Houston 2026 Summit | SquareFootage.net

11th Houston, Texas

Hospital, Outpatient Facilities & Medical Office Buildings Summit™

Presented by
Corporate Realty, Design & Management Institute | AMFP | National, Regional, and Local Sponsors

What's Next for Healthcare Facilities

Addressing Vital Economic, Design, Construction,

Workforce, and Operational Challenges

Five Hours CEU & Two Hours Networking

AIA HSW | Engineers PDH

Thursday, June 04, 2026

Helix Hall - TMC3 Collaborative Building
7255 Helix Park Avenue, Houston, TX 77030

7:45 am to 8:45 am Registration & Networking

8:45 am to 9:00 am Welcome & Introductions

9:00 am to 3:30 pm Program-Lunch Included

► REGISTRATION

The Houston Summit is now at capacity and a standby/waitlist has been opened.

Standby/Waitlist Registration fee for all attendees: $319

For Prospective Attendees:

When registering for the standby/waitlist, your credit card information will be taken.
Your card is not charged until you are moved off the standby/waitlist and become a registered attendee.
When someone cancels, the next person on the standby/waitlist is registered.
A confirmation email will follow. Watch your emails!

► EARN 5 CEU HOURS | AIA HSW | Engineers PDH

We issue a Certificate of Attendance for self-reporting and report AIA credits to the American Institute of Architects.

► SUMMIT SESSIONS WILL EXPLORE

Practical strategies & tactics you need to survive the turbulent times ahead.

► FIVE WAYS YOU WILL BENEFIT

Explore emerging trends, strategies, technologies, services & products.
Gain valuable insights you can put to work the next day.
An executive summary & presentation materials are provided to Summit attendees.
Earn 5 CEU credits.
Network with your industry peers.

► SESSIONS, TOPICS, SPEAKERS

Making Old Healthcare Facilities New Again

Modernizing an operating healthcare facility fuses the complexity, obstacles, and headaches of new construction and renovations. Yet offers benefits healthcare leaders want: longer asset lifespan, a shorter project timeline, lower total cost, tackle capacity issues, meet energy and sustainability goals; and support modern healthcare. Hear how building the right team, aligning strategy & design, balancing priorities, managing disruption, logistical excellence, and good humor can deliver great results.

Mark Denham, MS, LCC, CHPA, Regional Security Director, Memorial Hermann; Adjunct Professor, SHSU
Eric Jacob, Healthcare/Life Sciences Manager, HID Global
Thomas Newsom AIA, CDT, LEED AP, Managing Principal, E4H/MOREgroup
Christy Rivas, Senior Facilities Space Planner, Texas Children's Hospital
Mark Stewart, AIA, Project Director, SCP ACS Bond, Harris Health
Moderator: Raul Benitez, PE, Director of Engineering Innovation, PBS Engineers

Hearing the Clinical Voice – Integrating Nurses and Frontline Providers in Facilities Planning

Getting input from nurses and frontline providers in the facilities planning process is vital for creating efficient, serviceable, and safe care environments. But there are significant challenges to overcome. Explore how to get their input soon enough to impact design, ways to overcome communication barriers, and the need to balance their clinical workload with their valuable input in the planning process.

Jennie Evans, MBA, RN, EDAC, LEED AP, LSSGB, Principal, HKS
Kristen Nordenstrom, BSN, RN, TCRN, Nurse Manager, Emergency Services, UTMB Health League City Campus
Stephanie Reece, Regional Healthcare Leader, Gensler
Moderator: Debbie Gregory, DNP, RN, FAAN, Owner + Principal, Healthcare Innovation Consulting, SSR

Healthcare at the Crossroads: Capital Pressures & Facility Investments

Persistent financial stress, escalating patient demand and acuity, workforce shortages, evolving care models, technological change, aging infrastructure, along with regulatory and economic uncertainty is squeezing capital spending. This “perfect storm” is compelling health systems to alter their facility investment decisions to get more for their money. Explore strategies, tactics, methods, metrics, tools, and measurable targets needed to plan, site, fund, design, build, and operate a network of new and existing healthcare facilities that are effective, efficient, adaptable, resilient, and sustainable.

