HGA has won two recognitions in the 2026 Touchstone Awards program for evidence-based design in healthcare, earning the top category of Platinum for St. Elizabeth Cancer Center Expansion and Gold for Froedtert Hospital Emergency Department Expansion.
“The Touchstone Awards acknowledge our commitment to improving healthcare delivery with our clients,” said Mark Bultman, Healthcare Market Sector Leader. “As with St. Elizabeth and Froedtert, these partnerships offer opportunities to invest in evidence-based design that results in real benefits to patients and caregivers.”
The awards include:
St. Elizabeth Healthcare Cancer Center – Platinum
St. Elizabeth Healthcare Cancer Center provides innovative services to a region historically underserved with comprehensive cancer care in northern Kentucky, achieving the client’s vision to promote a compassionate patient experience.
For this post-occupancy evaluation, the interdisciplinary research team compared results to a baseline pre-occupancy evaluation of two existing infusion centers that St. Elizabeth subsequently replaced with the new facility in 2020. Using the same mixed-methods approach (shadowing and staff and patient surveys) at each infusion center, the study investigated the impact of different infusion center designs on staff efficiency and patient satisfaction. The research provided additional insights as St. Elizabeth Healthcare eyes future expansion across its multi-campus system.
In choosing the cancer center as the sole Platinum winner among this year’s submissions, the jurors praised the level of detail, inclusion of major stakeholder groups and tie-back to the client’s business goals, which provided measurable data for financial decision-making and demonstrated to staff that “their time is valued.”
Client: St. Elizabeth Healthcare
Location: Edgewood, Kentucky
Froedtert Hospital Emergency Department Expansion – Gold
Froedtert Hospital Emergency Department Expansion, under construction in Milwaukee, is designed to address inpatient bed shortages and surges in patient volumes. The research team employed Lean 3P (Production, Preparation, Process) and evidence-based design strategies to plan solutions that support current demands, operational efficiency, and adaptability for future growth.
The jurors praised the predesign research for demonstrating a rigorous, collaborative planning approach linking client goals to outcomes—in which data informed decision-making during the design process and provided a framework for a planned post-occupancy evaluation to measure success. They further added that the project demonstrated “how operational efficiency, throughput, patient safety, and staff well-being intersect with financial performance.”
Client: Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin
Location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
About the Touchstone Awards
Sponsored by The Center for Health Design, the Touchstone Awards recognize evidence-based design applications across three touchstones: collaboration, evaluation, and sharing.
Awards are given in three categories—Platinum, Gold, and Silver—with Platinum honoring a built project that demonstrates the highest level of achievement. Built and unbuilt projects also can be evaluated for Gold or Silver, but only built projects can win Platinum. Award jurors included academics, architects, healthcare executives, and allied professionals.
The awards will be presented at the PDC Summit in Houston, Texas, March 8 – 11, 2026. For more information, visit the Touchstone Awards.
Award-Winning Research
Overall, HGA has won 15 Touchstone Awards for ongoing research with healthcare clients.
- 2026 | St. Elizabeth Cancer Center | Platinum Category
- 2026 | Froedtert Health Emergency Department Expansion | Gold Category
- 2025 | Bellin Health Surgery and Specialty Center | Platinum Category
- 2025 | CentraCare – Redwood Hospital | Platinum Category
- 2023 | UPMC Presbyterian Bed Tower | Silver Category
- 2023 | St. Elizabeth Cancer Center | Silver Category
- 2022 | Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin; 7 North Tower Build-out Unit | Platinum Category
- 2022 | UPMC Presbyterian Bed Tower | Gold Category
- 2022 | Scripps Design Collaborative | Silver Category
- 2021 | SSM Health – South Madison Campus | Gold Category
- 2021 | Inclusive Patient Room & Unit Design | Silver Category
- 2019 | Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin/8 North Tower Medical Surgical Unit Buildout | Gold Category
- 2019 | UK Healthcare Kentucky Children’s Hospital NICU | Silver Category
- 2018 | UW Health B4/4 Neuro ICU | Silver Category
- 2017 | Froedtert and The Medical College of Wisconsin | Silver Category
Learn more about our interdisciplinary approach to Research & Innovation and connect with National Healthcare Business Development leader, Leann Dockins, to leverage this expertise on your next project.