IIDA Elevates HKS Director of Health Interiors to College of Fellows
HKS Director of Health Interiors Ana Pinto-Alexander was inducted in 2021 to the International Interior Design Association (IIDA) College of Fellows, the association’s highest and most prestigious honor. The Fellowship’s application process is rigorous and competitive, requiring reference letters, a candidate statement, design samples, and a list of contributions to the profession.
Ana grew up in Colombia, South America and has spent 34 years designing interiors for some of the world’s most progressive health care facilities, including Intermountain Healthcare, Riley Hospital for Children at IU Health, and Cleveland Clinic. In 2007, the Purdue University graduate was named one of the 25 most influential people in health care. She joined HKS in 2011 and later became the first appointed female principal shareholder at HKS, a milestone that mirrored her desire to elevate talented women and diversity in the HKS leadership structure. Most recently, she received the HiP Healthcare award from Interior Design Magazine for putting people at the center of her design process and improving the overall experience of giving and receiving care.
Ana has also mentored more than 100 up-and-coming interior designers and inspired them to think differently about their work through her “walk in a patient’s shoes” approach to interior design.
“My extensive research in health care design anchors my view that holistic, empathy-based-designed environments are the best way to promote healing,” Ana wrote in her IIDA Fellowship application. “I believe that since patients are in a vulnerable state, we as designers must use evidence-informed research and compassion to create environments that engage the mind, body, and spirit.”
My extensive research in health care design anchors my view that holistic, empathy-based-designed environments are the best way to promote healing.
