CORNELL INSTITUTE FOR HEALTHY FUTURES
Newsletter    November - December 2017
FROM OUR DIRECTORS 
 
Dear Friends and Colleagues,
 
On November 2nd, Cornell Institute for Healthy Futures celebrated its two-year birthday! We extend our sincere appreciation to all who have helped to shape the vision and build the foundation of the institute. In this short timeframe, we have created a synergy that is influencing the way we think about the inter-relational connections between health, hospitality, and design. See our Annual Reports for some of our accomplishments. We look forward to the years to come as CIHF continues to build a new pathway of learning. Our future is looking bright!

In other news, we have enjoyed a busy fall here at CIHF which has culminated in several successful events, collaborations, and developments. We are especially excited to welcome new CIHF Advisory Board Member, Caitlin McKenna, SHA '05, Senior Director, Strategic Innovation Delivery at  Hilton Worldwide, who joined our team in October.

We will provide a feature on Ms. McKenna in this issue along with a spotlight on another recently joined Advisory Board Member whom we introduced in our last newsletter, Marcello Gasdia, Travel, Hospitality and Research Leader within Deloitte Services LP's Center for Industry Insights.

Other features in this issue include:
- Highlights from the CIHF October Advisory Board Meeting
- Summaries from our newly formed Advisory Board Committees
- Notes on the Mental & Behavioral Health Design Roundtable
    
We invite you to become involved in the conversation as we collaborate to build a smarter, kinder, and healthier built-environment for healthy futures.
 
Rohit Verma, CIHF Executive Director / Cornell SC Johnson College of Business  
Mardelle Shepley, CIHF Associate Director / Design and Environmental Analysis / College of Human Ecology
Brooke Hollis, CIHF, Associate Director / Sloan Program in Health Administration / College of Human Ecology 
 
Innovating Across Health, Hospitality, and Design to Create a Bright Future  
 
The Mission of Cornell Institute for Healthy Futures is to provide a multidisciplinary platform for integrating health, hospitality, and design to enhance service excellence in healthcare, wellness, senior living, and related fields.
 
IMAGES OF NATURE throughout our publications and materials reflect our mission to integrate the concepts of harmony, peace, and balance with human-centered design for wellness.
 

CIHF Health, Hospitality, and Design Industry Seminar [DEA/HADM 3055/6055]
 
This 1 credit-hour speaker series provides a unique opportunity for students to learn from industry leaders with proven success in the emerging industry that combines elements of hospitality and design with health, wellness, and senior living. Enrollment is offered to all students, including freshmen. Students are invited to take the course multiple times for credit to benefit from a new and diverse group of speakers each year.
 
Students have an unparalleled opportunity to gain insights directly from senior executives as they share their views on business, managerial, career, and other critical industry-related issues. In answer to the considerable demand for college graduates possessing knowledge of the complexities within the emerging industry, this seminar provides students the opportunities to learn first-hand from experienced industry leaders. As part of the course, students may meet in small groups with the individual speakers.
 
Rohit Verma (SHA), Brooke Hollis (PAM), Mardelle Shepley (DEA), representing each of the three integrated perspectives (hospitality, CIHF Executive Director Rohit Verma (SHA) and CIHF Associate Directors, Brooke Hollis (PAM) and Mardelle Shepley (DEA) are co-faculty for the course, each representing one of three integrated perspectives -hospitality, health, and design, respectively.
Speakers for Spring 2018 include:

Dick Argys, CHE '80, CAO, Boston Children's Hospital 
David Deininger, Healthcare Facility Master Planning Consultant, 2dplanning
Regina Little, CHE '78, Principal, Booz Allen Hamilton 
Caitlin McKenna, SHA '05, CIHF Advisory Board Member, Senior Director, Strategic Innovation Delivery, Hilton Worldwide 
Bob Riter, Executive Director (retired), Cancer Resource Center of the Finger Lakes 
Naomi Sachs, Therapeutic Landscapes Network , Postdoctoral Associate, Design & Environmental Analysis, Cornell University 
Christian A. Bigsby, CHE '91, Senior Vice President, Worldwide Real Estate & Facilities, GSK 

