Between the Lines with FGI
Curious about the health care physical environment? Join John Williams and Marissa Lamperis Kastrinos for serial fun on a serious topic as they discuss the FGI Code for Planning and Design and compliance issues with some of the world's top thinkers and designers. Explore the history of the minimum standards and intent between the lines of the code.
Episodes
S3 E4 — The Code Ahead: A Preview to the 2026 FGI Outpatient Code
In this episode of Between the Lines with FGI, hosts Marissa Lamperis Kastrinos and John Williams sit down with the tri‑chairs of the 2026 FGI Codes for Planning and Design of Outpatient Settings: Kevin Matuszewski, Collin Beers, and Jennifer Kuschinsky. Together, they explore the major updates shaping the 2026 FGI Outpatient Code and discuss how evolving clinical practices, advancing technology,
S3 E3 — The Code Ahead: A Preview to the 2026 FGI Residential Code
In this episode of Between the Lines with FGI, John Williams and Marissa Lamperis Kastrinos introduce the first installment of a three-part series that focuses on each of the documents in the 2026 FGI Codes, starting with the Residential document. Marissa and John welcome Addie Abushousheh, Gaius G. Nelson, and John Shoesmith, the chairs of the Residential Document Group of the 2026 Health Guid
S3 E2 – The Code We Live In: A Family's Journey Through Hospital Design
In this episode of Between the Lines with FGI, John Williams and Marissa Lamperis Kastrinos welcome back our beloved co-host, Bridget McDougall, as she continues to navigate an unexpected and challenging chapter in her family's life: caring for her 8-year-old son following the sudden onset of acute psychiatric symptoms. Bridget's journey included repeated crises, multiple hospitalizations, and co
S3 E1 – Safe by Design: Proactive Maintenance for Code and Care
S3 Kickoff - What's New with Joint Commission: Recorded at HFIC!
In this episode of Between the Lines with FGI, cohosts John Williams and Marissa Lamperis Kastrinos are joined by ASHE's Leah Hummel and Chad Beebe for a conversation recorded live at HFIC. The discussion focuses on the Joint Commission's upcoming consolidation of standards, set to take effect in 2026, and what these changes mean for health care facilities. Leah and Chad explain the addition of t
S2 E8 – MRI Quench Pipes: Engineering Challenges and Safety Solutions
In this episode, Toby Gilk returns to discuss the intriguing and complex world of MRI technology. Learn about the role of superconductivity in MRI machines, the potential hazards of quench pipes, and the importance of proper design to prevent catastrophic failures. Toby explains how superconductivity allows MRI machines to operate efficiently without continuous power but also introduces risks if n
S2 E7 – Plumbing Standards and Health Care Facility Design
In this episode of Between the Lines with FGI, host John Williams interviews Christoph Lohr, vice president of technical services and research at IAPMO and the plumbing task group chair for the 2026 Health Guidelines Revision Committee (HGRC). Their discussion explores the complexities and challenges of plumbing systems in health care facilities, emphasizing the importance of water quality and sa
S2 E6 – Accommodating Individuals of Size in Health Care
In this episode of Between the Lines with FGI, cohosts John Williams and Bridget McDougall sit down with Dr. Marie Martin from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to discuss the critical topic of safe patient handling and mobility. Dr. Martin shares her journey and insights into the development of guidelines and practices that ensure the safety and well-being of both patients and caregivers.
S2 E5 – Surfaces in Health Care Settings + Evidence-Based Design
This episode of Between the Lines with FGI focuses on optimizing surface materials in health care and residential care design. Cohosts John Williams and Bridget McDougall discuss the importance of surface materials in health care settings with Laurie Waggener, the Director of Research for Healthcare at Page. Laurie explains her role in ensuring evidence-based architectural processes and shares in
S2 E4 – MRI Safety and the Built Environment
After listening to this episode, you'll understand why guest Tobias (Toby) Gilk says, "The physics associated with MRI scanners is so otherworldly and so profoundly different from our daily experience interacting with the world that everything seems magic associated with this particular imaging modality." The profound differences with MRI don't stop with just the physics; there are a host of built
S2 E3 – Changes Ahead: Intellectual Property Rights and the Future of the Guidelines
There's a seismic shift happening in the codes and standards development legal landscape as courts back away from the longstanding precedent of protecting copyrights. As a result, some entities now post what was protected content, seemingly in partnership with standards development organizations, in order to sell their own products. In reality, standards development organizations like FGI have no
S2 E2 – Built Environment Impacts on Operations and the Patient Experience
Woven into any patient's health care experience is the environment in which they are treated. Questions about cleanliness and quietude appear on the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey; the results of which determine how much funding is provided (or removed) from health care facilities by CMS. In this episode, recorded at ASHE's Health Care Facilit
S2 E1 – What's New in the 2026 FGI Facility Code Drafts
