June 11, 2026 — Health systems preparing for a major capital project know that the best outcomes often come down to having the right partners onboard. Committing to a partner for a project that may span decades is a major exercise in trust.
Building strong, trust-based relationships is a challenge, but it’s also the foundation of project success, says Melissa Kiefer, Vice President, Strategy, for Suffolk Construction. As she puts it:
In increasingly fragmented and fast-moving project environments, strong relationships become the mechanism that allows teams to navigate uncertainty without losing alignment.
In a session during the upcoming International Federation of Healthcare Engineering (IFHE) World Congress, Kiefer will be joined by Curtis Skolnick, System Director, Real Estate Strategy-Portfolio Healthcare Planning, CommonSpirit Health, and Jonathan B. Cogswell, Vice President, Design & Construction, Northwell Health Facilities Services, to discuss how to create an environment where trust can flourish. Panelists will share strategies from their combined 65 years of experience shaping real estate across some of the largest nonprofit health systems in the United States.
From October 17-20, 2026, the IFHE World Congress brings together stakeholders from across healthcare facility design, construction, engineering, operations, and real estate management to New Orleans to collaborate on solutions to this and other shared challenges. IFHE membership spans more than 35 countries, creating the potential for discussions spanning diverse perspectives at this U.S. event. The IFHE World Congress is hosted by the Association of Medical Facility Professionals (AMFP), the U.S. representative to IFHE, in partnership with EmeraldX and co-located event alongside the Healthcare Design (HCD) Conference + Expo.
While there may not be a set formular for building trust, Kiefer and her fellow IFHE panelists typically see trust built – or broken – through actions related to reliability and credibility. They note, for example, that providing transparency around uncertainty can help strengthen trust. Curating information into overly polished narratives that can’t keep up with real-time pacing of projects can sow suspicion. Similarly, something as simple as creating detailed meeting minutes can demonstrate reliability, when those updates are accompanied by forward-looking risks, timing implications, and visibility into what is unresolved or deprioritized.
Skolnick adds that trust is built on clear communication and connection, and suggests:
Communicate early, often, and clearly to align. Listen first, talk second. Look people directly in the eyes, give them your undivided attention, ask questions, and find a personal/professional connection to break the ice.
Cogswell concludes:
Building an environment where difficult truths can be raised openly and without fear of repercussions is paramount. Encouraging partners to surface issues early and often fosters trust, strengthens collaboration, and ultimately leads to the best project outcomes.
“The Infrastructure of Trust: Engineering the ‘Big Blue Chair’ Protocol” will bring a diverse panel of healthcare owners together for a candid discussion as part of the IFHE World Congress. To learn more about this and other sessions, and to register for the event, visit IFHE World Congress. at AMFP.
