Stein receives ACHA Lifetime Achievement Award

Morris Stein, FAIA, FACHA, principal with HKS, Inc., received the 2011 Lifetime Achievement Award from the American College of Healthcare Architects.

The ACHA award is the highest honor that the American College of Healthcare Architects can bestow on an architect. It is conferred by the national ACHA Board of Regents in recognition of a significant body of work with lasting influence on the theory and practice of healthcare architecture.

Stein, with 35 years of distinguished and highly specialized practice as an award-winning healthcare architect, is an innovator in the planning and design of healthcare facilities. Throughout his career, he has provided leadership to clients by integrating architectural solutions with healthcare technology, operational strategy and delivery models. His entire career is dedicated to supportive environments for patients, families and providers. Skilled in the broad spectrum of healthcare facilities design, Stein is nationally and internationally recognized as a design leader in the specific areas of medical imaging and cardiac services.

On behalf of healthcare architects, he reached out to build bridges with the healthcare industry, forming lasting liaison relationships with organizations such as the Radiological Society of North America and American Healthcare Radiology Administrators. His work with RSNA began more than 25 years ago, when he was able to gain acceptance for architects to attend the RSNA Annual Meeting, the largest healthcare meeting in the world. He also became the first architect to present an educational course. Today, Stein is planning his 20th successive refresher course presentation. He was elected as coordinator of the RSNA Associated Sciences Consortium, an organization of 10 allied professional groups that collaborate and support radiology delivery.

He has served the American Institute of Architects at the chapter, state and national levels and has been a leader of the AlA Academy of Architecture for Health, playing important roles in the evolution of the organization. He is a founding member and Regent of ACHA, was its second president, and was instrumental in the creation of the original examination committee. Stein also has supported education in the specialty of healthcare architecture, and has played a key role in developing the first joint graduate program between design and nursing at Arizona State University, serving as the founding advisory board chairman and now as a Distinguished Affiliate Faculty of Healthcare.

As director of HKS’s Phoenix, Ariz. office, Stein leads teams for significant projects in healthcare, sports/entertainment, hospitality and commercial endeavors.