Women in Design 2019 - 13

Yale New Haven Hospital, Connecticut
University Medical Center of
Princeton at Plainsboro, New Jersey

Photos by J. FIERECK PHOTOGRAPHY and courtesy of CAMA

to build a hospital while still in my 20s," she decided
to start her own firm in 1983, during an era of major
hospital expansions. "New bed towers were taking off,"
she says, "and I started gaining recognition and being
put on teams across the country."
Prestigious positions followed, including president
of the American Society of Interior Designers and
chair of its Healthcare Specialty Network as well as
chair of the Center for Health Design. Her practice
blossomed, as well. "By the early 2000s, we were using
the principles of evidence-based design to understand
how the built environment can impact health
outcomes," she says.
Her 10-person firm is divided into design,
evidence-based consulting, and product development,
which CAMA has embarked upon with several
manufacturers. For instance, the Healing Touch
collection, co-created with IOA Healthcare Furniture,
includes the CAMA Bed Chair. The piece is a
recliner on a hydraulic lift that's designed to help
mothers visiting children's hospitals to comfortably
snuggle alongside their kids as they rest in bed. And
CAMAflage, produced in collaboration with Skyline
Design, is a glass privacy system that offers dignity
for patients while maintaining visibility for nurses.
Next up is a fabric line with LDI EnviroLeather.
"We're excited about getting more color into healthcare
spaces," she says.
"When you know you've helped someone who's
been told they have to go through a horrific treatment
or that someone they love is seriously ill, it's incredibly
gratifying," she says. "But I'm excited about exploring
more intangible qualities, too. What is it about a space
that takes you out of your moment and transports you
into a higher level of meditation? How can we allow
people to thrive and flourish, no matter what emotional
or physical state they're in? Those are the questions
I'm asking these days."
Women in Design 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Women in Design 2019
