From the waiting area to the surgical suite, Tracie Sansavera, AIA is enhancing treatment experiences for patients, families and healthcare staff alike with a patient-centered design approach.
As a Project Manager in our growing Charlotte office, she oversees healthcare projects involving equipment replacements, bed tower expansions, operating room upfits and more. Her strategy is centered around putting people first, where her clients become her partners. By doing so, she becomes an embedded part of their organizational framework, balancing patient needs with institutional goals to set the stage for long-term growth and success.
“I don’t work on projects, I work with people to help others,” Sansavera said. “Close relationships with healthcare staff lay the foundation for positive project outcomes. Their firsthand expertise shapes our design concepts, which can augment patient health and wellness.”
Reflective of this interpersonal approach, Sansavera has collaborated with the Atrium Health system for more than 12 years to create functional, elegant designs that streamline medical workflows. Counted among her recent ventures are an upfit of the seventh floor at Atrium Health Pineville; the conversion of a storage room at Atrium Health Carolinas Medical Center into a new operating room in the middle of a fully functioning OR suite; and the upfit of a family practice in the Southend District.
When she isn’t uplifting others through patient-centered design, Sansavera finds time to give back by mentoring junior professionals and supporting the American Institute of Architects (AIA) in Charlotte. She’s also an active member of Women in Healthcare’s (WIH) local chapter, having previously served as the organization’s Volunteer Chair and Mentorship Co-Chair. Her frequent engagement with medical experts, both within and beyond the office, has provided her with a birds-eye perspective of the healthcare market, allowing her to bring a more informed understanding to her projects at CPL.
Moreover, as part of her AIA involvement, Sansavera helped produce a children’s coloring book, “Fantastical Charlotte,” which features sketches of city landmarks created by area architects. She then leveraged her professional affiliations and industry connections to collect more than 2,000 boxes of coloring materials, which were delivered alongside copies of the book to patients at Levine Children’s Hospital during the 2022 holiday season.
Sansavera, fourth from left, delivers copies of “Fantastical Charlotte” to Levine Children’s Hospital alongside her colleagues.
Sansavera says her passion for her work and volunteerism stems from the beneficial impact they can have on others.
“As healthcare architects, we have the power to spark a chain reaction—our designs might allow doctors or nurses to work more efficiently, resulting in higher quality of care for patients,” she explained.
“The joy of knowing that our contributions—no matter how small or extensive—can enrich countless lives is unparalleled.”
