E83 – Hydrogen Fuel Cells for Healthcare Energy

Healthcare organizations are increasingly recognizing that “first, do no harm” extends beyond patient care to include the environmental impact of the campuses that support it. This creates growing tension between delivering high-quality care, reducing carbon emissions, and remaining fiscally responsible. This session brings together MD Anderson, WakeMed, and their engineering partners to share real-world drivers, strategies, and lessons learned from decarbonizing both new and existing healthcare campuses.

Through contrasting case studies, presenters will examine how organizational goals, regulatory pressures, resiliency planning, and long-term operational needs shaped different decarbonization pathways. Topics include aligning decarbonization with mission and capital planning; evaluating all-electric versus hybrid systems; phasing upgrades in occupied facilities; and addressing grid reliability and operational impacts. The session emphasizes practical takeaways, highlighting what worked, what didn’t, and how early decisions influenced cost, constructability, and long-term performance without compromising patient care.

Effective collaboration between owners and design teams is crucial for improved decision-making in healthcare projects, leading to integrated solutions that not only align with the owner’s objectives but also enhance outcomes. This session explores the collaborative, iterative engineering planning and design processes involved in developing the building infrastructure systems for the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s (CHOP) new high-intensity inpatient bed tower. 

Attendees will learn how early collaboration between CHOP and the design team facilitated the creation of robust, flexible, and sustainable infrastructure for this new 1.3 million-square-foot facility, situated in the heart of University City in Philadelphia. This partnership was instrumental in shaping decisions about cost-effective innovative engineering systems and operational strategies, resulting in reliable, resilient systems capable of withstanding and recovering from disruptions. 

Additionally, presenters will address the business case for investing in infrastructure that promotes safety throughout the building’s lifecycle, from day-one occupancy through long-term renovations and expansion. Examples will demonstrate how CHOP’s building systems were uniquely configured to meet these goals, helping to futureproof the facility and enable the highest quality of care for the most critically ill pediatric patients.

Join us for an inspiring panel featuring four trailblazing women with unique expertise in healthcare design, strategy, activation planning, simulation, and patient safety as they explore building resilient healthcare environments. This session examines the intersection of strategic foresight, interior design, clinical operations, transition/activation, and continuous process improvement to redefine how spaces are planned, activated, sustained, and equipped to provide exemplary care.  

Panelists will delve into how aligning strategic foresight with clinical insight through design thinking can create future-ready spaces that foster belonging and are adaptable, inclusive, and responsive to evolving care needs.

Drawing from extensive real-world experience in activation and transition planning, speakers will highlight how thoughtful, clinically informed decisions translate seamlessly from concept through activation and move-in and how standardized processes and tools preserve design intent while supporting safe, efficient transitions in both new and operational facilities.

The discussion will emphasize the importance of integrating patient safety and clinical insights into design through human factors and simulation, ensuring environments prioritize functionality, safety, and operational excellence. Attendees will gain actionable strategies to support resilient, human-centered healthcare environments that place patients, families, and staff at the center of every design decision.