Editors’ Note

Vicki Match Suna, AIA, oversees strategic campus planning, design, construction, maintenance, food and nutrition, and facilities operations, as well as leasing, acquisition, and management of properties for NYU Langone Health’s real estate portfolio which totals 15 million square feet and comprises over 550 clinical, research, administrative, and residential locations in the greater New York metro region, Florida, and Las Vegas. She leads the implementation of NYU Langone’s Campus Transformation, adopting a comprehensive and consistent design approach to creating healthy environments in the healthcare setting, and to reimagining resilient and sustainable design. The effort encompasses the redevelopment of the Manhattan main campus; NYU Langone Hospital – Brooklyn, and NYU Langone Hospital – Long Island; and expansion of an extensive portfolio of ambulatory care facilities. Match Suna oversaw the design and construction of the award-winning Joel and Joan Smilow Research Center in 2016, as well as the award-winning Helen L. and Martin S. Kimmel Pavilion and the Science Building in 2018. She also oversees the ongoing transformation of the balance of the Manhattan campuses as well as Brooklyn and Long Island. Under her leadership, the Manhattan main campus became the first worldwide to receive U.S. Green Building Council Performance Excellence in Electricity Renewal (PEER) and Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certifications. She also led the campus’ recovery and resiliency efforts following Superstorm Sandy in late 2012. A registered architect and a member of the American Institute of Architects (AIA), Match Suna previously served as a commissioner on the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission, board member of the New York City Economic Development Corporation, and a member of the advisory board of the Governors Island Preservation and Education Corporation. She currently is on the board of the New York Building Congress, a member of the Business Advisory Council of the Children’s Tumor Foundation, and a member of the Real Estate Board of New York. In addition, Match Suna is a member of the board of trustees of Washington University in St. Louis, where she also serves as chair of the Sam Fox School of Visual Arts and Design, and as a member of Washington University’s New York Regional Cabinet. Match Suna was an honoree of the New York City Commission on the Status of Women and recipient of the Art Trek Award from the Queens Council on the Arts. In 2010, she received the Center for Architecture Award from the New York Chapter of the AIA and the Center for Architecture Foundation. She received a Sam Fox School Distinguished Alumni Award in 2014 from Washington University in St. Louis; and in 2016, the Washington University’s Founders Day Distinguished Alumni Award. She was named as one of Crain’s Notable Leaders in Real Estate in 2022. Match Suna joined NYU Langone in 1994, was appointed senior vice president and vice dean for real estate development and facilities in 2007, and was named executive vice president in 2019. She holds a bachelor of arts and a master’s degree in architecture from Washington University in St. Louis.

Institution Brief

NYU Langone Health (nyulangone.org) is one of the nation’s premier academic medical centers. Its trifold mission to serve, teach, and discover is achieved daily through an integrated academic culture devoted to excellence in patient care, education, and research. It is among the top hospitals in the country and has 10 clinical specialties ranked in the top 10 nationally, according to U.S. News & World Report’s annual “Best Hospitals” Honor Roll.

Will you provide an overview of your role and areas of focus?

As Executive Vice President and Vice Dean for Real Estate Development and Facilities at NYU Langone Health, I oversee the strategic planning, design, construction, and operation of NYU Langone’s real estate portfolio which comprises 15 million square feet and over 550 clinical, research, educational, administrative, and residential locations in the Greater New York region, as well as in Florida and Las Vegas. The leasing, acquiring, and managing of all NYU Langone properties are also within my purview.

How do you describe NYU Langone’s culture and values?

At the core of NYU Langone Health’s culture is a dedication to excellence – it is central to our values, and also our success as a healthcare institution. We are proud of having the very best possible care outcomes which we think is an achievement built on a deep and wide foundation of commitment to the highest quality patient experience. As a preeminent academic medical center, NYU Langone brings this dedication to all three facets of its mission which includes clinical care, medical education, and research.

This commitment to excellence is reflected in everything we do. It informs the design, construction, and operation of our patient-centered facilities, and the ongoing services we provide while patients are in our care. It drives the innovative approach we’ve applied to medical education at NYU Grossman School of Medicine and NYU Grossman Long Island School of Medicine, both of which distribute full-tuition scholarships to all students and offer an accelerated three-year MD degree instead of the standard four years most other schools require, as well as cutting-edge teaching facilities that are transforming how we train our students.

Our state-of-the-art, innovative and adaptable research facilities empower investigators, faculty, clinicians, and students to address biomedical challenges and produce groundbreaking discoveries in a range of environments, all of which foster collaborations that can ultimately promote the translation of research to new methods of preventing, diagnosing, and treating disease.

