Stephanie Vito, AIA

{"version":"0.3.0","atoms":[],"cards":[],"markups":[],"sections":[[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"With a focus on projects that elevate behavioral health care across\ncommunities, Stephanie Vito, AIA, has made a tremendous impact on the lives of\npatients and their families through design excellence. Since the beginning of\nher career, Vito has brought this often-overlooked health care sector to the\nforefront by shaping cutting-edge facilities that improve outcomes, reduce the\nstigmas surrounding mental health, and bring a new level of dignity to\npatients. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Vito deeply understands how the delivery of behavioral health care,\nwhich is typically underfunded and lacks the straightforward approach found in\nother aspects of medicine, is supported by the environments that architects\ncreate. Her practice is grounded in empathy and an overwhelming desire to upend\nsociety\u2019s preconceptions through design. As the behavioral health team at\nCannonDesign\u2019s Buffalo office has grown, her contributions and knowledge have\nproven invaluable. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Currently, Vito focuses on delivering mental health care services to\nurban communities in the hopes they become more mainstream. Her approach is\nevident in projects such as the University of Kansas Strawberry Hill Behavioral\nHealth Hospital in Kansas City. Before the project was completed, the\ncommunity\u2019s services were relegated to far-flung locations, but Strawberry\nHill, with its unique hilltop site, makes them much more accessible. With ample\ndaylight and views of nature, the hospital embraces new and emerging treatment\nmodels that support shorter treatment timelines and the resumption of\nproductive lives in the community. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"In pursuit of her ideals, Vito co-founded Save the 8s within her\nfirm, an initiative that delivers better mental health care resources to\nchildren between the ages of 8 and 13 outside of traditional settings. She also\nled one of the first teams to enter Amp, CannonDesign\u2019s internal incubator,\nwith a product idea called SafeSink. Guided by Vito\u2019s thought leadership,\nSafeSink is a system for health care facilities that reduces patients\u2019\nself-harm opportunities. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"In addition to her design work and parenting, Vito has built a legacy\nas a gifted teacher, having served as an associate professor at University of\nKansas, University at Buffalo, and Villa Maria College. Her students greatly\nbenefit from her deep knowledge and her eagerness to equip them with an\nunderstanding of emerging opportunities in mental and behavioral health design.\nWhile at University of Kansas, Vito challenged students to create innovative\nspaces that could offer sustainable and efficient service in a major metropolitan\narea. One of the student projects was recognized by the Center for Health\nDesign and received the top student award for graduate projects. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Fully committed to a typology that was once considered niche and\ninfrequently celebrated by the profession, Vito has helped society embrace the\nidea that mental health should be prominent in our lives."]]]]}