As September winds down and the year is two-thirds gone, it is time to step back to see how the year is unfolding. As I look at the big picture, one place where there is no progress: with a divided Congress, the fate of healthcare reimbursements--and the need for facilities we design--remains uncertain. What can we do? What we always do: plan for future flexibility, continue to be patient and caregiver advocates, and support the business case for strategic design solutions.
Your AIA AAH is here to help you meet such challenges. We see the main purposes of AAH are education and networking. Our Strategic Plan has re-positioned us to do these more fully. We now have 20 committees working on the different ways to support our mission. There are a few new committees this year, which I would like to focus on here to share their progress:
- Outreach Committee: This committee, as the ‘voice of healthcare architects’, is starting to make direct contact with health industry organizations to create opportunities for collaboration. This will take a little time, so stay tuned for more information on their progress.
- Reinvention Committee: We have now populated this program with both seasoned visionaries and emerging professionals, to offer ideas on how to improve the Academy.
- Communications Committee: This new group has started to make a difference in how knowledge is delivered to you, and will do much more as they continue to get their feet under them. Notice how this newsletter and the web page are being gradually changed to be more dynamic in sharing news and knowledge—and increased knowledge content. They are just getting started, so keep an eye on both this quarterly newsletter and the web page (aia/aah.org). They also have been sharing more news via Twitter (@aia_aah) and the LinkedIn’s ‘AIA Academy of Architecture for Health Group’—we invite you to follow these to stay informed.
The best way to enhance our ability to design strategically is to continue to educate ourselves and participate in the discourse about how to succeed in the current conditions. And the upcoming Healthcare Design Expo and Conference is one of the best venues for increasing your knowledge. Our own ‘HCD Conference Committee’ has worked hard to create the best educational content. Our committee collaborates closely with Emerald, The Center for Healthcare Design and others to select the presentations for the conference, and it seems like the content gets better each year. Another reason for attending HCD is networking—we learn from others through our conversations between sessions, and at the various receptions, which enriches us as much as attending the sessions themselves. One of the best networking opportunities at the conference is the Academy Update and Reception, where you can learn about what the AAH is doing and how you can get involved, as well as a chance to meet and make new friends. You will be reminded again about this as we get closer to the conference.
Finally, your AIA AAH is continually improving, thanks to our 105 volunteers. You are invited to join a committee. Please contact us at aah@aia.org.
Sincerely,
Tom Clark, FAIA, EDAC
2017 President – AIA Academy of Architecture for Health