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Happy New Year! Today, I am reflecting on a remarkable past year for Stance Healthcare, feeling grateful for the effort, passion, and talent fueling our growing brand into 2022. As we hit the ground running on many initiatives for the New Year, I want to pause and recognize the momentum that’s carrying us – and what has made this past 12 months so exceptional. 

Highlights from an incredible 2021 include: 

• Record-setting new product releases: 2021 was truly a year for the books. We celebrated our 15th year in business with a record number of new products for general healthcare and Behavioral Health settings – introducing 14 all-new products and four line extensions, to be exact. While the new product numbers alone are impressive, our fast-paced product development pipeline is a testament to what I’m most proud of: Our commitment to Improving Lives by Design is not only working, it’s needed more than ever in this industry. 

• A new brand mission: We kicked off the busy year by introducing our Improving Lives by Design brand – a mission that we’ve lived by for quite some time, but found the perfect words for in 2021. Along with our new brand mission statement, we revealed two new Stance websites and refreshed marketing materials to better provide our customers and partners with rich product information, case studies, and beautiful visuals that better reflect our new look, feel and tone. We also continued to give back financially to several organizations that reflect this mission, including: The United Way, Salvation Army, Make-A-Wish Canada, Hockey Helps the Homeless, and The Food Bank of Waterloo Region.
   
• #1 ranked IDCEC Behavioral Health education: In 2021, Stance sponsored an IDCEC CEU course created and presented by our Behavioral Health Interior Designer, Suzanne Fawley. The course, entitled “Behavioral Health Design: Learning from the Past to Design for the Future”, quickly gained popularity among those looking to deepen their understanding of Behavioral Health design. Over the course of the year, Suzanne presented 17 CEUs to over 500 interior designers and architects – and the course was ranked #1 on the IDCEC website for several weeks!
   
• Another HCD award win: In 2021, we maintained our commitment to excellence in every product we introduced. We’re grateful when that commitment is recognized by our industry peers – and in October, we were thrilled to take home our third Nightingale Award win at the Healthcare Design (HCD) Expo + Conference. The Flo Dining Collection for Behavioral Health, one of our 2021 new releases, won the Nightingale GOLD Award! 
   
• Opening the Charlotte Showroom: While COVID persisted, we took steps to safely welcome visitors to our showroom in Charlotte, N.C. The space is an ideal setting for designers, facility managers, architects, and many others in the healthcare industry to explore our products, learn best practices and ways to modify for different settings, and collaborate on new ideas that support healing healthcare environments. 
   

All of this passion and great work in 2021 has prepared the way for another defining year for our Stance team and the products we thoughtfully bring to the healthcare marketplace. In 2022, look for several new products for Behavioral Health and general healthcare, new education (hopefully, in-person as well as virtual!) and networking opportunities, and more resources than ever before to support the development of more healing healthcare environments. 

From all of us at Stance Healthcare, stay well and thank you for all of your support! 

Warm regards,

Carl Kennedy

Following last year’s virtual program, Stance Healthcare was excited to once again participate in the HCD Conference + Expo in person this year. Our team enjoyed several productive days of networking with peers, making new industry connections and most of all, drawing inspiration from the many new healthcare product designs on exhibit. 

We were also proud to showcase many of Stance’s new, coming-soon, and best-selling collections for general healthcare and Behavioral Health, including: 

Clover Lounge Collection

Flo Dining Collection 

Gem Occasional Table Collection

Jensen Lounge Collection 

Verity Lounge Collection

Valet Lounge Collection

Spry Seating Collection *coming soon in early 2022

Capping off a great event, we were honored to close out the conference by taking home the Nightingale GOLD Award for our Flo Dining Collection for Behavioral Health. The annual Nightingale Awards recognize products related to the healthcare built environment, which contribute positively to a healing environment.

Following a long first year marked by COVID-19, Stance team members in attendance were energized by the event’s warm, inviting programming format, and vendor displays that complemented our brand mission: Improving Lives by Design. As our Behavioral Health Interior Designer, Suzanne Fawley, put it: “The event exhibits were bright, happy, thoughtful, and approachable, and the quality of products on display have never been better. Everyone was interacting with such warmth, glad to be reunited again – and I left feeling so inspired about how our products can support better healthcare experiences for so many people.”

“Reuniting as a community in Cleveland gave me reasons for optimism and celebration,” said Stance Healthcare’s Vice President of Customer Relations, Bill Coble. “This time of year I like to take stock, and appreciate all the challenges and successes the last 12 months brought – and this year, one of those successes is experiencing the genuine enthusiasm for Stance’s Improving Lives by Design mission at HCD.”

