In a traditional healthcare environment, patients requiring a complex mix of treatments and services are expected to move from one specialized area to another.

They might receive a consultation in one building, imaging in another, bloodwork in a third and surgery in a fourth, across town at another campus. The setup isn't designed to make things easy for patients.

That’s changing, said Liz Schmitz, senior project manager at architecture firm Perkins & Will.

Today, healthcare systems are leveraging architecture and design to build services that better fit how patients live and who they are. 

“Take cancer, it isn’t just a disease that impacts older people,” Schmitz said. “This is a demographic of people who may have jobs, may have kids, and many other obligations. They might need a technology-enabled workspace within the hospital to do their jobs remotely in between appointments, for example.”

The design of facilities is changing to accommodate patients so they can come to one place, for one day, for multiple appointments, and still live their lives. 

The way hospitals organize their spaces is changing in a plethora of other ways, Schmitz said.

“Hospitals are starting to dedicate space for cancer survivorship programs, for patients coming back for follow-up care, to help them move to the next stage of their lives,” she said. “It’s a different kind of care, lower acuity care, than for those being actively treated for cancer, and it deserves to have a different kind of space.”

In the Pacific Northwest, Perkins & Will’s clients include Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, for which the firm is completing several projects. In Bellevue, Washington, the firm is working on an outpatient project that’s providing comprehensive oncology services, including radiation, chemotherapy, advanced imaging and more.

Schmitz will be attending Bisnow’s Pacific Northwest Healthcare Conference on Oct. 13 in Seattle alongside Perkins & Will Firmwide Health Practice Leader Marie Henson, who is speaking on a panel titled 2026 Macro Outlook: Systemwide Strategies, Care Models & Market Insights.

Click here to purchase tickets.

Schmitz spoke with Bisnow about the latest in healthcare design, how care spaces are changing to meet patients' needs and what’s trending in the Pacific Northwest market.

Bisnow: How would you describe the state of the market in Pacific Northwest healthcare?

Schmitz: It's really strong. I'm really thrilled to be back in Seattle, where there are so many opportunities. I grew up here and returned recently after having spent the last two decades in Houston working on healthcare architecture projects. There’s a lot to do here, in terms of innovative design for healthcare architecture.

Bisnow: What is Perkins & Will seeing in terms of innovation in healthcare design?

Schmitz: Healthcare architecture is always changing. We’re seeing research and technology drive new approaches to patient care. There’s always a new technology to learn, to serve our clients better as they explore new horizons.

Care, including cancer care, is moving closer to patients, geographically. A person’s time is precious, so if they can avoid having to travel a long distance and get care right next door, then that’s a win.

Meanwhile, hospital systems are getting smart about unlocking efficiency through centralization. We’re seeing hospitals building their own warehousing facilities and also centralizing support departments, like sterile processing or pharmacy facilities.

In states other than Washington, we’re seeing the duration of outpatient care being extended to anywhere between 48 and 72 hours, which creates interesting opportunities in those jurisdictions.

Bisnow: What do you expect will be the hot topics at this event?

Schmitz: I think technology, innovation and artificial intelligence are bound to come up. It’s going to have impacts on healthcare planning. For example, over the past decade, I’ve noticed the size of IT rooms in hospitals and other healthcare facilities has doubled.

We are seeing some hospitals earmarking one IT room for their own internal hospital network and then creating a separate IT room or cages for vendors to provide improved security.

There’s a lot of heavy technology that is driving the increase in size of IT rooms. In operating and procedure rooms, video and audio are used for charting and to optimize room turnover times. In patient rooms, remote monitoring helps take the burden of charting off healthcare providers and gives them more time for direct patient care.

Meanwhile, in supply rooms, we’re seeing cameras being used for inventory management, an area where healthcare is drawing on innovations in other industries, like logistics.

Bisnow: What’s one thing you are hoping to take away from the event?

Schmitz: I’m looking forward to getting to know the Seattle design community and seeing new faces. These events are always a great opportunity to listen and learn what’s top of mind for our industry as a whole. I’m looking forward to tuning in.

 Click here to register for the conference.

This article was produced in collaboration between Perkins & Will and Studio B. Bisnow news staff was not involved in the production of this content.

Studio B is Bisnow’s in-house content and design studio. To learn more about how Studio B can help your team, reach out to studio@bisnow.com.