Designing the Future of Healthcare
At CMBA Architects, people are at the heart of everything we do. Our genuine care for individuals – and our insight into how they experience the spaces we design – drives us to create healthcare environments that are not only functional but transformative for everyone who uses them.
The design of healthcare facilities plays a pivotal role in operational efficiency, staff satisfaction, and, most importantly the quality of patient care. CMBA Architects is driven to design environments that foster healing for patients and deliver supportive spaces for staff. By staying true to our human-centered approach, we stay at the cutting edge of healthcare design and can give back to the people and communities we serve.
Prioritizing Patient Care
Healing begins with the right environment. That’s why, when designing healthcare facilities, we thoughtfully consider every detail a patient might experience – from room layouts and materials to lighting and color palettes. Every element is intentionally designed with patient safety, comfort, and well-being in mind, ensuring that patients feel supported on every step of their healing journey.
Floyd Valley Healthcare in Le Mars, Iowa, partnered with CMBA Architects to elevate its maternity care experience, resulting in a space that is as functional as it is comforting for both mothers and babies. Central to the design are spacious Labor, Delivery, Recovery, and Postpartum (LDRP) rooms that allow new moms to stay in one serene, uninterrupted setting throughout the entirety of their care. These modernized rooms discreetly integrate medical infrastructure that preserves a warm, calming atmosphere while meeting patient needs.
Evidence-Based Efficiency
Patients aren’t the only ones who benefit from thoughtful healthcare design – staff performance is just as vital. Research consistently shows that the physical environment directly impacts staff efficiency, which in turn affects the quality of patient care. For example, one study revealed that strategic architectural planning can significantly reduce nurses’ walking distance, allowing them to spend more time with patients. It’s clear that to provide a healing environment for patients, staff must also be given a positive workspace.
At Burgess Health Center in Onawa, Iowa, CMBA Architects integrated efficient workstations and centralized storage to streamline workflows and improve care delivery. Similarly, at Kimball Health Services in Kimball, Nebraska, dedicated nursing stations were designed to enhance staff efficiency, while improving patient privacy, safety and comfort while supporting the delivery of exceptional healthcare.
By actively engaging healthcare professionals throughout the design process, we create facilities that support both their well-being and their ability to deliver exceptional care.
Spaces Inviting Enough to Stay
Visitors play an essential role in the healing process, and healthcare environments should reflect that. CMBA Architects designs welcoming, intuitive spaces that make every visit — whether brief or extended — comfortable and stress-free.
At Stewart Memorial Community Hospital in Lake City, Iowa, improving the visitor experience was a priority. We enhanced hospital functionality through intuitive wayfinding, abundant natural lighting, comfortable seating, and a streamlined reception area – all designed to make visiting loved ones stress-free and enjoyable.
With offices throughout Iowa, Nebraska, and South Dakota, CMBA is committed to partnering with hospitals and health systems to shape environments that support the future of healthcare.
Our mission is to create healing environments that prioritize safety, comfort, and well-being by supporting patients, empowering staff, engaging communities and inspiring innovation through creativity and compassion.