For more information about this seminar visit: Courses & Seminars: Health, Hospitality, and Design Industry Seminar 

Click here for CIHF educational programs and courses / Teaching & Curriculum

 
CIHF Corporate Member: Cancer Treatment Centers of America® Ranks Among Top US Hospitals in 2017

Cancer Treatment Centers of America ® (CTCA), headquartered in Boca Raton, Fla., has been ranked third of 42 nationally-recognized US hospitals and hospital systems behind Mayo Clinic and John Hopkins. The impressive ranking is based on six brand metrics: quality, value, impression, satisfaction, reputation and willingness to recommend. The findings come from a survey conducted between July 2016 and June 2017 by YouGovBrandIndex Rankings .

"This ranking reflects the expertise of our more than 4,600 clinicians and fellow Stakeholders (employees), and their commitment to deliver the exceptional quality of care for which CTCA is renowned," said Peter Yesawich, SHA '72, MS '74, PhD '76, Chief Growth Officer of CTCA, and CIHF Advisory Board Member.

Consistently high ratings from patient satisfaction scores reflect the value of the CTCA's patient-centered approach to cancer care, and national consumer surveys indicate that CTCA, a national network of five hospitals, is rated as one of the most admired hospital systems in the United States. Since 1988, Cancer Treatment Centers of America®, has been helping patients from all over the world win the fight against cancer by offering an integrative approach to care that combines advanced research and technology with supportive therapies designed to help patients physically and emotionally. Through this personalized approach, CTCA supports its understanding that every cancer is as unique as the person fighting it.
 
While there are several other groups that rank healthcare organizations using varying methodologies, this is a very interesting result. It appears to reflect how effectively one can impact the brand via a combination of driving high satisfaction among CTCA patients and families along with a well-developed plan to disseminate information about the organization nationally.
 
Photograph by Aniek Kempeneers
Digital Transformation Summit:
Changing Business / Changing Education / Changing Lives 
 
December 8, 2017
Cornell Tech Campus
Roosevelt Island, New York City
 
Digital disruptions are ubiquitous - seamless connectivity of "internet of everything" in an inescapable, head-spinning swell of groundbreaking advances of applications in technology and digital sciences. Industries across a spectrum of disciplines are reaping the benefits of seemingly impossible technological feats as they become a reality. From artificial intelligence algorithms harnessing the power of big data stored in servers around the world to emotion-sensing humanoid robots detecting our true feelings and providing physical and emotional care to patients or guests, digital transformation is at the center of the explosion of advancement.

Hosted by SC Johnson College of Business, Cornell University, the Digital Transformation Summit will bring together deans of leading global universities and leaders from corporations and non-profit organizations to discuss the opportunities and challenges associated with digital transformation in business, education, and society. The summit will feature talks and activities to engage attendees in robust discussions. Rohit Verma, CIHF Executive Director, and Dean of External Relations at Cornell SC Johnson School of Business will present a talk focused on the intersection of technology and hospitality.

The Digital Transformation Summit will be held at Cornell's technology hub, Cornell Tech Campus, on Roosevelt Island in New York City. For information or to register, visit the event website or contact Mark Yeager:
CIHF FALL EVENT SUMMARIES 
 
Mental & Behavioral Health Design Roundtable  

Clinical mental and behavioral health practitioners, facility designers and architects, and design researchers met at a roundtable titled, "Mental & Behavioral Health Design" on October 15-16. The participants were tasked with the challenge to identify and propose solutions to the most pressing concerns associated with improving the quality of mental and behavioral health facilities. 
 
