IES Detroit - April Meeting Lighting for NICU

The NICU is a complex medical environment, and at any time there will be vulnerable newborn infants, family members and professional medical staff occupying the area, requiring thoughtful application of the lighting design.
This course will focus on lighting design strategies that meet the standards and best practices for NICU patient rooms and their unique illumination needs. This course will also address special lighting for the treatment of infants with medical conditions unique to neonates including addressing the body’s photo-biological response to daylight and the visual lighting spectrum and how to apply it.

The lighting design intent in the NICU is to create a space for healing, care, and respite for the newborns, their families, and caregivers.

At the end of this course participants will be able to:

• Describe a neonate's eye development and the importance of lighting design to ensure proper lighting levels for their development while safely protecting their vision
• Discuss the body's biological and physiological responses to light and how it relates to the well being of the neonate and their families in NICU environments
• Explain need for cycled light, daylight and proximity to the newborns as well as family members and staff
• Categorize different NICU Care Room layouts and compare lighting solutions to create a comfortable and safe outcome for neonates, families, and caregivers

Architects, Interior Deisgners and other design professionals. This program is basic and meets the needs of professionals at every experience level.

Laurie Emergy, LC, MIES
Healthcare Market Development Manager
As Healthcare Market Development Manager for Visa Lighting, the leading brand in performance lighting for commercial, educational, hospitality, healthcare, and behavioral health facilities. Laurie supports specifiers through training for lighting solutions that enhance healthcare applications and improve patient well-being.

With a background in architecture and electrical design, Laurie's career direction changed when she discovered her true passion in lighting design. This newfound interest led her to pursue further training in lighting design, a journey that was enriched by educational opportunies with the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES).

Laurie is a certified lighting (LC) professional with a wealth of experience, having worked alongside architects, engineers, and interior designers for many years. She has positively influenced numerous interior and exterior projects across various sectors, including commercial, educational, retail, hospitality, senior living, and healthcare. Notably, she led a partnership with Nationwide Children's Hospital, leading the development of lighting products for their patient rooms in the Big Lot’s Behavioral Health Pavilion. Laurie has also held leadership roles in the IES sections in Toledo, Cincinnati, and Greensboro, and is currently on the executive board of the Raleigh, NC Section.
Laurie continues to leverage her professional lighting design background at Visa Lighting through continual research of modern lighting technology and design trends in the healthcare market. This knowledge allows her to engage with design professionals to promote evidence-based design that encourages healing in healthcare environments.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Administration Building at Corewell Health/Beaumont Royal Oak, 3711 West Thirteen Mile Road, Royal Oak, United States