Kara Freihoefer, PhD, NCIDQ, EDAC, LEED ID+C | Flad Architects
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Like research in medical practice, research in designing medical facilities is vital. Applying data and evidence-based insights to healthcare facility design allows our team to optimize these essential spaces and ultimately contribute to improved outcomes. I believe that understanding and applying these links builds a responsible and knowledgeable practice.

Kara Freihoefer PhD, NCIDQ, EDAC, LEED ID+C

Director of Healthcare Research

Kara is passionate about using data and empirical evidence to evaluate and improve healthcare design. Collaborating with designers and planners, she focuses on transforming the latest published insights into real-world design solutions. She also leads and advises firm leadership and teams on planning tools, operational studies, and research initiatives from pre-design services to post-occupancy evaluations within Flad's healthcare practice. Inquisitive and principled, Kara establishes accountability for our design by creating hypotheses linked to measurable outcomes and devising primary research studies to evaluate and communicate their performance.

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Like research in medical practice, research in designing medical facilities is vital. Applying data and evidence-based insights to healthcare facility design allows our team to optimize these essential spaces and ultimately contribute to improved outcomes. I believe that understanding and applying these links builds a responsible and knowledgeable practice.