Marissa Arroyo, Interior Designer III at JLG Architects, earned her Certified Healthcare Interior Designer (CHID) credential from the American Academy of Healthcare Interior Designers (AAHID), becoming one of only two CHID-certified interior designers in North Dakota.
Widely recognized as the premier certification in healthcare interior design, the CHID credential demonstrates advanced expertise in the complex considerations that shape healthcare environments, including clinical workflows, life safety requirements, infection prevention, materials performance, and patient-centered design. According to AAHID, the certification serves as a benchmark qualification for healthcare interior design professionals on both public and private sector projects.
For Arroyo, healthcare design is about much more than aesthetics.
“People often assume interior design is all about color palettes and pretty materials, but in healthcare, design is fundamentally about people, safety, and healing,” said Arroyo. “It’s about creating environments that benefit everyone who uses them, from patients and visitors to the staff working in the space every day.”
A graduate of North Dakota State University’s CIDA-accredited Interior Design program, Arroyo joined JLG Architects in 2019 and has advanced through multiple roles to become Interior Designer III. Throughout her career, she has focused on projects that improve healthcare experiences and outcomes across the region. Her portfolio includes the Anne Carlsen Center in Jamestown, North Dakota; Heart of America Medical Center in Rugby, North Dakota; and Black Hills Children’s Home in Rapid City, South Dakota.
The certification further enhances JLG’s ability to help healthcare organizations create spaces that support efficient care delivery while improving comfort, safety, and wellbeing for patients, families, and staff.
“Marissa’s Certification for Healthcare Interior Design strengthens our ability to help systems make informed interior design decisions that support efficient provider workflows, patient comfort and dignity, infection-control priorities, and durable, adaptable spaces built for long-term use,” said Todd Medd, AIA, Principal and Healthcare Practice Studio Leader at JLG Architects
As healthcare facilities continue to evolve, specialized expertise is increasingly important in creating environments that support both clinical excellence and the human experience of care. Arroyo’s achievement reflects JLG’s ongoing commitment to delivering thoughtful, evidence-based healthcare design solutions that serve patients, providers, and communities across the region.
