The occasional pleasant surprise is always nice, but an unanticipated tornado is rarely greeted with enthusiasm. Most of us prefer a relatively predictable future with adequate warning when the occasional storm heads our way.
Unfortunately, our current political drama has made our healthcare clients view the future of their business environment in much the same way most of us approach the latest weather report. We want to stay abreast of the latest news, but what we hear is greeted with skepticism.
Just as very few of us would bet a significant amount of our wealth on the reliability of weather predictions, our healthcare clients are struggling with how best to approach long-term planning when our national healthcare policy seems to change with the nightly news cycle.
Within this rancorous political environment and the uncertainty that it imposes on the healthcare industry, architects are asking themselves how they can best serve their healthcare clients with decisions that have significant cost and long-term implications.
Our advice to fellow architects and clients alike is to focus on what you know and avoid speculative investments.
We know, for example, that most of the nation’s healthcare infrastructure is aging, with many hospital campuses occupied by buildings that are ill-suited to meet the demands of modern healthcare.
We know that we have an aging Baby Boomer population that will require care and treatment for chronic problems that accompany old age. We also know that they are living longer than their parents did.
We’re aware, too, that the demographic and financial composition of the country is evolving. We know that many of the rural areas of the country are poorly served and lack adequate healthcare services. We also know that many urban areas have inadequate or poorly distributed trauma services.
These realities provide direction for where healthcare providers might make meaningful and defensible investments—at least until the political seas calm and the way forward is a bit more predictable.
For healthcare architects, these realities also offer potential opportunities for marketing strategies that can be tailored toward the types of projects that might surface during this stressful period. Projects could include the modernization of existing facilities, conversions from semi-private rooms to private rooms, or energy system upgrades that reduce operating costs.
More proactively, healthcare planners and designers might consider bundling services that are directed toward strategically assisting their clients with assessing opportunities within their existing healthcare campuses—opportunities that could improve operational efficiency, space utilization, and throughput.
Architects may be as ill-equipped to resolve the healthcare policy turmoil as everyone else, but healthcare designers are very well positioned to assist their clients strategically with insight and creativity—not only to navigate the stormy waters that are currently roiling the industry, but also to make meaningful interventions that provide long-term value to the communities they and their healthcare clients serve.
Related Stories
Healthcare Facilities | Nov 23, 2021
Why vertical hospitals might be the next frontier in healthcare design
In this article, we’ll explore the opportunities and challenges of high-rise hospital design, as well as the main ideas and themes we considered when designing the new medical facility for the heart of London.
Healthcare Facilities | Nov 12, 2021
Centro Hospitalario Serena Del Mar is Safdie Architects’ first project in Latin America
The hospital project is characterized by its connectivity to nature.
Healthcare Facilities | Nov 2, 2021
Key design considerations for designing the smart patient room
The complete patient experience encompasses the journey to the hospital, the care experience, and the trip back home. All these touchpoints come with an expectation.
Cladding and Facade Systems | Oct 26, 2021
14 projects recognized by DOE for high-performance building envelope design
The inaugural class of DOE’s Better Buildings Building Envelope Campaign includes a medical office building that uses hybrid vacuum-insulated glass and a net-zero concrete-and-timber community center.
Healthcare Facilities | Oct 22, 2021
The VA is updating what once was the main hospital on a Florida medical campus
The renovated Building One will provide outpatient services.
Healthcare Facilities | Oct 21, 2021
UW Medical Center starts construction on Behavioral Health Teaching Facility
Will add much-needed patient bed capacity for Seattle.
Healthcare Facilities | Oct 20, 2021
Ware Malcomb completes Princeton Longevity Center at 1 World Trade Center
The project is located on the 71st floor.
Healthcare Facilities | Oct 6, 2021
Orléans Health Hub is Ottawa’s newest healthcare facility
HDR designed the project.
Healthcare Facilities | Oct 4, 2021
Saltzer Health Ten Mile Medical Campus completes in Meridian, Idaho
Cushing Terrell designed the project.
Healthcare Facilities | Sep 20, 2021
Wellness is now part of more colleges’ health services
New center at the University of Virginia unifies major health departments.