The Center for Health Design celebrated the inaugural group of Evidence-Based Design, (EBD), Touchstone Award recipients at the Healthcare Design Expo & Conference in Orlando, Florida on November 11, 2017.  

This award recognizes the use of an evidence-based design process in the pursuit of increasing value, improving outcomes, and engaging stakeholders. 

Submissions were judged based upon their achievement across three touchstones of the EBD process:

• Collaborate: Submissions must demonstrate interdisciplinary team and stakeholder education, engagement and development.
• Evaluate: Submissions must demonstrate the extent to which research was found, evaluated, and applied to link design to outcomes and measurement of results.
• Share: Submissions must demonstrate how the EBD process was applied and how the knowledge gained was disseminated, captured, and has the potential for application to future projects.

An expert panel consisting of key industry stakeholders — academics, architects, designers, healthcare executives, planners, facility executives, patient and family advisors, and researchers reviewed each submission. 

There are three levels of awards: Silver, Gold, and Platinum, based upon exemplary achievement across the three touchstones. The 2017 Evidence-Based Design Touchstone Award recipients include:

GOLD

• Jersey Shore University Medical Center (EYP Health)
• St. Anthony Hospital and Medical Campus (Earl Swensson Associates, Inc.)

GOLD – CONCEPTUAL CATEGORY

• Realizing Improved Patient Care through Human Centered Design in the Operating Room (Center for Health Facilities Design and Testing, Clemson University)

SILVER

• Akron Children’s Hospital Kay Jeweler’s Pavilion (HKS, Inc.)
• Froedtert and The Medical College of Wisconsin (HGA Architects & Engineers)
• University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center Alkek Tower Expansion (HKS, Inc.)
• Virginia Center for Behavioral Rehabilitation (HDR, Inc.)

“The Center for Health Design holds the industry standard in certifying for evidence-based design,” shared Rob Heitmeier, EDAC, General Manager at Steelcase Health. “We are thrilled to support the Touchstone Awards – another example of how The Center is raising the bar in the transformation of the healthcare industry.”

“It was truly exciting to see this inaugural class of EBD Touchstone Award recipients recognized at the Healthcare Design Expo & Conference.  As we continue to evolve our evidence-based design program, this award program allows us to recognize projects that are true examples of using the EBD process", stated Debra Levin, EDAC, President and CEO of The Center.  "These awards highlight projects that demonstrate the deepest use and application of evidence-based design that contribute knowledge to the industry while addressing today’s most urgent and challenging healthcare design issues.”

Applications for the next round of awards will be accepted between December 13, 2017 and February 7, 2018. To learn more about the Evidence-Based Design Touchstone Awards and to enter a submission, click here.