Page 12B—
COLORADO REAL ESTATE JOURNAL
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March 2-March 15, 2016
A
ccording to research
by the American
Society of Healthcare
Engineering and Healthcare
Facilities Magazine, “70
percent of respondents said
they have projects currently
under construction or planned
in the next three years, a full
three-fourths of those were
expansions or renovations.”
Construction projects in
occupied and operating health
care facilities have some of
the highest levels of risk,
unseen in any other type of
construction. Yet, since positive
patient experience survey
scores are significantly tied to
reimbursements, expansions
or remodels that improve the
overall patient experience can
provide big rewards to the
organization’s revenue stream.
The single greatest risk
with construction projects in
occupied health care facilities
is the potential for hospital-
acquired infections, which
can lead to patient fatality.
Cumbersome noise, interfering
vibrations, continuity of systems
and operational efficiency are
additional risks to consider
in an occupied health care
construction project.
Health care organizations
looking to embark on a
construction project within their
existing facilities should follow
a prescription to minimize risk
and ensure project success. This
prescription includes:
1. Establish an overriding
project vision and goals;
2. Form a team of educated
and experienced designers and
contractors;
3. Develop a comprehensive
project plan with built-in
contingency procedures; and
4. Maintain an open line of
communication with all project
stakeholders.
Project Vision
Renovations and expansions
often are costly and take
significant time to complete.
The project vision and
goals guide the design and
construction team to focus on
the primary purpose of the
project in the planning stages
– these can include creating
a warm and inviting space
for patients with higher-end
finishes, replacing inefficient
electrical and mechanical
systems, or reconfiguring the
layout of the space to enable
better service from health
professionals.
This visioning process also
needs to take into consideration
the business process of the
affected areas. For example,
if a series of operating rooms
are scheduled for renovation,
this work might need to occur
in multiple phases to allow the
hospital system an adequate
amount of space to continuing
medical services while meeting
projected revenues.
Team Formation
Working on a health care
project requires a team with not
only the skills and education,
but also the understanding
and compassion for the health
care profession. The team
should be highly trained in
topics such as health care
terminology, infection control/
risk assessment, interim life
safety measures, medical gas
systems, medical technology
and construction methods of
procedure. Organizations such
as ASHE provide extensive
training options at various levels.
Soft skills, including being
adaptable, collaborative, forward
thinking and detail-oriented,
should be considered when
selecting project team members.
Comprehensive Project Plan
The project plan informs
all of the project stakeholders
– including design and
construction team members,
facilities management,
department heads and third-
party equipment providers – of
all the necessary details in order
to execute the project with
success. The plan must include
a comprehensive site logistics
scheme, infection control
requirements and integration
procedures for critical hospital
systems, including mechanical,
electrical, plumbing and
communications.
Another critical component
of this plan is a coordinated
outline of all specialized medical
equipment to be included in
the space. Medical equipment
technology continuously evolves.
By including a comprehensive
and coordinated plan for
equipment and future upgrades,
the facility is ensured that
the rough in and layout will
accommodate the equipment
without last-minute changes that
can drive up project costs or
delay the schedule.
Careful consideration during
the planning stages of the
project should be given to the
hospital’s daily function and
operations. Construction worker
access, material loading, trash
and debris removal as well as
noise disruptions should be part
of the planning process. Every
effort should be made to cause
as little disruption as possible
to the flow and function of the
hospital, including patients, staff
and visitors.
With any renovation and
expansion project, there
are bound to be unforeseen
conditions. Outlining
contingency procedures ensures
the team understands how
to handle these issues while
keeping the project on track
and the facility running.
Open Communication
Patients, visitors, staff and
vendors are all affected by the
operations of construction.
Immediately developing a
project-specific communication
protocol is vital to a project’s
success. Collaboration with
each department’s leadership,
facilities management, and the
design and construction teams
ensures that the construction
operations do not adversely
affect patient services.
Forms of communication
often include individual
department meetings,
construction bulletins,
signage, daily briefings, weekly
owner/architect/contractor
meetings, as well as digital
communications such as a
project website and social
media.
By following this prescription,
a health care organization will
benefit by having dedicated and
proven team members working
collaboratively and enabling
a better project delivery and
potentially earlier revenues. In
addition, the potential risks of
patient illness and operational
disruptions are vastly minimized.
Mark Southwick
Senior project manager of health
care, Saunders Construction Inc.,
Centennial
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