Aug 14, 2026 _ news

Minnesota Physician’s Honor Roll Recognizes Children’s Minnesota’s Minneapolis Emergency Department Patient Flow Renovation

In addition to being selected as one of the “Top Projects of 2025” by Finance & Commerce, the Children’s Minnesota, Minneapolis Emergency Department Patient Flow Renovation has been recognized by Minnesota Physician’s Health Care Architecture Honor Roll for outstanding achievement in healthcare facility design.

The project reimagined the emergency department entry, waiting, check-in, and triage experience to improve patient flow, reduce wait times, and create a more welcoming experience for children and families. Notably, the team increased patient capacity, and improved how they’re able to move them through the stages of care, entirely within the existing footprint, demonstrating how thoughtful planning and design can transform care delivery without expansion.

“We are very proud to have been selected by Children’s Minnesota to tailor their new space to meet the requirements presented by their new operational model. Our design and documentation process helped ensure their caregivers knew how their new space would function prior to construction being complete,” says Michael Grage, part of the GBBN design team for the project.

The design also translated the Children’s Minnesota brand into a flexible, family-focused environment. “It feels distinctly like Children’s Minnesota today while allowing graphics, furnishings, and branding elements to evolve over time without requiring major renovation,” notes GBBN’s Susannah Odlaug, also a member of the design team.

For the past 38 years, Minnesota Physician’s Health Care Architecture Honor Roll has recognized outstanding achievement in new facilities design. Thank you for recognizing our work this year! Phased renovations of such a critical service line required close collaboration between the design and construction teams. Many thanks to our construction partner on the project, McGough, for their seamless coordination.

Read more about this project and all the honorees here.

Read our project case study here.

See more of our pediatric work here, here, and here.

Learn more about our healthcare work here.