Episode 76, Elizabeth Sullivan, Principal, Regional Co-Leader of Healthcare, Northeast HOK

"Everything is shifting at once — our care models, technology, AI, capital pressures, workforce dynamics." — Elizabeth Sullivan on HID2.0 In this episode of Healthcare Interior Design 2.0, Cheryl Janis sits down with Elizabeth Sullivan, Principal and Regional Co-Leader of Healthcare Northeast at HOK and adjunct professor at The New York School of Interior Design for a deeply thoughtful conversation about healthcare architecture, lived experience, mentorship, and the future of humane healthcare environments. Elizabeth shares how she went from thinking healthcare architecture sounded "boring" to discovering that it is one of the most meaningful, complex, and human-centered areas of design. With experience spanning architectural practice, the owner side, teaching, and her own personal experiences as a patient, Elizabeth brings a rare and powerful lens to what healthcare spaces are — and what they still need to become. Together, Cheryl and Elizabeth explore the next wave of healthcare design, the importance of flexibility and adaptability, the emotional weight of hospitals, the role of respite spaces, and why small details — even the chair in a patient room — can have an enormous impact. In This Episode, Cheryl and Elizabeth Discuss Elizabeth's unexpected path into healthcare architecture

Why healthcare design is far more creative, emotional, and complex than she first imagined

How her experiences as a patient shaped the way she thinks about space

The idea that healthcare architecture is on the edge of a major transformation

Why future healthcare environments must be more adaptable and resilient

How care models, AI, capital pressures, workforce dynamics, and sustainability are influencing design

The importance of respite spaces for patients, families, and staff

Why mentorship and apprenticeship still matter deeply in architecture

What designers often misunderstand about the owner side of healthcare

How curiosity can help young professionals find their place in healthcare design

Why empathy is not abstract — it shows up in the questions designers ask

The surprising importance of the chair in a patient room