For Emily Tremblay, director of real estate and growth projects at Valir Health, building a healthcare facility is about far more than blueprints and building codes. It is about shaping environments that restore dignity, foster Independence, and support meaningful connections for aging adults.
Emily Tremblay | Valir Health | Director of Real Estate & Growth Projects
Based in Oklahoma, Valir Health provides compassionate care through its growing network of PACE (Programs for All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly) centers. These centers allow seniors to age in place while receiving comprehensive medical care, therapy, transportation, meals, and social services—all under one roof. It is a unique model that emphasizes prevention, personalization, and community, and it requires facilities that do the same.
“Our PACE participants often face complex mobility and health challenges,” Tremblay explains. “From the moment they exit their mode of transportation to when they see their provider or attend an activity, every aspect of the environment must be seamless, supportive, and safe.”
Human-centered design in healthcare
Since joining Valir in 2020, Tremblay has led the development of over 15 new locations, ranging from ground-up builds to the adaptive reuse of aging facilities. Between physical therapy clinics, PACE centers, and hospice locations, her work seamlessly blends strategic project management with deep empathy, ensuring that every facility supports both operational needs and the lived experiences of those it serves.
“I walk every site with two perspectives in mind,” she says. “What will it feel like for the staff working here, and what will it feel like for the 85-year-old who’s stepping through the doors for the first time?”
With that dual lens, Tremblay prioritizes design elements often overlooked: wide hallways, natural light, intuitive wayfinding, low-glare surfaces, and warm finishes that make a space feel more like home, not a clinic.
Even the furniture is carefully chosen.
“A seat without arms or stability can be a serious barrier,” she says. “Accessibility isn’t just a feature. It is foundational.”
Her process involves close collaboration with Valir’s clinical and operational teams — including nursing, therapy, dietary, and transportation — to ensure the built environment enhances workflows and supports high-quality care. In PACE, where services span everything from primary care and rehab to behavioral health and social engagement, the physical layout must facilitate integration.
“It’s not interior design — it’s healthcare delivery strategy, built into the walls,” Tremblay says.
Transforming what’s left behind
Much of Valir’s expansion relies on reimagining and repurposing existing structures, often shuttered retail buildings or outdated medical facilities. Tremblay thrives in these challenges, embracing the unpredictability of older facilities and breathing new life back into them with purpose.
“Many of our projects involve adaptive reuse,” she explains. “It takes creative planning and collaboration to retrofit these spaces for clinical, therapeutic, and community use while still meeting strict healthcare regulations.”
With a PMP and PMI-ACP certification, she brings structure and agility to complex builds — essential qualities in a sector where time, cost, and quality are all non-negotiable. And as the organization grows beyond its Oklahoma roots, her work is setting the tone for national replication.
Two major projects in 2025 underscore that ambition: a long-anticipated new center several years in the making and the relocation of Valir’s Oklahoma City headquarters and flagship PACE facility to a larger site designed to serve more participants while supporting the company’s expanding national footprint.
“These facilities have to be efficient, scalable, and compliant—but still feel welcoming and human,” she says. “Every new build helps us refine the model.”
A lean team with a long reach
Her approach amplifies Tremblay’s impact. Though officially a team of two—she and longtime facilities technician Tony Carter, who’s been with Valir for more than 18 years—she’s built a robust network of trusted contractors and vendors who function as an extension of her department.
“In a department as lean as ours, communication, culture fit, and reliability are just as important as technical skill,” she says. “I’m not just looking for someone who can fix an HVAC unit—I want people who understand they’re supporting a healthcare environment where safety and time matter.”
She emphasizes long-term relationships and continuity, often giving repeat opportunities to contractors who understand Valir’s mission and take pride in their work. These partnerships ensure that every facility—whether new or in need of maintenance—reflects the same high standards and values.
Now overseeing both new developments and maintenance operations, Tremblay uses real-time operational feedback from active sites to inform future builds. “We don’t just open doors and move on—we evolve,” she says. “What we learn in maintenance directly shapes how we design the next location.”
Built with empathy at the core
Tremblay’s work isn’t without its challenges. As a woman in a male-dominated field, she’s had to prove herself repeatedly—especially in construction settings.
“I’ve walked into contractor meetings where I could see minds being made up before I even spoke,” she says. “But I’ve also met truly respectful, supportive professionals, and I keep working with those.”
What keeps her going is the impact she sees every time a new center opens: participants regaining strength after a fall, enjoying a meal with friends, or receiving care in comfort. “We’re not just building spaces—we’re creating environments that help people thrive.”
Outside of work, Tremblay lives in Oklahoma with her husband, Jake, their two sons, Colin and Connor, and their Boston Terrier, Murphy. Whether they’re enjoying Scouts, football, church, or hiking through national parks, the values she brings home mirror the values she brings to Valir: care, connection, and community.
Through every challenge, Tremblay remains guided by a belief that the built environment matters—and when it’s done right, it can change lives.
“We design for dignity,” she says. “Because when we care about how a space feels, we show people that they matter.”