Read more about the 2021 HCD Expo + Conference, including our Nightingale GOLD Award, here. We look forward to returning to the 2022 event in San Antonio!

In the spirit of giving, it’s a tradition at Stance Healthcare to collect donations for the annual Toy Mountain Campaign.

This year staff had the option to donate toys or participate in several different raffles to raise funds for toy purchases. Arlene, a talented member of the Stance team donated carrot cakes, a glorified gingerbread house, and two festive centerpieces to the raffle. These ticket purchases raised over $1000 and allowed us the opportunity to purchase 50+ toys for kids of all ages.  Between staff donations and toy purchases, we were able to donate 70+ toys.

A special thank you to TBS Transportation Ltd for delivering the toys to the Salvation Army, who will distribute them to families in the community who are struggling this season.

Uniquely designed for each user’s comfort and convenience, Clover launches today from the Healthcare Design award-winning furniture manufacturer

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Stance Healthcare, a leader in furniture design and manufacturing for general and Behavioral Healthcare facilities, introduces the Clover Lounge Collection featuring three comfortable, inviting options. With its sculpted back and open seat that encourages relaxed seating positions, Clover provides comfort that feels tailored to each individual.

The new lounge collection offers freedom of movement for patients, visitors, and care providers, with a curvilinear design that encourages end-users to relax in a variety of lounge positions. Ideal for today’s modern healthcare settings, Clover can be enjoyed by multiple people at once, including parents with children or by individual parties comfortably sharing the lounge chair.

Clover is designed to surround patients, visitors and care providers with beautiful curves and modern styling, and is offered in single, two-seat and three-seat lounge chair size options. An available power/USB port is conveniently offered on either one or both sides of the chair, further enhancing Clover’s practicality and relevance to today’s healthcare environments.

Clover features engineered plywood for enhanced durability, and a nylon webbed seat deck for increased comfort. Its chair legs are offered in a choice of wood or powder coated steel leg. And continuing Stance Healthcare’s commitment to blending comfort with durability, Clover features nylon glides to protect floors from damage. Other options include contrasting fabrics and a moisture barrier.

 “With Clover, we have the high-quality fabrics and finishes you’d expect from Stance products, with the added benefit of being able to accommodate a family or multiple users at once,” said Carl Kennedy, Stance Healthcare’s president. “Not only is Clover a beautiful and very comfortable lounge collection, it’s more importantly a series that anticipates the needs of multiple types of users at once – whether you need to charge your phone, or comfort a child or loved one in a relaxed position.”  

The Clover release is the latest collection of several to launch this year from Stance Healthcare, which began 2021 with an aggressive product development agenda.

New releases from Stance Healthcare and Stance Behavioral Health for 2021 also include:

Terrace Outdoor Collection for Behavioral Health (released in September)
Flo Dining Collection for Behavioral Health (released in July)
Pier Tables for Behavioral Health (released in July)
Gem Occasional Table (released in May)
Iris Occasional Table and Iris Occasional Table for Behavioral Health (released in May)
Valet and Valet for Behavioral Health (released in April)
Jensen Guest Seating Collection and Jensen Lounge Collection (released in March)

Follow Stance Healthcare’s blog, LinkedIn, and Instagram to stay up-to-date on product releases, as well as engaging content centered on Stance’s Improving Lives by Design mission that educates and inspires.

About Stance Healthcare

Founded in 2006, Stance Healthcare manufactures furniture for healing environments, with a particular focus on hospitals and behavioral health facilities. Stance Healthcare has a reputation for providing high-quality products that meet the ever-evolving demands in the areas of design, comfort, safety, durability, renewability, infection control and environmental sustainability. With a strong understanding of patient-centered design, Stance Healthcare is committed to providing innovative furniture solutions that support the healing process. Please visit stancehealthcare.com for the latest news and in-depth information on Stance Healthcare and visit https://stancebh.com/ to learn more about our Behavioral Health offerings and insights.

For the second year in a row, a few brave men (+ one lady) at Stance Healthcare agreed to grow a 'mo, bringing awareness and raising funds for men's health projects.

Our fundraising efforts included mustache-themed games in the office and reaching out to our network of friends, families, and suppliers. At the end of November, the men were able to enjoy a clean shave and feel good that they helped double our fundraising efforts from last year, raising over $5,500 for health projects focused on mental health, suicide prevention, prostate cancer, and testicular cancer.

It’s hard to believe our 2019 Nightingale GOLD win for the Frontier (Behavioral Health) collection was two years ago. Today, the Stance team is excited to soon return in person to attend this year’s Healthcare Design Expo + Conference October 23-26 in Cleveland.

