Healthcare facility design is facing the one-two punch of an aging population and increased consumer demand for value-based care. As a result, competitive healthcare markets across the United States face a growing need for new hospitals and facilities (Hammerstrom, 2025).

When it came time for one national system to refresh their hospital and facility design program across nine regions, they needed a furniture partner that reflected their brand values consistently throughout the country. They also needed the program to be executed quickly and on budget. By working with MillerKnoll and our dealer partners, they got both—and even more.

Project goals

• Provide a consistent care experience for patients and a consistent work experience for staff across all regions. 

• Translate the value of their healthcare brand and the services they offer across flexible facilities designed to adapt.

• Accelerate project delivery to get facilities open more quickly and, once opened, to streamline their daily operations.

• Reduce healthcare capital costs.

A scalable vision for healthcare design

To create a consistent, welcoming experience for patients and staff across all of the organization’s locations, decision-makers on the project set out to establish an adaptable, repeatable furniture program. To succeed, they needed a partner who was capable of scaling their vision across a multibillion-dollar capital portfolio. 

“Their goal is always to streamline implementation and have a strong, consistent brand identity and patient experience,” said Meagan Boen, Senior Director of Healthcare National Accounts at MillerKnoll. “So, evolving that was basically what kicked this project off.”

Because of the vast experience our brands and our people bring to designing, manufacturing, and delivering a large volume of standardized products for clients—while still offering plenty of design variety—the organization was able to edit down its supplier network. Through vendor consolidation, they reduced their list of vendors from 30 to 10, with 95 percent of their total floorplate outfitted with products from the MillerKnoll collective.

Customization comes standard 

Early collaboration with MillerKnoll helped establish clear standards for every piece of furniture, right down to the colors, materials, and finishes. By using MillerKnoll’s design‑visioning tools, workflow analysis, and a participatory process that welcomed staff input, the project team created a collection of furnishings shaped by real organizational needs. Shared standards also saved time during the design development phase of the project. By investing early in design planning and standards, the team was able to reduce the design coordination time typically required by an A&D firm by nearly 70 percent. 

Across every region and work setting, the team shaped each space around the workflow and processes used by staff members. Canvas Vista Workstations paired with Motia Height-Adjustable Desks and Pari Screens, all from Herman Miller, provided a contemporary take on nurses stations. And when clinical teams shared their desire for more ergonomic support, MillerKnoll responded by adding adjustable lumbar support to fully upholstered Verus chairs, standardizing the offering across all facilities.

In patient rooms, Herman Miller healthcare seating was brought in to help shape the physical and visual experience for patients. In hallways and nurses stations, Canvas Wall and Channel from Herman Miller were used to deliver power where it’s needed and offer flexible ways to divide space without closing it off.

Key outcomes of the strategy 

How did a standardized healthcare furniture strategy improve procurement efficiency and reduce costs?  

• Consolidated vendor network from 30 suppliers to 10. 

• Streamlined specification by furnishing the facility's floorplate with 95 percent of products by MillerKnoll brands.

• Saved 70 percent in design coordination time by investing in standards early.

• The committed partnership with MillerKnoll optimized their current contract to achieve 11.4 percent savings over standard Tier 1 pricing.

Partnership beyond the project

By unifying their healthcare furniture procurement with MillerKnoll and investing early in clear design standards, decision-makers from this healthcare system shortened their overall project timeline and set themselves up for faster, smoother re-ordering in the future.

They also gained a long‑term strategic partner. With MillerKnoll as their consolidated source, they are able to benefit from having a single trusted contact for continued service across the life of their spaces. With dedicated MillerKnoll dealers and account executives in every region, the team continues to guide and grow the design program—aligning service networks and monitoring how each space is performing.

With these insights, leaders across the organization can make real‑time adjustments to ensure every environment feels true to their brand while continuing to support the continually evolving needs of both patients and staff.

“It keeps the program ever evolving, and it's super dynamic because it's all managed through digital tools,” says Boen. “Everyone's got their finger on the pulse.”

3-point recap

1. A national healthcare system set out to create consistent experiences for staff and patients in its healthcare facilities across the US.

2. By working with MillerKnoll, they were able to streamline facility operations and furniture procurement, saving design time and strengthening design standards that translate the value of their services in any facility.

3. The healthcare system opened facilities faster and saved capital costs by consolidating procurement through MillerKnoll. At the same time, they gained a valuable, long-term healthcare furniture partner.

Sources

Hammerstrom, Francesca. “Navigating Value-Based Care in 2025: How to Implement It Successfully in Your Practice.” MedInsight. June 13, 2025.