Participants presented their views on how industry experts are addressing critical issues pertaining to mental health facility design and environmental influences on wellness. Topics included facility design challenges, patient-care disparities, economic stopgaps, social stigmas, the need for integrated medicine, and others that are critically affecting patients and families.
 
Roundtable Chair was Mardelle Shepley, D.Arch, FAIA, Professor and Chair of Design & Environmental Analysis and Associate Director of Cornell Institute for Healthy Futures.
 
Notes from open dialogue and outcomes are available by request .

Click here for more information about the Mental & Behavioral Health Design Roundtable
Click here to view video coverage of the event
CIHF Advisory Board Meeting
 
At the Fall Advisory Board Meeting on October 5, CIHF board members were provided an overview of the state of growth and activities at CIHF since its inception in November 2015. Noting our two-year inaugural anniversary, Executive Director, Rohit Verma, presented a condensed list of accomplishments and goals thus far: building educational resources, facilitation of topical roundtables, conferences, panels, creation of courses and development of a minor, support of over 50 faculty members and 3 student organizations, and conducting research through surveys.

Presentations were made by CIHF Student Organizations Cornell University Healthy Futures (CUHF), CUHF Graduate Chapter, and Johnson Healthcare Club.
 
Advisory Board members assumed their roles on four newly established committees tasked with tackling specific topics related to CIHF's 2017 themes of engagement:
  • Wellness (Health, Aging, Wellness Tourism, Wellness Hospitality, Workplace Wellness)
  • Senior Care (Senior Living, Aging Population, Health & Aging)
  • Design (Healthcare Design, Mental & Behavioral Health Design, Environment & Public Spaces)
  • Experience (Patient Experience, Service Experience, Service Excellence, Technology)
Committees held breakout sessions to build upon the basic infrastructure that has been established and increase outreach, membership involvement, and ultimate impact on the changing health, hospitality and design dynamics.

CIHF Advisory Board Committees are:

Strategic Planning & Partnerships: Develops strategies for partnering with other organizations, nominating members, identifying organizational themes, business development. Committee Chair: Melissa Ceriale, P'15, '16, '18, Board of Trustees Member, Montefiore Medicine; Committee discussion moderated by John Rijos, SHA '75, Operating Partner, Chicago Pacific Founders, American Seniors Housing Association 
 
Committee on Educational Initiatives: Addresses internships, executive education, online courses and related topics. Committee Chair: Jeffrey Stouffer, Executive Vice President; Global Health Director, HKS Inc.
 
Committee on Research Initiatives: Establishes researches priorities, provides opportunities for industry outreach to CIHF with research ideas, data sharing, provide opportunities for students to conduct data-collection, augment current data collection approaches, and creates a project clearinghouse. Committee Chair: Peter Yesawich, SHA '72, MS '74, PhD '76, Chief Growth Officer, Cancer Treatment Centers of America
 
Committee on Events: Explores opportunities and establishes robust student engagement and industry support CIHF events. Committee Chair: Paul M. D'Alessandro, Principal, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLC
 
Notes from our meeting and breakout sessions can be made available upon request: pml1@cornell.edu

CIHF Photo Competition "Healing through photography" 

CIHF received nearly 100 submissions for its second annual photography competition, drawing upon the artistic creativity of Cornell undergraduate and graduate students across campus. The quality of artwork submitted garnered the praise of CIHF Associate Directors Mardelle Shepley, Chair and Professor of DEA, and Brooke Hollis, '78, Director of the Sloan Program, along with other jury members. An announcement of the top three finalists and release of their winning artwork, will be forthcoming in December.
The photographs will be displayed in the institute's suite in Martha Van Rensselaer Hall and used in CIHF's outreach materials. Photographers were asked to invoke a sense of healing , "bring the outside in" through nature, provide a vision of the integration of hospitality, health, and design , and/or capture healthy built environments and people. 
CIHF PROMOTED EVENTS  
Medical Tourism: Strategies for Quality Patient/Guest Experiences
Call for papers for a special issue of the Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Insights which will present the latest developments and research findings impacting medical tourism, travel professionals, and global travel. Authors are invited to submit abstracts by November 30, 2017. For information visit the publishing website or email FDeMicco@udel.edu 
 