In addition to reconnecting with our industry colleagues and once again enjoying in-person access to all the latest healthcare design insights and education the event has to offer, the Stance team is especially looking forward to introducing many of our 2021 new releases, as well as showcasing our top-selling customer favorites.

Here’s a sneak peek at some of the Stance Healthcare and Stance Behavioral Health products we’re looking forward to exhibiting and promoting at HCD:

• Clover Lounge Seating Collection – LAUNCHING OCTOBER 2021: Designed to surround patients, visitors and care providers with beautiful curves and modern styling, Clover is offered in single, two-seat and three-seat lounge chair size options.  
• Gem Occasional Tables – 2021 NEW RELEASE: Playful and minimalist in design, yet built to last: Gem’s lightly scaled geometric frame with soft-shaped top options offer a sophisticated, modern style suited for a multitude of healthcare settings.
• Valet Lounge Seating for Behavioral Health - 2021 NEW RELEASE: Valet offers a new standard in Behavioral Health lounge seating, with its attractive, modern aesthetics and thoughtfully designed safety features.
• Resilia Drum Table for Behavioral Health – 2017 Nightingale GOLD Award Winner: The Resilia Drum Table brings style and warmth to healthcare spaces and features a Marmoleum™ surface that is highly durable, easy-to-clean and not susceptible to chipping or cracking.
• Jensen Guest and Lounge Seating – 2021 NEW RELEASE: Thoughtfully designed for today’s modern healthcare facilities, Jensen is comfortable, easy-to-clean and blends stylish design with the strength of metal.
• Flo Dining Collection for Behavioral Health – 2021 NEW RELEASE: Offering beautiful organic lines and a soothing color palette, Flo provides a calming aesthetic that invites users to relax while dining safely in an intensive use space.

We look forward to seeing our friends and partners in the healthcare design industry, and invite anyone attending to come visit with us at Booth #4051.

Designed for therapeutic settings, Terrace is the first outdoor series from the Healthcare Design award-winning furniture manufacturer

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Stance Healthcare, a leader in furniture design and manufacturing for general and Behavioral Healthcare facilities, introduces Terrace, their first-ever outdoor furniture collection. Available starting September 30, the Terrace Outdoor Collection invites patients, staff and visitors to connect with nature and its benefits in their overall healthcare experience. 

The contemporary, modern collection of tables and benches extends care beyond the facility walls and into outdoor common area spaces with safe and nurturing surroundings. Minimalist in design and heavy-duty in construction, Terrace features rounded corners and tamper resistant hardware to enhance safety and durability. 

Providing exceptional durability for a safe healthcare environment, Terrace’s tables and benches can be bolted down for permanent settings and emphasize ligature resistance in their design. Terrace’s surfaces are created for longevity of use and are available in perforated steel or High Density Polyethylene (HDPE), both providing superior resistance to corrosion, UV damage and fading. The highly customizable series is offered in a variety of sizes and finishes, including several color options. 

“Terrace is a fresh new approach to outdoor seating that works well for both general and Behavioral Health settings,” said Suzanne Fawley, Stance Healthcare’s Behavioral Health Interior Designer. “Whether for rest or active therapy, the outdoors are increasingly being utilized in treatment environments, and Terrace is a safe, easy to maintain, yet comfortable option for patients and caregivers alike.” 

The Terrace release is the latest collection of several to launch this year from Stance Healthcare, which began in March with an aggressive product development agenda. 

New releases from Stance Healthcare and Stance Behavioral Health for 2021 also include:

Flo Dining Collection for Behavioral Health (released in July)

Pier Tables for Behavioral Health (released in July)

Gem Occasional Table (released in May)

Iris Occasional Table and Iris Occasional Table for Behavioral Health (released in May)

Valet and Valet for Behavioral Health (released in April)

Jensen Guest Seating Collection and Jensen Lounge Collection (released in March)

Following their 2019 Nightingale GOLD win for the Frontier (Behavioral Health) collection, the Stance team is excited to attend this year’s Healthcare Design Expo + Conference next month in Cleveland – Booth #4051. In the meantime, follow Stance Healthcare’s blog, LinkedIn, and Instagram to stay up-to-date on product releases, as well as engaging content centered on Stance’s Improving Lives by Design mission that educates and inspires.

