![Pediatric patient and their guardians sitting inside of a medical center lobby](/sites/default/files/styles/medium_not_cropp/public/2023-04/healthcare%20design%20inspired%20by%20real%20life_Feature.jpg?itok=gvUJLDoq)
How personal experiences in hospitals can influence designers and planners
Healthcare designers and planners often draw inspiration from their own lives: parents with diabetes and Alzheimer’s; a child in the hospital for surgery, a sibling struggling with a neuromuscular and autoimmune disorder. By applying personal perspectives to their work, Pagers improve hospital and medical facility experiences for all.
Read their compelling stories in full in Medical Construction & Design authored by Mary Loftus, Sr. Manager for Health Sciences Content. The below content has been edited for length.
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Annabella Koloskov
Annabella Koloskov, Senior Medical Planner
Annabella shares how her family’s multiple medical crises have illuminated the importance of wayfinding in a hospital setting, underscored the need for open design and easy access, and emphasized the importance of helping families feel comfortable when visiting loved ones.
“Everyone needs a comforting, well-designed space when receiving medical care,” Annabella says. “That’s why clear wayfinding is so important in designing a facility that is easy to navigate and doesn’t add to the family’s stress.”
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Kahtura Fernander
Kahtura Fernander, Designer II
Kahtura shares how her sister’s childhood battle with an incurable neuromuscular and autoimmune disorder inspires her to create safe, nurturing hospital environments – filled with light, art, and uplifting design — for pediatric patients and their families.
“My own family’s experiences have made me better able to communicate to healthcare clients when (and why) I feel something might need to be adjusted or changed in the design,” she says. “I pay attention to the details clients provide, and if something doesn’t align with what I feel would improve the experience, I share my opinion, perhaps with a story or anecdote.”
*Featured image by Jim Roof