This is your chance to weigh in! The change in title from the 2022 Guidelines for Design and Construction documents to the 2026 FGI Facility Code documents is one of several changes you will see during the 2026 draft public comment period (now through September 30, 2024). For this episode, John Williams and Leah Hummel sit down with Bridget McDougall for an overview of the draft changes discuss
BONUS: Between the Lines – with ASHE
Not an ASHE member? Didn't attend the HCFI conference? This episode is also for you! In this bonus episode (recorded at the Health Care Facilities Innovation Conference in Anaheim, California on July 21, 2024), hosts John Williams and Bridget McDougall sit down with Leah Hummel, senior associate director of the American Society for Health Care Engineering's (ASHE) advocacy team, to discuss the im
E10 – Designing Care Spaces with Our Future Selves in Mind: Jane Rohde
Jane Rohde is affectionately known in FGI circles as "the mother of the Residential Guidelines." Her passion for residential health care facility design and advocacy for the aging and vulnerable populations led to the inclusion of residential health, care, and support facilities in the Guidelines documents beginning with the 2018 edition. In this episode, Jane explains how nursing homes, initiall
E9 – Ding! Ding! A Toast to Residential Care Dining Spaces: Addie Abushousheh
Addie Abushousheh shares her insights on the evolution of residential health, care, and support facility design and construction, particularly focusing on the role kitchen and dining spaces have in enhancing residents' quality of life. Key points include shifts in language to empower residents, the importance of various kitchen types for autonomy, and the significance of dining areas for socializ
E8 – The Sound of Silence: Mandy Kachur
Unless you're an expert in acoustics, it's likely the acoustic-related requirements in the Guidelines read like a foreign language. Acoustic engineer Mandy Kachur joins hosts John and Bridget to not only talk about the impact noise can have on patient care, but also turn a complex topic into a digestible concept. Various acoustic tables in the Guidelines are explained, touching on speech privacy,
E7 – Is Part 1 of the Guidelines Optional? —John Williams and Bridget McDougall
In this week's episode, Bridget and John discuss the intricacies of design and construction standards as they unravel both the misconceptions and the significance of Part 1 of the Guidelines for Design and Construction. Exploring topics ranging from risk assessments to equipment specifications, they offer valuable perspectives on navigating building codes, emphasizing the importance of thorough pl
E6 – It's Electric! (Receptacles): Krista Biason
In this episode, Bridget and John enter the world of electrical receptacles in patient care areas with electrical engineer expert Krista Biason. They simplify complex regulations, dig into related Guidelines minimum requirements, and emphasize the importance of inclusive planning for functional, patient-centered spaces. Krista's expertise shines as she explains technical nuances, from distinguishi
E5 – Behavioral Health Crisis Units: Dr. Scott Zeller
"We usually think of treatments being medications, devices, surgeries. But we need to realize that the environment can be a treatment, too." Dr. Scott Zeller joins hosts Bridget and John to explore the importance of designing supportive spaces for individuals experiencing mental health crises. Learn about the innovative EmPATH model that led to the inclusion of the behavioral health crisis unit in
E4 – Infection Preventionists as Collaborative Partners: Lela Luper
Infection preventionist Lela Luper joins hosts John and Bridget to explore the critical nexus of facility design and infection control in healthcare. From furr downs to fish tanks and everything in between, today's episode illustrates the often-overlooked hidden dangers in the health and residential care physical environment. Lela underscores the value of including infection preventionists early i
E3 - But Wait! There's More! The Functional Program: Tony Ruebsam
Tony Ruebsam, a self-described "cat herder" in the world of project management, warns John and Bridget that projects that get their start at the drawing board are missing a crucial step. Introduced to the functional program early in his career, Tony shares why he's a firm believer in starting with the functional program before significant design drawings begin. This episode is sponsored by
E2 – Form Follows the Functional Program: Ken Cates
Every hospital, outpatient, and residential facility you've stepped foot in or driven past started with an idea. On today's episode, Ken Cates, cofounder and principal of Northstar Management Company, talks about the importance of not leaping from idea straight to design (as is often the tendency) but instead utilizing the functional program as a way of gathering input from all stakeholders and c
E1 – The Genesis of the Guidelines: Doug Erickson
The early stories that live between the lines of the Guidelines include an intersection with Listerine (the antiseptic mouthwash) and a document that three individuals championed to keep alive in the mid-1980s. Doug Erickson, founder and former CEO of the Facility Guidelines Institute, joins John and Bridget for a casual conversation about the origins of the Guidelines and its impact on heal
E0 - Introduction to Between the Lines with FGI
Meet John Williams and Bridget McDougall from the Facility Guidelines Institute as they set the stage for engaging conversations regarding health and residential care design and construction. What are the Guidelines, exactly, and what are the stories behind them? Get ready to "read between the lines" with FGI. Connect with us on LinkedIn. For information on AIA self-reporting LUs click here.
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