About Stance Healthcare

Founded in 2006, Stance Healthcare manufactures furniture for healing environments, with a particular focus on hospitals and behavioral health facilities. Stance Healthcare has a reputation for providing high-quality products that meet the ever-evolving demands in the areas of design, comfort, safety, durability, renewability, infection control and environmental sustainability. With a strong understanding of patient-centered design, Stance Healthcare is committed to providing innovative furniture solutions that support the healing process. Please visit stancehealthcare.com for the latest news and in-depth information on Stance Healthcare and visit https://stancebh.com/ to learn more about our Behavioral Health offerings and insights.

Stance’s Improving Lives by Design mission starts from the inside, so we wanted to share how some of our own team members are inspired by our products. This week, we talked to Tracey Heimpel, Business Development Manager, and Cesar Fernandes, Product Design and Development Manager, about some of their favorite Stance collections. 

Cesar says:
 

Favorite product, and why?

“One of my new favorite collections is our Valet Lounge seating. It’s just a very inviting and modern design and we offer it in a range of styles to really work well with a variety of lounge spaces.”
 

Why is this one of your favorites? What makes this collection stand out in the marketplace, in your opinion?

“I particularly like that we have a version geared towards Behavioral Health environments. It's robust, weighted and we’ve built-in some tamper-resistant features all while maintaining its beautiful form.”
 

If you have a connection to the story behind this product's development, please share:

“You don’t usually get to turn a chair upside down to highlight its clean design but in the case of the disc base for example, we’ve really paid extra attention to detail. The underside of the base is solid, smooth and precision machined with a glide system that offers great stability and movability if needed.”
 

In your words, how does this product/collection support Stance's "Improving Lives by Design" mission?

“I think Valet is a great example of how we can balance a design that is beautiful and welcoming with the features and performance required for today’s demanding healthcare environments.”

Tracey says:
 

Favorite product, and why?
 

“My favorite Stance product is our new Jensen series. It’s a new, trendy product with clean lines. It’s hit the ground running and we are already seeing lots of orders for it.”
 

Any connection to this product’s development? 
 

“Throughout the prototype process I was able to test it out and give my opinion on how the product sat. It was so fun to see it evolve.”

In your words, how does this product/collection support Stance's "Improving Lives by Design" mission? 

“The Jensen series is so comfortable, it will always make a patient and guest feel relaxed and at ease. It is the perfect blend of beauty and brawn, with its modern lines that elevate any healthcare facility.” 

Anything else you would like to add? 

“Watch out for the Jensen series to be added to our BH line of products.”

Stance Healthcare’s Attessa, Attessa Jr., and Attessa for Behavioral Health modular collections turn open spaces into environments with purpose

Whenever a facility partner asks us for versatility in a product, we first point them to Attessa. The modular seating and table collection, available for general healthcare, pediatric, and Behavioral Health settings, is not only sleek and beautiful – it is designed with endless capacity to create intentional spaces within any environment. 

Offering a wide range of modules and nylon-webbed construction for enhanced comfort, Attessa can be broken up into various seating arrangements to fit the dynamic needs of any room. The nimble collection can work to create a practical space beyond what is typically expected of healthcare seating, including serving as banquette and dining areas, in addition to being set up for therapeutic or consultative purposes.

“For Behavioral Health environments in particular, Attessa can create settings that prepare patients in therapy for the transition to post-treatment life,” said Stance Healthcare’s Behavioral Health Interior Designer, Suzanne Fawley. “For example, this can be configured to mimic a banquette area that might be found in a typical restaurant. By creating intentional spaces, such as those used for dining, Attessa is not only providing a place to eat – it is empowering patients to approach regular social interaction again. Attessa is such an asset to facility planners who are looking for furniture that goes beyond the status quo to truly support patient wellness.”

Attessa is a standout example of how Stance Healthcare’s collections are Improving Lives by Design. At Jonas Hill Hospital and Clinic in rural North Carolina, the collection can be found in a multi-purpose room that features a mural of the surrounding mountain scenery. From therapeutic vignettes to general seating, Attessa is flexible to be used in a variety of ways at any time.

Attessa modular lounge seating and tables are designed to suit any healthcare public space, offering style, comfort and durability sufficient for high-traffic common areas. Learn more about our general collection here; our pediatric collection, Attessa Jr., here; and Attessa for Behavioral Health here. 

Our food & fund drive for the Food Bank of Waterloo Region was a big success! Employees collected 157lbs of food and donated $780, which was matched by Stance Healthcare for a total of $1560. Through this initiative, we were able to provide 4800 meals to local families who need it most.  

The Food Bank of Waterloo Region is a community-based organization striving to build effective partnerships within Waterloo Region. They work collaboratively with community programs and agency partners, as part of the Community Food Assistance Network, to provide food and other vital supports to people in need.