Moore Promotes the Best of Healthcare Design as ACHA President

Ted Moore’s journey to becoming the 2023 President of the American College of Healthcare Architects (ACHA) began in 2010 when he earned his ACHA certification.

One of the people who sponsored and mentored him through the process encouraged him to get truly involved in the organization. He began volunteering to serve on task forces and committees. That led to him becoming a permanent committee member, then the head of a committee, then leading a task force and ultimately being elected to the board in 2017.

Moore, Project Principal with Haskell’s Healthcare Design Division, had been treasurer for the College only a short time when COVID-19 struck in 2020. The organization canceled its conferences, for which it had already committed significant funds. Moore said he focused his efforts over the next 18 months on reorganizing operations to maintain the core function of the College.

“We had to pivot to make sure we were able to keep certification going on an all-new budget with reduced revenues in an all-virtual environment,” he said. “It was not a great time to become Treasurer honestly, but it did give me an opportunity to really understand the organization and fully appreciate our mission.”

Now, as President, he will focus on extolling the value and benefits of the ACHA’s mission of distinguishing healthcare architects through certification, experience and rigorous standards. And rigorous they are: The ACHA offers the only board certification recognized by the American Institute of Architects (AIA). Earning the designation requires licensure for at least three years, a minimum of 6,000 hours of healthcare design experience in the last five years post licensure, a portfolio of three to nine healthcare projects in the past five years, three client reference letters, and three letters from peer architects outside of the candidate’s firm. The exam is to measure your level of experience as it specifically relates to the programming, planning, and design aspects of healthcare environments.

“There’s not a certification for any other type of Architecture, and that even includes things like high-rise buildings, complex manufacturing plants, educational facilities or even a rocket assembly building for NASA." he said. “The only specialty in the world of architecture is health care. The process of getting people certified is one of the more challenging things in Architecture.”

Increasing the organization’s membership is a priority, Moore said. Of more than 110,000 licensed architects in the United States, only about 480 maintain an active healthcare certification, but participation is worth the effort. Certification provides invaluable exposure to healthcare design experts nationwide.

“We talk about what clients want, where the industry is heading and what the industry needs to do,” he said. “You see how other professionals think, how they attack their problems. You get a peek into what they’re doing and how they compete. You become part of a unique group of people that really care about how to improve patient care and safety and overall public health.”

Moore began his career at firms that focused on schools, military, small government and large office buildings. His introduction to healthcare design came in 1990, when he joined Gresham, Smith & Partners.

“They trained me in the world of healthcare design,” he said. “I just fell in love with healthcare design, because these facilities help people with some of the biggest challenges in their lives. To me, that is really meaningful.

He brought that love to Haskell, where it has grown even more. He cited Haskell’s work on the Baptist MD Anderson Cancer Center in Jacksonville, Florida, as an example of how a building can be both functional and inspirational.

“We make a difference with the art, the lighting, the flow,” he said. “The attention to detail is so important to people.”

Moore is quick to credit others for helping him along the way, singling out Denise Ramsey, Haskell Vice President of Architecture and Engineering (AE) Business Processes, saying, “She encouraged me early on to get certified. She’s very involved in her organizations.”

He also credited Preston Haskell, the company’s founder, for inspiring his motivation to give back by mentoring younger architects, as well as an appreciation of art.

Haskell’s subject matter experts in healthcare design, construction and consulting are the best in the industry. Contact us to discuss your system’s facility needs.