Developing Healthcare

What is the most cost efficient method of expansion for a hospital: adding or renovating facilities? Return on invest is key to this question as hospital executives plan to add to their medical real estate portfolio or focus on enhancing their current assets. Faced with outdated boilers, chillers and heating and ventilation systems along with [...]

What’s a progressively growing medical facility that stands to benefit health system and hospital executives, especially in response to healthcare reform? A satellite emergency department (ED). New hospital construction for this year revolves around lower-cost, community based facilities. As health systems are trending toward smaller, neighborhood based facilities, satellite emergency departments are popular buildings that [...]

Healthcare reform is by far the most dissected, discussed and debated topic in the medical industry.  Federally mandated healthcare legislation, and the yet to be determined detailed fine print, influences every decision a hospital executive considers on a daily basis. It may come as a surprise then that hospital executives are moving forward with construction [...]

The lean process has long been used in manufacturing organizations to increase efficiency and streamline processes, but is now beginning to make an impact in the healthcare industry. Using the lean process means good management, planning and communication. However these three simple concepts take a well coordinated staff to implement effectively. Lean initiatives begin with [...]

Taking the necessary precautions to ensure a healthy and sanitary hospital environment is paramount for hospital executives.  However, now there is an added bonus to protecting patient and staff health. As of October 2012, non-rural acute care hospitals that comply or exceed 5 or more performance standards set by Health and Human Services will receive [...]

Stark laws have been dominant in medical real estate for nearly 20 years, and continue to influence the relationship between medical facilities and medical practitioners. Earlier this year Rush University Medical Center paid $1,500,000 to settle allegations that the administration had violated Stark through the Federal False Claims Act.  Additionally, The Justice Department announced that [...]

Emergency rooms waiting times are known for being long and with average wait times to see a doctor around an hour according to a 2008 National Health Statistics Report, it is no surprise that patients suffering from any kind of symptoms find the wait difficult. Easing patient tension is a common concern for any hospital [...]

The Kansas City Business Journal recently resourced me for my expertise regarding healthcare real estate trends. I was quoted as saying that, “Medical real estate has consistently been one of the most preferred disciplines in the real estate business.” Generally speaking, medical real estate has been consistent in its returns as a metric against its [...]

In the United States the healthcare sector ranks second, after fast food, as the most energy-intensive industry, spending $8.5 billion on energy every year[2]. Hospitals alone spend roughly $5 billion a year on energy costs. Given that hospitals have high energy demands for heating and cooling; ventilation and lighting; and plug loads, they consume almost [...]

Real estate as an industry is slow to change; however, medical real estate is dynamic.   Momentous changes occur infrequently, but 2011 will be an exception. I believe that hospitals with a forward thinking vision must fully comprehend these trends to stay ahead of the competition. Trend 1 Increasing Healthcare Participation: Healthcare reform legislation intends to [...]