This commitment extends also to how we support our greatest assets – our employees – by making sure to provide them with workplaces that are pleasant and comfortable, which can directly translate to their overall well-being and help them be more successful in their roles. Our facilities are designed to foster healthy and uplifting environments, and at the same time allow for efficient and logical workflows that address the needs of all users.

What have been the keys to NYU Langone’s industry leadership?

NYU Langone’s success can be attributed to a number of important factors. Fundamentally, however, I think the institution’s internal leadership structure is a prime driver. As part of an executive leadership team that brings a collective wealth of expertise to bear on the development and implementation of the strategic initiatives guiding our organization, I have a seat at the table and the opportunity help define and shape the vision for every major initiative that involves real estate, the use of space or the overall physical environment from the very beginning. This can range from making significant strategic moves as the result of ambitious campus planning and expansion efforts, or to building on the success we’ve had in growing our ambulatory care presence with large-scale acquisitions. It also encompasses helping to define how we address important issues such as energy efficiency, green building design, and resilience. And perhaps most importantly, it enables us to approach facility design comprehensively to provide a cohesive and optimal experience across our portfolio.

Will you highlight NYU Langone’s Campus Transformation and the vision for the campus of the future?

In recent years, our ongoing implementation of NYU Langone’s Campus Transformation has proven to be the most sweeping infrastructure modernization and revitalization project in our organization’s history. Under the auspices of our Dean and CEO, Robert I. Grossman, MD, it was launched as a defining initiative to more efficiently and effectively meet the demands of an increasingly complex healthcare environment. We have adopted a consistent design approach to creating beautiful and highly functional and efficient environments in the academic healthcare setting; and also to reimagining resilient and sustainable design, which has earned us the distinction of being the first campus worldwide to receive USGBC PEER and LEED certifications.

How will the Campus Transformation help fulfill NYU Langone’s mission of being a world-class, patient-centered, integrated academic medical center?

From the perspective of Real Estate Development and Facilities, it comes down to providing a consistent and unique experience across our physical environments, one that reflects NYU Langone’s focus on quality and excellence. There are common themes that inform the design for all of our locations, and we adapt them as needed to respond to the site conditions and programmatic drivers at each campus or location. These themes include access to abundant natural light and views; green spaces including gardens and courtyards; built environments that are warm and inviting, featuring well-lit spaces with calming colors and materials that promote health and wellness; artwork to provide beauty and a sense of being part of a healing environment; and even intuitive wayfinding with design elements that provide points of reference, view corridors, and easy access to exterior green spaces.

How important is it for NYU Langone to build a diverse and inclusive workforce to mirror the diversity of the patients and communities it serves?

We believe diversity enriches our workplace. Just as important, a workforce that reflects the diversity of the communities we serve is key to addressing heath and healthcare inequities, even as we provide the highest level of care possible to all patients. NYU Langone continuously nurtures an environment of inclusivity, belonging, and respect.

Do you feel that there are strong opportunities for women in leadership roles in healthcare?

Right now, more women are entering the medical field than ever before, and leadership roles are also increasingly being filled by women. I am one of many women on NYU Langone’s executive leadership team. I’m pleased to see how faces of leadership are changing throughout the industry. My advice to women who are aspiring to be future leaders is to never shy away from new opportunities or responsibilities, seek out mentors, make your aspirations known, and always do your best work..

You have been with NYU Langone for almost 30 years. What has made the experience so special for you?

Prior to coming to NYU Langone, I fully expected to continue to pursue my career as a practicing architect, and anticipated that my time at NYU Langone, then NYU Medical Center, would be a short interval before returning to architecture. However, once I arrived, I quickly realized that being part of a community filled with enormously talented and dedicated individuals with diverse expertise and backgrounds, yet sharing common, overarching goals, would enable me to have a much more meaningful impact on the outcome of the final product. The mission of NYU Langone has always inspired me to want to deliver the best possible work and to create holistic environments that have a larger purpose focused on health, healing, medical education, and biomedical research. I am proud of what we have been able to accomplish as a team in Real Estate Development and Facilities collaborating with countless groups and individuals within and outside our health system. I consider myself fortunate to have had such a meaningful career at NYU Langone and to have been part of our overall successes.

What advice do you offer to young people beginning their careers?

Follow your dreams and aspirations, and be open to all new opportunities and pathways as they come along. Use your strengths to leverage opportunities, but always be authentic and true to yourself. Seek out mentors and give back by helping and mentoring others along the way. Most importantly, find what you love to do and do it in a way that will make a meaningful contribution benefiting others while doing it.