Leading with Passion & Purpose
Architect Karen Freeman reveals her journey, from designing healing spaces for children to championing neurodiversity and uplifting women leaders
Our healthcare system is facing a crisis. As workers flee the field in astounding numbers, we're left with gaping holes in the very fabric of our care system.
Reflecting on my earlier conversation with Karen Freeman, I was struck by her passion for uplifting others through her life's work as a nationally recognized expert in pediatric healthcare design and a Principal at HOK where she serves as the firm-wide Practice Leader for Pediatric Healthcare. She reveals a positive path forward through inclusive pediatric healthcare design, creating spaces that positively impact children and their healthcare heroes.
Karen Freeman lit her career path early, inspired by a high school classmate's architecture models. Today, she designs healing spaces for children facing daunting diagnoses, illuminating the power of design to comfort and inspire hope for both patients and their caregiving teams.
During our earlier heartfelt discussion, we talked about:
Recognizing the immense potential of the 15% of healthcare workers who are neurodivergent, arguing they contain untapped talents that could actually strengthen healthcare, especially in emotionally taxing areas like pediatrics
Moving beyond mentoring to active sponsoring of promising individuals in healthcare, creating opportunities so they can achieve their career goals
Advocating for women in healthcare through the aptly named Women in Healthcare organization, spotlighting women professionals often doing the hard work but rarely leading at the top
Karen’s insights into creating spaces to aid in healing for children — and the workers who care for them — illuminate a positive path forward, particularly in the context of our still-recent pandemic.