Healthcare Design - September 2021 - 47

The Center
ADVERTISERS' INDEX
REACHING A MILESTONE
Architex .................................................. C4
Arden Studio ...............................................7
Armstrong Ceiling .......................................10
BDNY ......................................................31
Carolina .....................................................1
Center for Health Design..............................29
DeepStream Design ....................................15
EFA Expo & Conference ..............................25
Enduratex ..................................................42
HCD Expo & Conference .............................33
HD Expo & Conference ...............................38
HealthPoint ................................................27
HX ...........................................................46
Inpro ........................................................13
Interwoven ..................................................5
Kwalu ..................................................... C2
LDI Interiors ................................................14
modulararts ...............................................41
Momentum Group .......................................8
QuietRock by PABCO Gypsum .......................2
RFID .........................................................42
The index to advertiser page numbers is published for
reader convenience. Every effort is made to list page
numbers correctly. The listing is not part of the advertising
contract and the publisher is not responsible for errors or
omissions.
More than a decade after its launch, the EDAC program continues
to grow a community of design decision-makers By Debra Levin
T
HIS MONTH MARKS a significant
milestone for The
Center for Health Design's
Evidence-based Design
Accreditation and Certification
(EDAC) program:
the 3,000th person has become
EDAC certified.
Evidence-based design (EBD) is the process
of basing decisions about the built environment
on credible research to achieve the best possible
outcomes. EDAC credentials are awarded to individuals
who demonstrate an understanding of
how to apply the EBD process, including measuring
and reporting out the results of the developed
hypotheses. Candidates earn their EDAC
credential by passing the EDAC exam, which
tests individuals on the process of designing and
developing healthcare settings using the EBD
process. Passing the exam distinguishes their
knowledge and their practice of EBD in healthcare
design.
The program launched in 2009, but its roots
date back to 2004, when it was first floated by
Kirk Hamilton, an architect and current professor
of health facilities design in the College of
Architecture at Texas A& M University, during
a strategy session at The Center's board of director's
meeting. A year later, The Center earned a
grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
(RWJF) to start the long and meticulous
process of creating a certification and accreditation
program, under the strict supervision of a
psychometrician to maintain the validity of the
credential. RWJF also provided additional funding
to create and publish a base of knowledge
document that would become the foundation
for the EDAC exam and early study materials. In
2007, Steelcase Health became the exclusive educational
partner for the program and has been
providing funding for its continued growth and
study materials ever since.
Getting to this point was not an easy task and
wouldn't have been possible without the work
of a small group of dedicated Center staff led by
Donna Deckard, director of strategic projects,
and a large group of volunteers who continue
to devote countless hours to the improvement
and growth of the EDAC program. Together,
this EDAC Advisory Council is as diverse as our
industry, with representation from research, design,
healthcare, and academia. These forwardthinking
individuals help The Center continue
to improve the exam and study materials as well
as expand the content to keep EDAC relevant as
our industry changes and grows. Currently, the
group is working on expanding project examples
and study materials to more broadly reflect the
diversity of healthcare projects. Furthermore,
each year The Center's EDAC team and Advisory
Council create additional tools to help candidates
prepare for the exam. Over the years,
The Center has added flashcards, videos, online
training programs, and one-on-one coaching
sessions to our three study guides.
Understanding the EBD process is especially
important in today's world. It allows teams to
focus design decisions to create optimal function
in healthcare settings, producing preferred
health outcomes and helping to mitigate risk.
EBD also encourages the idea of creating interdisciplinary
teams at the very start of a new project,
to provide valuable insights from multiple
perspectives including hospital board members
and senior management, researchers, design
teams, patients, families, staff, contractors, vendors,
and community partners.
Through the years, the EDAC program has
built a global community of connected individuals
from 34 different countries who understand
the importance of designing environments using
the most relevant research as a foundation to
inform their overall project and specific design
decisions. This community is unique in that it
also actively creates and shares both new research
and feedback on the impact design had on
patient, family, and staff outcomes, providing a
body of knowledge for future generations of design
decision-makers. 
Debra Levin is president and CEO of The Center
for Health Design. She can be reached at DLEVIN@
HEALTHDESIGN.ORG .
SEP TEMBER 2021
47
Healthcare Design - September 2021

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