2018 Medical Tourism Conference
CIHF Advisory Board Member, Peter C. Yesawich, SHA '72, MS '74, PhD '76, Chief Growth Officer, Cancer Treatment Centers of America, will give a talk Bringing Best Practices from Hospitality to Healthcare (H2H) for Maximizing Quality of the Patient/Guest Experience. February 23, 2018. Sarasota, FL
2017 Planetree International Conference on Patient-Centered Care was held in October for Patient-Centered Care Awareness Month featured healthcare professionals from a cross-section of modalities and industries focusing on the promotion of more patient-centered approaches.  
 

Caitlin McKenna, SHA '05
Senior Director, Strategic Innovation Delivery, Hilton Worldwide
Caitlin McKenna, SHA '05, has 12 years of business management, global brand and product development, and investment experience within the Wellness & Hospitality industries. She joined the CIHF Advisory Board in October of this year and has taken a role on the Committee on Research Initiatives, which is tasked with addressing internships, executive education, online courses, and related topics.

Caitlin will be back on campus in Spring 2018 as a guest speaker for CIHF Spring course, Health, Hospitality and Design Industry Seminar [HADM/DEA 3055/6055] to impart her knowledge and expertise in the areas of technology, sustainability, wellness, and hospitality.

Caitlin leads Product Innovation at Hilton Worldwide , supporting 14 brands within the company's portfolio. Her primary role is to support the positioning of Hilton as a forward-thinking hospitality company and to drive strategy around innovative product and proof of concept development. She also manages partnerships to strategize and steer commercialize leading-edge solutions for the industry. She has been a leader for Spa and Fitness at Hilton, developed and managed three distinct full-service and luxury spa brands (eforea spa, Conrad Spa, and Waldorf Astoria Spa), and oversaw fitness standards and concepts for 4,400 properties globally.

Caitlin graduated from Cornell's School of Hotel Administration in 2005 and continued her professional development studies through institutions including Gallaudet University, Stanford University, and Cornell University.
Marcello Gasdia  
Research Leader, Travel, Hospitality and Services, Deloitte Services LP's Center for Industry Insights
We are very pleased to welcome Marcello Gasdia to our team. Marcello is lead researcher and manager within Deloitte Services LP's Center with a focus on primary research experience to study consumer behavior and marketplace trends across several travel sector ­--including hotels, airlines, ground transportation, and restaurants.

Marcello joined CIHF's Advisory Board in late September and he arrived on campus for our bi-annual board meeting on October 4. He is a member of the Advisory Board's Research Initiatives Committee and provides his expert viewpoint in hospitality. The committee is tasked with research priorities and strategies to help industry leaders reach out to CIHF, data sharing and student opportunities for data-gathering, and the prospect of creating a clearing house of past research projects and patient outcomes related to health and hospitality.

Marcello's research projects through Deloitte focus on tracking consumer trends in travel within the U.S. and Canada. His analytic topics include reports, "From Hotels to Homes: Opening the Door to the Airbnb Traveler," "From Shared Booking: Exploring the Role of UGC on Travel Shopping ," and "Cyber Risk in Consumer Business: Consumer businesses discuss the six main cyber risk challenges they face today."

Deloitte Insights is committed to publishing distinctive, actionable, and timely thought leadership around the world to help our clients address their most pressing issues. Their commitment includes creating a single, shared global destination for the very best of Deloitte's research around the world, from in-depth reports, to articles, videos, podcasts, and more.

  • Participate as a speaker in class and at events
  • Become a mentor to future leaders of the field
  • Interact with highly-motivated students
  • Help shape future activities of the institute
CONTACT Melissa Carlisle '97, Assistant Director, External Relations for information on becoming an Advisory Board Member: 607.255.1078, mlp1@cornell.edu. 



