Transforming Pediatric Environment Design: Learning from the Leaders

Host

Judy Smith, MHA
Pediatric Environment Network Facilitator, The Center for Health Design

Judy Smith is the facilitator for The Center for Health Design’s Pediatric Environment Network (PEN).  She is an experienced and recognized management consultant, facility planner, active lecturer, and strategist, working exclusively with children and women’s services throughout her career. Her extensive experience includes completing more than 1,000 women and children’s health care projects in the United States and internationally.

Judy’s expertise in children’s health extends beyond management consulting to past participation in the development of facility guidelines used by state regulatory agencies and professional associations. She is also a frequent guest lecturer at national meetings, and has written and contributed to numerous publications on women and children’s health services and facilities.

Panelists

Mandy Hansen
Senior Director, Planning, Design & Construction, Seattle Children’s

As Sr. Director of Planning, Design, and Construction, Mandy Hansen is responsible for all master planning activities, space oversight and allocation, design standards, capital renovation/expansion projects, and move/add/change services for Seattle Children’s Hospital. Mandy has partnered with senior leadership to develop iterative master plans for both administrative and clinical spaces including the main hospital campus. She brings a unique perspective to planning, design, and construction services with her master’s in counseling psychology and background in Lean consulting and process improvement. She has worked on numerous projects using Integrated Facilities Design (IFD) methodology which applies Lean principles to master planning and space design.

Brian Zabloudil, AIA, ACHA, LEED AP BD+C
Principal, BWBR

Brian is an architect that has practiced exclusively in healthcare design for the past 20 years. He has worked across the United States, Canada, and China during that time, which has given him a unique perspective on planning, design, and clinical operations. Brian’s expertise and passion is in pediatric health and women's and infant's health. He has a love for the complexity and challenge of designing for healthcare environments. “I feel that we have really done something impactful if we can take a typology with so many restrictions and guardrails and create environments that are beautiful, efficient, and most importantly, spaces that are impactful and aspirational to patients, families, and providers. Pediatric health, in particular, brings an exceptional level of fulfillment to what I do. I feel so fortunate to have found a professional path that has the potential to leave a positive impression in the world.”

Cory F. Sassano, AIA, NCARB, EDAC
Team Lead, Facilities Planning & Design, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

Cory is a Team Lead in the Facilities Planning & Design group at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. His work focuses on the support of patients, their families, and the staff that care for them. His emphasis is on future-thinking, flexible design, working closely with clinical and operations teams across the organization. He partners with the CHOP Foundation on stewardship and major initiatives that help drive reinvestment into CHOP’s mission and community-based programs.  

At the nation’s first children’s hospital, he leads a team overseeing the planning and design of a 1.3M SF New Patient Tower project set to open in 2028. He is a registered architect and member of the American Institute of Architects. He holds certificates from the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) as well as an Evidenced-based Design Accredited Professional (EDAC).

Fabio Delmestri
President, IOA Healthcare Furniture

Fabio Delmestri shifted IOA’s focus to healthcare furniture shortly after joining the family business in the mid 80’s, discovering a community lead by passionate and dedicated design professionals, driven by passion and a true sense of mission. No specialty of care exemplifies this approach more than pediatrics. “Following the designer’s lead, we began pursuing product solutions to meet the designer’s aspirations and vision and contribute to the overall success of the project”.

The technical complexities and fast evolving regulatory landscape of the healthcare environment require a commitment to continuous learning, best achieved by a collaborative approach among all stake holders in the industry. Fabio leads a team of industrial designers who are just as passionate about learning and as they about the design creative process. Under Fabio’s leadership, IOA endeavors to continue being a source of innovative and thoughtful product solutions and a trusted partner to the healthcare design community.

Laura Poltronieri, RA, AIA
Senior Principal | Regional Leader of Healthcare, HOK

Laura Poltronieri has devoted her professional career to the planning and design of healthcare environments for women and children. She is noted for her commitment to her clients and to her vision of inclusive, humane, function based healthcare planning and design. Healthcare Design Magazine bestowed Laura with their “2014 Architect of the Year” recognition award.

Laura is also a popular speaker at national and international women’s and children’s healthcare conferences and consulted with international design firms worldwide. In addition Laura has led numerous IRB-approved EBD (evidence based design) research studies in conjunction with leading academic medical centers, and is a published author on issues of interest in the planning and design of women’s and children’s healthcare facilities. Ms. Poltronieri was also a contributing advisor to the inaugural Children’s Hospital Working Committee for the 2014 Edition of “Guidelines for Design and Construction of Hospitals and Healthcare Facilities”.