20, Part 1, Tama Duffy Day

Tama Duffy Day, Health & Wellness Leader at Gensler Architecture on the power of engaging the design professional to improve health and wellness, globally. Tama shares, “Whether I’m in Taiwan or China or Ireland or Pakistan or even domestically, talking with students in Fayetteville at the University of Arkansas or Moscow at the University of Idaho, or Chicago or The New York School of Interior Design, we all truly believe that the power of design does make a difference and it can enrich communities.” This and more on the changing face of healthcare design and its impact from one of the largest architecture firms in the world.

Tama Duffy Day is a global author, lecturer, and speaker. She and her team at Gensler have received more than 50 awards and honors for their work, and for three consecutive years Tama was named one of the “Most Influential People in Healthcare Design” by Healthcare Design magazine. Tama is one of the few design professionals inducted as a fellow into the American College of Healthcare Executives. Learn more about Tama Duffy Day and Gensler Architecture by visiting https://www.gensler.com/. Send your questions to Tama here: Tama_DuffyDay@gensler.com.

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Let’s play a game. I want you to count up every time you’ve had furniture delivered on a hospital or healthcare project, and the product fell short of your expectations. Do that on one hand. Now, on the other hand, I want you to count up how many times you’ve had to compromise the integrity of a project because you’ve been limited by furniture options and budget. Now, that was kind of a trick question because I know all of you need more than two hands to count up these situations. Here’s a solution: Stance Healthcare. Stance specializes in furniture for the hospital and healthcare setting, and they pride themselves on working with designers who need to modify furniture for a variety of end users. Here’s a great example. At the request of a designer, Stance modified their popular Legend chair to create a closed arm panel and they made the seat depth adjustable for different sized residents in an assisted living facility. How freaking cool is that? Start exploring now at: http://stancehealthcare.com/. 

Additional support for this podcast comes from our industry partners:

The Center For Health Design The Nursing Institute for Healthcare Design

Learn more about how the Center for Health Design can support your firm by visiting: http://healthdesign.org.

Connect to a community interested in supporting clinician involvement in design and construction of the built environment by visiting The Nursing Institute for Healthcare Design at https://www.nursingihd.com/.

In part one of Cheryl’s conversation today with Tama Duffy Day, you will learn:

How healthcare design can and does have an impact on solving the health and wellness crisis in the US. Since 2013, The Center on Society and Health at Virginia Commonwealth University has mapped life expectancy in the US in 21 different cities. Tama shares the results of this very powerful study. Why it isn’t your DNA that determines life expectancy in the US, but rather your zip code. Why it’s important to look at design through social and community issues and how design can increase the impact of change. The story of how a much younger Tama helped a friend in a wheelchair create a friendlier home, and how this experience informed her perspective on design and the human experience. Tama’s surprising answer to the question, “What makes a project successful?” Learn about one of Gensler’s envisioning tools used with clients that’s different from anything you’ve ever heard before. What does creating a legacy look like for Tama after 30 years of work. How Tama envisioned and then created a platform for interior design voices to be heard at Contract Magazine. Tama’s advice to interior design students of today. Is Gensler hiring? Featured Product

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