Altru Health System Master Plan

Grand Forks, North Dakota

After experiencing the failure of a structural design on their original facility that caused damage beyond repair, Altru Health System decided to use the opportunity to create a new vision of healthcare in the region. Working closely alongside Altru, the collaborative and iterative process developed a 25-Year Masterplan.

The process was focused on listening to the needs, wants, and highest hopes provided by the Altru Health System Facility Planning Committee and deeply evaluating Altru Health System’s immediate and future facility needs in the context of a rapidly-changing healthcare environment and balanced future care delivery models with the services and demand that is expected from the community today. From this, the team developed five guiding principles to create a vision of a world-class facility that remains true to Altru’s ability to provide excellence in health care delivery and design by being efficient with human and financial resources, prioritizing the patient and family experience, and committing to the communities they serve.

The result: a “Care Center in the Park,” which would embody an environment of healing – not just physical healing, but emotional and spiritual healing as well. By taking advantage of the current greenspace on site, the masterplan provides a natural core to reduce stress and anxiety and improve healing and safety, with the intention that focusing on all aspects of the healing environment and patient experience, not just the physical care, will transform the way healthcare is delivered and received.