patient satisfaction and HCAHPS scores at Emory University Hospital. 

Dr. MacAllister earned her PhD in Architecture from Georgia Institute of Technology in 2015.

The award also allows Dr. MacAllister to serve as a member of CHD’s Research Coalition for one year, along with complimentary registration to the 2016 Healthcare Design Expo & Conference, where she will have the opportunity to present her completed research study.

“This award is designed to encourage new researchers to turn their attention to evaluating how the built environment impacts healthcare outcomes”, stated Saif Haq, co-chair of CHD’s Research Coalition.  “All applications undergo a rigorous peer-review process, conducted by CHD’s Research Coalition.  It was our pleasure to select Lorissa MacAllister as the recipient of CHD’s 2015 New Investigator Award.“

About The Center for Health Design
The Center for Health Design (CHD) is a nonprofit organization that engages and supports professionals and organizations in the healthcare and design industry to improve the quality of healthcare facilities and create new environments for healthy aging. CHD’s mission is to transform healthcare environments for a healthier, safer world through design research, education, and advocacy. For more information, visit www.healthdesign.org.

Media Relations Contact:
Linda P. Franklin
(925) 521-9404 ext. 123
lfranklin@healthdesign.org