08/02/2026
The places where we learn, work, and heal are never neutral. Their design can shape our health, wellbeing, and sense of possibility.
Yesterday, I joined Kevin Mahoney, CEO of the University of Pennsylvania Health System, for a fireside chat at Vanderbilt University’s new New York City campus during the 20th annual Healthcare Design and Construction Symposium.
We discussed how healthcare leaders can design buildings and systems that strengthen patient care while improving resilience, sustainability, and long-term value.
The built environment is part of healthcare delivery. Clean air, natural light, access to nature, nutritious food, reliable infrastructure, and spaces that support patients and caregivers all influence health. Sustainability should not be treated simply as a facilities issue. It is part of caring for people.
As Vanderbilt prepares to welcome its first students to the New York campus this fall, the setting offered a fitting example. Through thoughtful adaptive reuse and historic preservation, the university is protecting the campus’s distinctive character while preparing it for the future.
Thank you to Vanderbilt for bringing together leaders across healthcare, architecture, engineering, and construction.
How can the places we build help people heal?
