KI & SCAD Co-Host Healthcare Design Forum

GREEN BAY, WIS. – KI recently co-hosted a healthcare design forum with the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) interior design department—whose graduate and undergraduate programs were ranked No. 1 in the nation for 2013 by DesignIntelligence—and The Center for Health Design. The symposium, titled “Designing for Healthcare,” highlighted the importance of design in healthcare's built environment and was attended by interior design professionals and SCAD students, faculty and staff. Topics included evidence-based design and certification from the American Academy of Healthcare Interior Designers (AAHID).

KI & SCAD Co-Host Healthcare Design Forum“Designing for the ever-changing nature of healthcare requires evidence-based solutions that meet the needs of patients, families and staff,” said Deborah Breunig, RN, BSN, MBA, EDAC, vice president of healthcare, KI. “The ‘Designing for Healthcare’ forum engaged students, educators and interior design professionals in thoughtful discussion around how design can encourage patient healing, support family involvement and increase staff efficiency.”

Presenters included Breunig, Jocelyn Stroupe, principal, director of healthcare interiors at Cannon Design, AAHID, IIDA, ASID, EDAC and Carolyn Quist, director of operations at The Center for Health Design.

“The symposium brought together some of the very best thinkers in healthcare design and gave our students a wonderful opportunity to learn about this rapidly growing specialty in the discipline," noted Khoi Vo, chair of SCAD’s interior design department. “At a moment when health-conscious consumers demand a radical shift in design thinking, designers are tasked with creating environments that not only heal the body, but lift the soul and treat users as the highest priority."

KI manufactures innovative furniture and wall system solutions for education, healthcare, government and corporate markets. The employee-owned company is headquartered in Green Bay, Wis. and operates sales offices and manufacturing facilities in the United States, Canada, Latin America, Europe and Asia. KI tailors products and service solutions to the specific needs of each customer through its unique design and manufacturing philosophy. For more information, visit www.ki.com.

At SCAD, interior design students are immersed in a professional environment that engages and challenges them to take on the role of a career designer. SCAD offers an unparalleled interdisciplinary setting in which students gain professional knowledge in related fields such as architecture, historic preservation and furniture design. Students learn from professors who bring a vast breadth of experience and first-hand industry knowledge into the classroom. Leading interior design firms seek SCAD alumni who possess a comprehensive education and skill set that enables them to specialize within the field. SCAD offers Bachelor of Fine Arts, Master of Arts and Master of Fine Arts degrees in interior design.

The Savannah College of Art and Design is a private, nonprofit, accredited institution conferring bachelor's and master's degrees at distinctive locations and online to prepare talented students for professional careers. SCAD offers degrees in more than 40 majors.

Source: KI

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