Heena Santry
Senior Healthcare Planner, PrincipalDLR GroupI am a practicing physician, health services researcher, and empathy-driven healthcare leader. Throughout the various phases of my career in healthcare, I have focused on bridging the gap between the biology of disease and the structural and psychosocial factors that health outcomes far more than biology. In my role at Arcadis, I bridge expertise in clinical care, public health, business strategy, and design to drive innovation and equity in care delivery and community health. With 25 years’ experience across these domains I aim to help organizations navigate complex challenges and build resilient, human-centered health systems that enable all people and all communities to thrive.
R02 – Harnessing Collective Genius in the Design Process: An Interactive Round Table Discussion
At the heart of creating innovative healthcare environments is the foundational principle that innovation is born out of collective genius. Well-compo…At the heart of creating innovative healthcare environments is the foundational principle that innovation is born out of collective genius. Well-composed teams make better decisions, solve complex problems, and create solutions that serve a wider ran…At the heart of creating innovative healthcare environments is the foundational principle that innovation is born out of collective genius. Well-composed teams make better decisions, solve complex problems, and create solutions that serve a wider range of patients and users. Yet many organizations struggle to diversify teams and equip them with the skills to turn perspectives into inclusive design and better outcomes. This interactive panel unlea…At the heart of creating innovative healthcare environments is the foundational principle that innovation is born out of collective genius. Well-composed teams make better decisions, solve complex problems, and create solutions that serve a wider range of patients and users. Yet many organizations struggle to diversify teams and equip them with the skills to turn perspectives into inclusive design and better outcomes. This interactive panel unleashes breaks open the “why” and “how” of embedding diversity in healthcare design teams through audience participation. Panelists, leaders in healthcare design and organizational equity, will guide attendees through exercises: mapping whose perspectives are missing in project teams, and role-playing scenarios that surface unconscious and overt bias. Attendees will learn: Why diversity matters: First-person stories reveal how mono-perspective teams miss critical design needs, harming patient outcomes and staff well-being. How to mitigate bias: Interactive prompts help participants recognize blind spots and practice techniques to call in, not call out, bias and microaggressions. What to do next: Attendees leave aware of how varied perspectives can yield more effective, person-centered, community-responsive healthcare environments.This session equips every participant with insights and tools to foster more inclusive, bias-resistant design—ensuring our hospitals heal everyone, by design.Show MoreClick the title to see all detailsShow More
