Behavioral Health Workshop May 2020

Access to adequate mental health care and resources is one of the most pressing crises facing the world. Shary has committed her career to helping organizations expand their mental health services as well as develop new strategies and innovations that improve treatment for those needing this complex medical mental care.

With more than 30 years’ experience in healthcare design and leading integrated teams, Shary excels in getting laser-focused on a problem and defining the best possible solutions. She has shared her expertise in media outlets and has spoken about mental healthcare at domestic and global conferences.

Ellen brings over 30 years of experience in architecture, research, and business to leading The Center’s research team. She is a registered architect and member of the American Institute of Architects who was recognized by Healthcare Design as the HCD10 Researcher in 2017, an award recognizing significant contributions to the industry. 

Ellen has been responsible for conducting built environment design research, as well as large-scale program management, and extensive cross-departmental coordination. Ellen has a bachelor’s degree in architecture from Cornell University’s College of Architecture, Art and Planning, Global Executive MBA degrees from Columbia University and London Business School, and a PhD in design, patient safety and human factors from Loughborough University in England. She serves on the Executive Committee of the Steering Committee for the FGI Health Guidelines Revisions Committee, the Board of the AIA Academy of Architecture for Health (AAH), and the Editorial Advisory Boards of the Health Environments Research & Design (HERD) Journal and American Journal of Infection Control (AJIC).

Working with the mentally ill has been a passion throughout Kim’s entire career, which began right out of college at a state psychiatric hospital in Northern Minnesota. The patients at the state hospital had been residents there for years and years, many with serious mental illnesses, and many who had become wards of the state. The level of illness was significant, and Kim was struck by the care and compassion shown by the staff to these patients. Staff tried to create a feeling of ‘home’ even though the facility was old and foreboding and for many, staff had become their ‘family’.

Moving from Minnesota to Wyoming, Kim continued working at a psychiatric hospital with patients of all ages. Watching patients’ family members struggle to understand the symptoms, diagnosis, and medications was heartbreaking. Her desire to make a difference in the hospital experience for patients and family members inspired her to go back to school for a Master’s degree. The additional education provided an opportunity to work in hospital administration, where decisions could be influenced and positive change made in care delivery and outcomes for those with mental illness. Kim led the effort to open an 11 bed Crisis Stabilization Unit adjacent to West Springs Hospital in 2014 offering another level of care to meet growing need. As administrative head of the only psychiatric hospital between Denver and Salt Lake City, Kim understands the unique needs of rural mental health care. She lives the mission of making a difference for those in need of mental health care and treatment.
 

Kevin Murrett is President of Architectural Resources, one of the leading behavioral healthcare design firms in the country. With over 30 years of experience in research and design, Kevin has demonstrated an ability to connect the unique worlds of clinical practice and building design to create highly effective, safe, cost effective, and aesthetically pleasing mental health treatment environments. Kevin’s wealth of behavioral health design intelligence and regular consultation on institutional design standards establish him as a national leader in the industry. He frequently advises institutional and workforce representatives on injury avoidance, workplace safety and the therapeutic integration of behavioral healthcare in secure settings.
 

Stephanie Vito has built her career expertise in behavioral healthcare design, particularly using design excellence as a tool for lifting the lives of those in need of specialized care. Stephanie practices at the national level, and her dedication to forward thinking solutions will ultimately propel her to become a visionary in the field. Her goals begin at the human level, seeking to eliminate stigmas that surround behavioral health by pushing society’s preconceptions through design. Her professionalism and positive attitude are the key tools that allow her to continually rise above the intricate challenges of healthcare design to deliver comfortable and safe environments.
 

Anthony (Tony) Guarino is a Principal Medical Planner/Designer on Kaiser Permanente’s (KP) National Facilities Services team. Within that group, he is part of the Facilities, Strategy Planning + Design (FSPD) team that oversees design for KP’s building portfolio nationally - 100+ million square feet and more than 800 buildings in eight regions across the United States.
 
As part of the Planning team, Tony’s primary role is to develop strategies, programs, tools and processes to support the ever-changing world of health care.  A few highlights of the work Tony specialize in are:  
Behavioral Health Service Line – advancing evolving models for spaces supporting Mental Health and Wellness as an integrated service in outpatient clinical care settings as well as mainstreaming and providing parity for space supporting Addiction Medicine and Intensive Outpatient Programs.
 
Prior to joining Kaiser Permanente in 2008, Mr. Guarino was a principal planner for Group Health Cooperative of Puget Sound, a not for profit healthcare provider in the pacific northwest based in the Seattle area.