 
Naomi Sachs  Founding Director, Therapeutic Landscapes Network

Naomi Sachs, PhD, ASLA, EDAC is currently a Postdoctoral Associate at Cornell University in the Department of Design and Environmental Analysis. She serves on the Nature Rx @Cornell Steering Committee at Cornell and is an Industry Scholar with Cornell Institute for Health Futures.

As a collaborator, Naomi was a vital participant at the Mental & Behavioral Health Design Roundtable on October 16, 2017. Her presentation underscored the influence that therapeutic landscapes and exposure to natural elements positively affects wellness for patients and their families. Video of Naomi's presentation is available on CornellCast. She is scheduled to be a guest speaker for CIHF's spring course, HOSPITALITY, HEALTH, DESIGN INDUSTRY SEMINAR (HADM 3055/6055).
Naomi is Founding Director of the Therapeutic Landscapes Network (TLN), a non-profit knowledge base and online interactive space for information about landscapes that promote health and well-being.She is co-author of the book Therapeutic Landscapes: An Evidence-Based Approach to Designing Healing Gardens and Restorative Outdoor Spaces with Clare Cooper Marcus, which is described as a comprehensive and authoritative guide offering an evidence-based overview of healing gardens and therapeutic landscapes from planning to post-occupancy evaluation. She is also co-editor of the peer-reviewed Health Environments Research & Design Journal.

Naomi states that the connections between good landscapes and good health seem clear and obvious, which is why many people take them for granted; still, to get healthcare facilities, senior living facilities, schools, offices, and municipalities (among other entities!) to invest in green infrastructure and biophilic design takes strong evidence and a good a business case. Fortunately, the positive benefits of passive and active nature contact are being documented, even in randomized controlled trials. Now comes the work of translating that research into healthcare policy and design practice.

"My focus has been primarily on researching and advocating for access to nature in healthcare facilities," says Sachs. "I'm interested in how the disciplines of hospitality, healthcare administration, and design can work together beyond the obvious relationships. I love the emphasis that Cornell puts on interdisciplinary research and collaboration, which is put into practice at the Institute for Healthy Futures. I'm thrilled to be a part of it."
   
Naomi serves on the Center for Health Design 's Research Coalition and Environmental Standards Council and is an instructor at the Chicago Botanic Garden's Healthcare Garden Design Certificate Program . She is an Advisory Board member of Gardens for Heroes , serves on the Editorial Review Board of the American Horticultural Therapy Association 's Journal of Therapeutic Horticulture, is an active member of the American Society of Landscape Architects and the ASLA Healthcare and Therapeutic Design Professional Practice Network , and served as HTD PPN Co-Chair and Chair in '05-'06 and '06-'07, respectively. She launched the TLN's precursor website and the Therapeutic Landscapes Database, which won the ASLA Professional Awards Communications Award of Merit in 2004.
She received a doctorate in Architecture from Texas A&M University, a Master of Landscape Architecture from the University of California, Berkeley, and a BA in Women's Studies from Brown University.

Click here for Naomi Sachs TLN presentation from HHD Symposium 

CIHF eCornell Webinar: Building Trust and Exceeding Expectations: Service Excellence at Cornell
 
In this webinar, recorded November 8, Elizabeth Martyn SHA '07, Senior Project Manager of Online Learning and Collaborative Programs in the School of Hotel Administration, will provide an inside look at the Service Excellence On-Demand Training from Cornell University, answer questions about the training, and make recommendations specific to viewers' needs. The 8-lesson online program provides teams with actionable frameworks for managing conversations and delivering what customers need, when they need it. Read more here by selecting Archived Webinars.
 
