Healthcare staff face one of the highest burnout rates of any profession, worsened since the pandemic, with long shifts, constant exposure to stress, and work environments rarely designed with the people who spend twelve hours there in mind, not just the people who visit. At the same time, decades of clinical evidence — from Roger Ulrich's seminal study on patients with a view of nature to more recent research on natural light and noise — show that physical environment design directly affects recovery times, painkiller use, and healthcare-associated infection rates. WELL is the only standard that certifies both sides of the same building: the wellbeing of clinical and administrative staff, and the conditions that speed up patient recovery, with real performance testing of air and water quality — a critical issue in a building where infection control isn't negotiable.
Dual diagnosis: we assess the building from two angles — clinical and administrative staff wellbeing, and patient recovery conditions — against WELL v2's ten concepts adapted for healthcare facilities.
Concept-based strategy: we prioritize Air, Water, Light, Sound, and Mind, the concepts with the greatest clinical and workplace wellbeing relevance in a hospital environment.
On-site performance verification: we coordinate the physical air and water quality tests an IWBI-accredited performance testing agent carries out in the building, with special attention to critical infection control areas.
GBCI certification and three-year recertification: we manage seal issuance and the three-year recertification cycle, relevant in a building type where performance must be sustained over time, not just achieved once.
IWBI's fees are calculated by built-area range, plus the cost of on-site performance verification — physical air and water quality tests — exclusive to WELL, a component especially relevant in healthcare facilities given the higher infection control standard they already maintain. The full process takes 12 to 20 months from registration, slightly longer than other building types due to the complexity of coordinating performance testing in an operating clinical environment, and requires recertification every three years.
No, it complements them. WELL requires air and water quality testing that reinforces, not replaces, already-established clinical infection control protocols, adding an extra layer of verification on the real performance of ventilation and water systems.
Yes. Roger Ulrich's seminal study (1984) showed patients with a view of nature recovered faster and used fewer painkillers than those facing a wall. Later studies confirmed similar effects with natural light and acoustic control, evidence WELL directly incorporates into its requirements for healthcare facilities.
Yes, through WELL v2's Existing Buildings and Interiors pathway, adapted to the operational particulars of a healthcare facility, without needing to interrupt patient care during the process.
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