AdventHealth Cancer Institute

Saturday, Oct. 26 | 1-5 p.m.

The AdventHealth Cancer Institute is a model of integrated, patient-centered cancer care, combining advanced treatment, research, and holistic support under one roof. It features Kansas City’s first Elekta Unity MRI Linear Accelerator, which merges MR imaging with precise radiation therapy to treat complex soft tissue cancers. The design prioritizes patient comfort, operational efficiency, and future expansion, with an intuitive layout that enhances navigation and workflow. Comprehensive services include imaging, infusion, radiation therapy, laboratory testing, and a diagnostic breast center, along with financial counseling, nutrition services, and other supportive care, reinforcing a commitment to whole-person cancer treatment.

Learning Objectives

1. Discover how consolidating services into one patient-centered facility simplifies logistics, streamlines workflows, optimizes staffing, and reduces service duplication—enhancing care quality, boosting financial performance, and improving the overall patient experience.
2. Identify how wayfinding strategies—such as clear spatial organization, visual cues, and intuitive circulation—are integrated into the facility’s architectural design to ease navigation, foster a welcoming and patient-centered environment, and reinforce clarity and confidence throughout the healthcare journey.
3. Understand the planning behind the Elekta Unity MRI Linear Accelerator, which combines MRI with precise radiation therapy to treat complex soft tissue cancers. As the first technology of its kind in the Kansas City region, it enables precision targeting, reduces side effects, and advances personalized, cutting-edge patient care.
4. Learn how future expansion was thoughtfully integrated early in the design process—incorporating provisions for an 85,000-square-foot vertical expansion and a 20,000-square-foot horizontal expansion—while making value-driven decisions to enable cost-effective growth with minimal disruption. This approach demonstrates how strategic design fosters long-term adaptability and continuous evolution.

Children’s Mercy + Camber Mental Health, Mental Wellness Campus

Saturday, Oct. 26 | 1-5 p.m.

The 72-bed psychiatric hospital addresses the region’s urgent need for trauma-informed mental healthcare through a design that balances clinical functionality with patient dignity and well-being. The facility separates adult and youth populations into distinct environments, each with private rooms and tailored care settings. Social, recreational, and contemplative spaces and landscaped courtyards support healing, interaction, and calm. A trauma-informed design approach guides every aspect of the space, reducing barriers to care and enhancing outcomes. The hospital serves as a model for integrating evidence-based design with empathetic, human-centered solutions that meet patient and staff needs while improving mental health infrastructure in the community.

Learning Objectives

1. Understand how a groundbreaking partnership between a national provider of mental health services and a premier provider of pediatric healthcare and research led to the development of a one-of-a-kind facility that delivers pediatric and adult mental health care under one roof.
2. Discover how trauma-informed design, state-of-the-art technologies, and evidence-based practices were integrated to create unique calming, therapeutic environments tailored to the needs of patients, families, and caregivers.
3. Explore how the hospital’s thoughtfully designed layout enhances care delivery through strategic separation of pediatric and adult populations, inviting family-centered spaces, and flexible care pods. In addition, learn how an adaptable cross-corridor door arrangement allows seamless flexibility to accommodate fluctuating census demands, enabling the facility to expand pediatric capacity.
4. See how the facility’s adaptable design and technology infrastructure empower staff to respond to evolving patient needs, support safe and effective care, and contribute to the development of next-generation mental health facilities nationwide.

Quivira Campus

Saturday, Oct. 26 | 1-5 p.m.

Olathe Health desired to expand outpatient service lines and consolidate multiple services into a central location. Pulse Design Group is a long-term partner of Olathe Health/The University of Kansas Health System and is developing a 70,000 SF ground-up medical office building east of the Olathe campus.
The first floor of the medical office building features primary care, physical therapy, imaging, urology, and a laboratory totaling 40,000 SF. All departments within the facility are located off the central lobby to minimize patient waiting and reduce the number of steps required to receive care. The building was designed to separate the onstage and offstage areas for patients and staff to enhance the user experience. Patients visiting the facility will experience a relaxing, calming, and therapeutic environment.

The second floor features a state-of-the-art ambulatory surgery center with 10 fully equipped operating rooms and 35 universal pre/post rooms, all within a limited footprint. This flexible setup supports a wide range of procedures, from orthopedics to ophthalmology. The layout is designed to maximize operational efficiency with a centrally located sterile processing department, while pre/post bays positioned along the exterior wall provide natural light to promote rapid recovery. Built for both present needs and future adaptability, the facility can accommodate leasing and visiting specialists, expanding access to high-quality care for the Olathe community and the surrounding region.

Learning Objectives

1. Explore strategies for consolidating multiple outpatient service lines into a single, patient-centered facility to improve operational efficiency and the patient experience.
2. Examine the design and planning of onstage/offstage separation to enhance privacy, staff workflow, and overall service delivery.
3. Understand how flexible clinical spaces can support leasing arrangements and visiting specialists while maintaining high-quality care standards.
4. Identify design features that create a therapeutic environment through spatial organization, interior finishes, and integration of calming elements in high-volume healthcare settings.

Emergency Department Expansion at The University of Kansas Health System

Saturday, Oct. 26 | 1-5 p.m.

The Emergency Department Expansion at The University of Kansas Health System is a transformative project that reimagines emergency care in a dense, urban setting. Responding to increasing patient volumes, the multi-phase initiative adds 49,900 square feet across four floors, introducing 30 new and 22 updated treatment rooms, three trauma rooms, and advanced imaging suites.

At the heart of the design is a split-entry concept that separates walk-in patients from ambulance arrivals, enhancing safety, flow, and clarity. A new patient drop-off zone, dedicated vertical transportation, and clear wayfinding improve access and reduce congestion, supporting a more organized, calming experience for patients and families.

Construction took place in an active hospital, making uninterrupted operations a top priority. Through a carefully planned four-phase approach and close collaboration, the design and construction teams ensured continuous care delivery with minimal disruption.

Inside, the space is designed around the needs of its users. From the new ground-floor drop-off, patients are assessed and directed either upstairs to the enlarged waiting room or, for critical cases, taken directly by an adjacent trauma elevator into the heart of the department. The waiting room offers ample space in a relaxed, inviting atmosphere. Biophilia is integrated through clerestory windows that bring natural light into perimeter rooms, warm wood tones, calming colors, and large murals of Kansas nature. Decentralized care team pods and integrated nurse servers at each treatment room improve staff efficiency and maintain a quieter environment. The expansion also includes upgraded X-ray and two CT scan suites, along with additional and enlarged trauma bays and resuscitation rooms to meet growing clinical needs.

This expansion is more than an increase in capacity—it’s a blueprint for the future of emergency care. Thoughtful planning, flexible design, and a deep commitment to operational excellence position The University of Kansas Health System to meet the evolving needs of its community for years to come.

Learning Objectives

1. Identify design features that enhance patient safety and operational flow through the split-entry concept, dedicated public drop-off, and separate trauma elevator.
2. Observe how decentralized care team pods and integrated nurse servers improve staff efficiency, reduce travel distances, and support a calm, focused care environment.
3. Understand the impact of phased construction in an active hospital environment, with emphasis on how the two-phase approach maintained uninterrupted operations.
4. Observe the use of biophilia, particularly in daylighting and finishes, to promote patient and staff respite, while also providing focal points at key locations to enhance wayfinding.