August 2026
Above: Lauren Cole, system director of design strategy. Her work focuses on creating environments that help patients and communities feel a sense of belonging and connection.
When patients visit a hospital, their experience begins long before they receive care. The design of a space, the ease of finding their way, the comfort of a waiting room and the connection they feel to their community can all shape how welcome and supported they feel.
For Lauren Cole, Providence's system director of design strategy, creating environments that foster belonging is at the heart of her work. Her efforts have earned national recognition and are helping shape the future of health care design across Providence and beyond.
Lauren's vision is simple: Create health care environments where every patient and family member feels comfortable, respected and connected to the community around them.
She describes this work as creating "ambient belonging," a concept that explores how a building's physical environment influences a person's sense of inclusion and comfort. Her research focused on how design elements such as signage, wayfinding, privacy, accessibility and visual cues affect the patient experience, particularly in emergency departments.
Above: Examples of Lauren's work from hospitals across Oregon, Washington, Texas, New Mexico, Montana, California and Seattle.
“To be the best place to give and receive care, people need to feel like they belong,” she says.
Listening to patients and communites
As part of her award-winning research project, "Design for Belonging: Creating an inclusive future for Providence’s built environment", Lauren gathered feedback from patients, caregivers and community members to better understand what makes health care spaces feel welcoming.
Her work included visits to six Providence emergency departments, engagement with seven diverse community focus groups and feedback from more than 1,600 surveyed emergency department patients.
Above: A mural featuring local trees creates a welcoming entrance to the emergency department at Providence Portland Medical Center.
The findings were remarkably consistent across a wide range of experiences and backgrounds. Participants identified clearer communication, improved signage, greater privacy, more comfortable waiting areas and easier navigation as opportunities to improve the patient experience.
One key finding stood out above all others: Better communication through clear signage and visual direction can help patients feel more confident and supported during what is often a stressful time.
Improving experiences through thoughtful design
Lauren believes the physical environment can play an important role in helping patients feel comfortable and engaged in their care.
Her research found that patients sometimes struggled to locate entrances, navigate facilities or feel comfortable in waiting areas. By understanding these challenges, design teams can create environments that make accessing care easier and less stressful.
“Getting it [feedback] directly from the caregivers, that’s really impactful,” she says.
Collaboration with frontline caregivers is a critical part of the process. By learning how teams use clinical spaces every day, Lauren can help identify design improvements that support both patient experiences and caregiver workflows.
Bringing community identity into health care spaces
Lauren's work can be seen throughout Providence facilities, where design elements reflect the communities they serve.
From artwork inspired by local landscapes to visual storytelling that honors cultural traditions and community history, these features help patients and families feel a stronger connection to their surroundings.
At Providence St. Vincent Medical Center, for example, the "Healing Garden" mural incorporates traditional plants connected to Native communities in the region. At Providence Portland Medical Center's renovated emergency department, imagery inspired by nearby Mount Tabor Park helps create a familiar and welcoming atmosphere.
Above: The “Healing Garden” mural at Providence St. Vincent Medical Center features traditional healing plants used by Native American tribes who once lived in the area.
These intentional touches can transform a hospital from simply being a place to receive care into a place where people feel they belong.
By combining research, community input and Providence's Mission-driven approach to care, Lauren is helping create environments that make patients, families and caregivers feel welcome, supported and valued from the moment they arrive.
“I would hope that Mother Joseph would be proud of the work we’re doing,” she says.
Above: A quote from Blessed Emilie Gamelin highlights care for families of NICU patients at Covenant Children’s Hospital in Lubbock, Texas.
Related news
- Learn more about Providence St. Vincent Medical Center's electrophysiology lab expansion.
- See the improvements to Providence Portland Medical Center's recent emergency department.
- Read about a Health Equity Project about injury recognition for underrepresented patients.