Innovations in Health, Hospitality, Design, and Senior Living eCornell Channel provides
monthly WebCasts giving viewers access to the most recent discussions and investigations on topics related to health, hospitality, and design to bring you the latest in industry news, trends, and best practices. Conferences and webinars with experts from Cornell's School of Hospitality Management, College of Human Ecology, and Sloan Program in Health Administration are streamed live for participants to partake with Q&A sessions and audience exercises.   
Learn from experts at the Cornell Institute for Healthy Futures, the first academic center in the country dedicated to integrating hospitality, health management/policy, and design thinking to enhance service excellence in healthcare, wellness, senior living and related industries. Available through subscription to the eCornell WebSeries channel.

Anticipated topics may include: 
-Entrepreneurship in health, hospitality, and design
-Innovations in senior living design and care
-Service excellence in home health care
-Behavioral health environments
-Wellness and medical tourism, including hotel design and operations   

Press: New eCornell WebSeries Highlights Breakthrough Opportunities at the Intersection of Health, Hospitality, & Design 
CIHF INTERVIEWS FROM IN SEARCH OF A HEALTHY FUTURE SYMPOSIUM

Visit CIHF CornellCast to view the following interviews with industry leaders in health, hospitality and design, recorded in October 2016: 
 
What qualities promote well-being for clients and staff in a healthcare environment? Jennifer Aliber, Principal, Shepley Bulfinch 
Emerging Career Opportunities in the Senior Living Industry. Joseph P. Weisenburger, Vice President, Business Development, Seniors
Housing, Welltower, Inc.
The Philosophy of Care at Cancer Treatment Centers of America. Peter Yesawich, SHA '72, MS '74, PhD '76, Chief Growth Officer, Cancer Treatment Centers of America
Applying Principles of Healthcare Design. Alan Dilani, Professor, Architect/Public Health, International Academy for Design & Health
Integrating Wellness, Healthcare and Real Estate. Alfredo Carvajal, President of Delos International and Signature Program 
Preparing for Future Career Paths in Healthcare and Hospitality. Andria Castellanos, Group Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, NYP/Columbia New York Presbyterian
How Can the Healthcare and Hospitality Professions Learn from Each Other? Jeff Hargett, Senior Corporate Director, Culture Transformation, The Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center
How Do Healing Landscapes Affect the Patient Experience? Naomi Sachs, Founding Director, Therapeutic Landscapes Network
The Impact of Big Data and Analytics on the Future of Healthcare Delivery. Paul D'Alessandro, Principal of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLC 
OUR HOME OFFICE

CORNELL INSTITUTE FOR HEALTHY FUTURES
3250 Martha Van Rensselaer Hall
Cornell University
Ithaca, NY 14850
607.255.2428
  
DIRECTORS 
Rohit Verma, Executive Director, rv54@cornell.edu
Mardelle Shepley, Associate Director, mshepley@cornell.edu
Brooke Hollis, Associate Director, brooke.hollis@cornell.edu 

STAFF  
Melissa Carlisle, Assistant Director, External Relations, mlp1@cornell.edu 
Pamela Lafayette, Program Assistant, pml1@cornell.edu 
Hessam Sadatsafavi, Postdoctoral Associate, hs825@cornell.edu 
FOUNDING CORPORATE MEMBERS + CORPORATE MEMBERS   

The Institute functions through a network of corporate members to provide perspective across diverse fields of study. Through these relationships, we help facilitate hands-on learning opportunities to help shape the next generation of thinkers and builders. Through shared experience and knowledge we further develop ideas and best practices within this emerging field that combines health, hospitality, and design. 

With the contributions from our Corporate Members, Cornell Institute for Healthy Futures is on the forefront to help advance service excellence. Becoming a Corporate Member is an excellent way to contribute towards this goal and help make a difference. 

Contact Melissa Carlisle '97, Assistant Director, External Relations for information on becoming a Corporate Member: 607.255.1078, mlp1@cornell.edu.
   
See our growing list of members
THANK YOU TO OUR FOUNDING CORPORATE MEMBERS + CORPORATE MEMBERS
STAY CONNECTED:
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