NIHD is proud to announce a new NIHD Fellow, Teri Oelrich, BSN, MBA, NIHD Fellow, Partner/Healthcare Consultant at NBBJ!

Teri Oelrich has three decades of experience in the healthcare industry, including full-time nursing, healthcare planning and healthcare consulting. Over the years, Teri’s broad experience has taken her to hospitals as far away as New Zealand and as close to home as Oregon where her family lives.

Her clients include some of the world’s top-tier health institutions: Kaiser Permanente, University of Washington Medical Center, Children’s Hospital of Chicago, Sharp Memorial System, the Koo Foundation, UCLA Health, Legacy Health System, Providence/Swedish Medical Center, Loma Linda University Medical Center, UCSF Medical Center, Wellington Hospital, Children’s Hospital of Orange County and the Oregon Health & Science University.

She is a Partner with NBBJ, a frequent speaker on the topics of health and wellness and is active in promoting her industry. In addition, Teri has volunteered at the Nursing Institute for Healthcare Design, the Oregon Health & Sciences University, the AIA Academy of Architecture for Health, Friends of Doernbecher Children’s Hospital Guild and the Coalition of Health Environments Research Council, among others.

The NIHD Fellows Program recognizes and appoints those NIHD members who have made proper application and who have demonstrated significant and sustained contributions to nursing, health care, healthcare design and NIHD.

Feb 19, 2026

GO or NO GO?

This reflective post explores the NIHD member Jamie Hammer’s internal “GO or NO GO” debate about returning to school later in life to pursue a DNP after a long nursing career. Drawing on decades of experience—from bedside care to healthcare design—Jamie shares how professional maturity made advanced education more focused and manageable, and offers practical advice for choosing the right DNP program. Ultimately, earning her doctorate brought renewed purpose, a deeper appreciation for research and data, and a reminder that it’s never too late to keep growing!

Feb 16, 2026

Be the Messenger

Advocacy is more than a moment—it’s a sustained commitment to showing up for others, for our communities, and for the future of healthcare design. When we ground our work in connection and shared responsibility, we create the conditions for meaningful, lasting change.

This season, we’re also elevating new voices and perspectives, including leaders like Grace Kistner, whose global health experience reminds us that advocacy thrives when mentorship, collaboration, and bold vision come together.