CREJ

April 2018 — Health Care Properties Quarterly — Page 17 www.crej.com While the Colorado Real Estate Journal continues to run a healthcare and senior care news section in each issue of the newspaper, Health Care Properties Quarterly features the most interesting projects and people, trends and analysis, and covers development, investment, leasing, finance, design, construction and management. The publication is mailed with the Colorado Real Estate Journal newspaper, a 4,000-plus distribution that includes developers, investors, brokers, lenders, contractors, architects and property managers. Smith,presidentofSt. JosephHospi- teof its Photo courtesyCooperthwaite Photography and Productions n its design. June 2016 The hospital campus redefined  Market Reports  Development & Investment Updates  Design & Construction Trends  Capital Markets  Legal Updates  and more ADVERTISING Lori Golightly | 303-623-1148 x102 | lgolightly@crej.com SUBMIT EXPERT ARTICLES Jennifer Hayes | 303-623-1148 x 106 | jhayes@crej.com MEDIA KIT & SAMPLES crej.com/HealthCareProperties READ THE NEXT EDITION: Wednesday, July 18 RESERVE YOUR SPACE BY: Wednesday, June 27 AD SIZES: Quarter Page $395 Half Page $595 Full Page $995 Full Color $200 Additional Frequency Discounts Available. W ith scores of new health care facility construction projects underway in the local mar- ket, it’s imperative that hos- pitals work with contractors who understand and implement safe construction practices specific to the health care environment.With patient, visitor and staff safety at a premium during a construction project, educa- tion, preparation and planning are keys to keeping everyone safe. From infection control to construc- tion noise and debris, hospitals face critical challenges and risks if they aren’t working with a qualified and knowledgeable team of contractors. Not doing so jeopardizes the health, safety and comfort of everyone in and around the hospital.To incorporate best practices, a hospital should not only expect, but also demand the following from its general contractor: • Proven experience. Be sure that your general contractor’s team is accredited by the American Society for Healthcare Engineering as Certified Healthcare Constructors or carries similar designa- tion from a reputable organization as a way to qualify them for sensitive proj- ects. This qualification demonstrates not only a knowledge of best practices working in health care environments, but also a high level of experience exe- cuting those practices. It is not an easy standard to achieve, and hospital and health care professionals should be aware of construction industry profes- sionals who have put in the time and effort to become ASHE-CHC accredited, for example. • Infection control risk assessment. Working together with the hospital, an infection control risk assessment should be performed and infection control risk mitigation recommenda- tions put in place before any work begins.The recom- mendations take into consideration risks of infection – to patients, staff and contractors – result- ing from the con- struction work to be performed.The plan is reviewed by lay- ers of professionals, including the infec- tion prevention manager at the hospi- tal, who assists with the daily review of the recommendation implementation. Some of the key elements of the ICRMR include: • Building “ante rooms” as a barrier between construction zones and public areas; the air is monitored continu- ally in the ante rooms to maintain the proper separation between the work area and surrounding areas. • Providing sanitary devices and materials such as antiseptic sprays, tacky mats (to remove particles from shoes and boots), temporary gowns and booties to cover workers, etc., that help to provide defenses against infec- tion. • Defend in place. Hospitals are a “defend-in-place” environment, meaning that in an emergency, some patients can’t be moved, regardless of the situation. If, for example, a tornado was to hit, a hospital is prepared to be compartmentalized, and a general contractor must understand and plan for such an event.This will of course require forethought and a plan of action that will ensure that in the event of an emergency, construction either won’t breech any defend-in-place patient compartments or will make temporary accommodations to modify the compartments. Other life safety measures that should be considered: • Special considerations that might arise at a hospital construction site, such as the landings of helicopter ambulances, which can create height, personnel and material restrictions in certain areas. • Ensuring “life safety access” to safe zones and egress routes within the hospital building in the event of an emergency.These critical access points (or identified alternatives) must remain open and unhindered at all times regardless of the stage of construction. •Training the construction team on hospital practices and terminology (i.e., a “code red” or a “code blue” announce- ment) to ensure workers inside and around the hospital understand how to react to different critical situations as they arise. • Privacy and respect. Construction is loud, dirty and not always the most politically correct work environment. Make sure that you’re working with a general contractor who has a team that is trained on the nuances of a hospital environment and takes an active role in enforcing a strict workplace.The general contractor should also prepare a work schedule that accommodates the hours of operation and care taking place in various parts of the hospital. For example, the surgery center and birthing center shouldn’t have to hear the noise emanating from a construc- tion zone when quiet is mandatory. Due to the nature of the working environment, health care and hospital construction demands a unique level of service and attention to detail that isn’t found on other jobsites.With a population that includes patients, fam- ily members and caregivers, a hospital should seek out a construction team that is ultimately mindful of the care they’re providing while performing their jobs. s Safe construction practices for the industry Construction Ted Laszlo Co-founder, Vertix Builders Health care and hospital construction demands a unique level of service and attention to detail.