Dr. Zahra Zamani is the Director of Research at BSA LifeStructures and a healthcare design researcher with over 15 years of experience in qualitative and quantitative methodologies. Trained in architecture, her work bridges design practice and research to examine how healthcare environments influence patient experience, staff workflow, and operational efficiency. She leads research initiatives that integrate simulation modeling, data analytics, surveys, and behavior mapping to support evidence-based design decisions across complex healthcare projects. A frequent speaker at national conferences, Dr. Zamani is known for translating rigorous research and simulation insights into actionable strategies that help architects and healthcare organizations make informed design decisions and improve outcomes for patients and care teams.
Courses
Optimizing Healthcare Design: Insights from Discrete Event Simulation in Emergency and Multi-Clinic Projects
Tuesday, February 10, 2026 | 2-3pm ET
As healthcare systems face increasing demands for high-quality, efficient care, facility design is crucial in meeting operational and patient-centered goals. Discrete Event Simulation (DES) is a cutting-edge tool that enables architects, planners, and healthcare professionals to visualize and optimize complex patient flows and resource utilization. This session showcases how DES was applied in two emergency departments and two multi-clinic buildings, addressing critical operational challenges and offering long-term design solutions. The speakers will discuss how across all four projects, DES provided a data-driven framework to test scenarios, evaluate performance metrics, and implement evidence-based design improvements. Attendees will leave with actionable strategies for incorporating DES into future healthcare facility design projects, ensuring operational efficiency and patient-centered care.
Emergency Department Projects:
- Importance: DES was instrumental in modeling patient triage, treatment times, and discharge processes to accommodate current and future patient volumes.
- Challenges: Handling unpredictable patient influx, managing resource allocation, and reducing care delays in high-stakes environments.
- Lessons Learned: Simulation uncovered inefficiencies, prompting design adjustments that reduced congestion and improved patient flow.
Multi-Clinic Building Projects:
- Importance: In multi-specialty clinics, DES helped optimize spatial layouts and resource sharing (e.g., imaging, labs) to streamline patient flows.
- Challenges: Predicting and coordinating department interactions and managing complex, overlapping patient journeys.
- Lessons Learned: Early DES integration allowed for flexible space planning and workflow improvements, enhancing staff efficiency and patient throughput.