E79 – Designing Access to Care: Research-Driven Responses to Healthcare Deserts
Healthcare deserts, geographic areas with limited or delayed access to essential healthcare services, continue to expand across the US, particularly in rural and underserved communities. Addressing these gaps requires coordinated solutions that align planning, design, technology and operations. This session presents a research-informed exploration of how healthcare design can improve access, safety and outcomes through two complementary case studies: Sanford Health’s Virtual Care Center & Reid Health’s rural care delivery model. Drawing on applied research related to access to care, workforce sustainability and social determinants of health, the presenters demonstrate how purpose-built environments and right-sized facilities extend care beyond traditional hospital campuses. We'll examine how centralized virtual care hubs expand specialty access and provider education, while community-integrated facilities strengthen continuity of care and operational resilience. Attendees will gain evidence-based design strategies to improve patient access, support caregivers and enable flexible, scalable healthcare delivery across geographies.
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