Robert Feldbauer, Chief Facilities and Real Estate Officer, Children’s Health; National President of AMFP
Sunita Ganjoo, MBA, PMP, CLSSYB, Vice President, Healthcare, CannonDesign
Gaurav Khadse, Vice President, Facilities Planning & Development, Texas Children’s
Rahul Tikekar, Principal, Healthcare Group Leader, Loring Engineering
Moderator: Alan Whitson, RPA, President, Corporate Realty, Design & Management Institute

Extending & Protecting the Life of Capital Assets, Strategies for Economic and Weather Volatility

Weather events and economic volatility present risks to the safety and performance life of capital assets for hospitals. Explore how hospitals can prepare for both through proper tools and procedures to assess risk, liability, and costs. Understand how hospitals prioritize projects and resources to create an executable capital program to protect and extend structures and budgets while keeping critical facilities operational.

Julie Lucas, MS, Vice President, Facilities Operations and Auxiliary Enterprises, UTHealth Houston
Rucker Simon, PE, Principal, Walter P Moore
Tarek Thomas, Associate Vice President, University of Texas Medical Branch
Mark Williams, PhD, PE, SE, Managing Principal, Managing Director Diagnostics Group, Walter P Moore
Moderator: Jana Summey, MBA, ASSE 12080, Health Care Sector Lead, Diagnostics Group, Walter P Moore

Why Build Shell Space in Healthcare Facilities
Delve into the decision grid for creating shell space when building new medical facilities. Recognize the “true” costs of having or not having shell space. Identify the benefits of responding quickly to changing market forces, evolving patient care, technological advancements, and operational requirements without extended timelines or major regulatory hurdles. Hear how to pre-engineer shell space for optimal first cost and rapid deployment.

Christopher Cortes, Manager Facilities Planning & Design, MD Anderson
Soudabeh Eskandari, M.Arch, EMBA, LEED AP, Director, Construction Ops LBJ Project, Harris Health
Skanda Skandaverl, Division Director, Facilities Management, Energy, and Infrastructure, CommonSpirit
Moderator: Ashley Dias, AIA, Health Practice Leader, Principal, Perkins&Will

Planning, Building, and Sustaining Healthcare Environments: Lessons from Texas Medical Center

Texas Medical Center is home to one of the largest concentrations of healthcare facilities in the world. In this fireside chat, Kristen Kupperman, Vice President of Design, Construction + Facilities, will discuss the challenges and opportunities involved in planning, delivering, operating, and reinvesting in complex healthcare environments. Drawing on experience from both the construction and district leadership sides of the industry, the conversation will explore project success factors, stakeholder alignment, capital stewardship, aging infrastructure, partner relationships, and emerging priorities shaping healthcare facilities.

Ann Atkinson, Senior Vice President, Meadows & Ohly
Kristen Kupperman, Vice President, Design, Construction + Facilities, Texas Medical Center

Why Growth in Specialty Care, EDs & Hybrid Models is Reshaping Medical Facilities

Direct spending on orthopedics, oncology, cardiology, women’s health, behavioral health, and nephrology is now 38+% of US health spending. Its’s the top source for the increase in overall health expenditures and will rise as patient volume continues to grow. Explore what a cost-effective facilities strategy for specialty care looks like and how it integrates with ASCs and primary care models.

Nicole Cummings, Senior Director Campus Planning, The Vertex Company
Donald Feld, Program Director, Healthcare Design, University of Texas Medical Branch
Merissa Vasquez, Senior Director, Design and Construction Projects, Houston Methodist
Moderator: Don Hellem, AIA, Sr Project Manager, CannonDesign; President, AMFP Houston Chapter

The Evolution of Operating Room Design – Why Early Decisions Matter

The demand for operating rooms is rising. Yet the need to balance infection control, capacity, growing economic pressures, rising capital costs, staff shortages, optimal workflow, and adaptability are key issues confronting architects, engineers, contractors, PDC teams, facility managers, EVS, surgeons, nurses, and administrators. Get a 360° view of why and how operating rooms in hospitals and ASCs are evolving.

Mike Cloud, Project Executive, JE Dunn Construction
Nupur Gupta, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP, Vice President & Senior Medical Planner, HKS
Shanda Hatcher, RN, MBA, Clinical Advisor, OR Safety & Performance, SLD Technology
Cliff Yahnke, PhD, Chief Scientist, SLD Technology