The open-plan office reckoning has been well documented. Over the course of a decade, the commercial real estate and workplace design industries accumulated substantial evidence that stripping away private space in the name of collaboration and cost efficiency had created environments that were too loud, too distracting, and too poorly suited to focused or confidential work. The response has been a gradual but meaningful shift in how offices are designed. More acoustic zoning, more access to enclosed space, and the widespread adoption of privacy pods and phone booths that give workers a quick retreat without requiring a trip to a conference room. That conversation has been largely confined to the commercial office world. It is now beginning to happen in healthcare, where the noise problem is older, better documented, and considerably more consequential.“Open-plan offices and modern healthcare facilities share more than most people realize,” said Elyse Heckman, SVP of Brand at ROOM. “Both have traded private space for operational efficiency, and both are paying the price in worker well-being. The difference is that in healthcare, the consequences are impossible to ignore.”
RSK: Having just gone through chemo, I can tell you that privacy is a major concern at UW Carbone Cancer Center. Closable glad door panels in the cubes make a lot of difference.
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- - Volume: 26 - WEEK: 24 Date: 6/9/2026 9:46:22 PM -