Page 21 - SFHN JUNE 2020 FLIP BOOK

HEALTHCARE REAL ESTATE, CONSTRUCTION, DESIGN & FACILITY PLANNING

5 Predictions for Post-Pandemic Healthcare Planning

BY JIM LANGLOIS, AIA, LEED AP

Many health systems are currently
focused on the immediate pandemic
events as they work to overcome the battle
with the coronavirus. When the pandemic
is under control, it’s unlikely we will pick
up where we left off. Health systems will
be faced with a myriad of choices for how
to best move forward with their future
approach to healthcare.
Recently I participated in a virtual think
tank discussion with other design and
construction professionals. The Society of
Marketing Professionals (SMPS) Nashville
Chapter hosted a virtual webinar to con- surge flow. will continue to streamline processes. In many cases the
sider the impact of COVID-19 on the Increased Flexibility and grow in use for low-acuity patients, and “leaning” process had not considered the
healthcare market and how our clients will Adaptability may even be used to check on patients extreme requirements of an event such as
cope with the post-pandemic era. While As hospitals approach surge capacity, after major health events and eliminate COVID-19. Future planning will likely
predicting the future is difficult, I’m shar- healthcare professionals have been forced some of the hospital visits. revisit operating capacity tolerances for
ing five highlights from the webinar dis- to creatively make space for incoming This likely increased use of telehealth many aspects of care facilities.
cussion on how the coronavirus might patients. While the traditional response will drive the need to bolster the IT/com- From front-end planning to facility
impact the future of healthcare. post-pandemic would be to add more munications infrastructure and system design and operations, the coronavirus
patient rooms, hospitals should instead training for healthcare providers. pandemic is set to reshape the healthcare
Planning Prioritized increase flexibility and adaptability. It’s dif- industry in many ways. If you’d like to
Preparedness looks different in different ficult to predict pandemic needs, especial- Revisiting Lean Process Planning watch the full think tank discussion, you
areas of the healthcare industry—proac- ly because care depends on acuity level, so Over the past two decades, the need to can check it out online here.
tive planning for nursing homes and rural it’s important to equip spaces with the nec- “lean” or increase efficiencies within a care
hospitals will look drastically different essary infrastructure—such as oxygen and setting has affected a wide range of sys- Jim Langlois is the executive vice president
than it will for academic medical centers other medical gasses—so that they can tems. From staffing and warehousing of Gresham Smith’s Healthcare market. For
and level one trauma centers. However, quickly repurpose spaces. goods to room sizes, the support systems more information, visit GreshamSmith.com.
regardless of the type of facility, future have been sized to minimize waste and
planning efforts will likely use scenario Decanting the Medical Center
planning to hypothesize how health sys- Hospitals have long housed many
tems will respond to future events. aspects of care services under one roof,
Additionally, hospitals will likely create creating a healthcare destination.
thorough surge capacity plans and they However, it will likely take time before
may start doing disaster drills to increase patients are totally comfortable re-entering
preparedness. a hospital for fear of virus exposure.
Balancing the business pressures of run- Because of this, it’s logical to see the con-
ning a healthcare facility or system against tinued and accelerated relocation of outpa-
being prepared for another pandemic tient specialty care to facilities outside the
event is also needed. Our clients will look hospital. The challenge will be to promote
for planning options to support good deci- a high level of care within a more accessi-
sion-making within a host of new consid- ble and inviting location.
erations. It’s also important to remember
that preparedness isn’t just about facilities Expanded Telehealth Services
and supplies—preparedness is also about Academic medical centers and large hos-
staff. Some health systems I’ve spoken pitals have been traditionally seen as the
with have been retraining staff to do jobs place to go for comprehensive care, but
that are more in demand to handle the this pandemic has also accelerated the use
and legitimacy of telemedicine. Telehealth

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optimizes clinical operations, healthcare delivery, and capital resource
management. We apply evidence-based design and research to create
patient-focused environments that meet strategic goals, maximize
budget, streamline operations, and adapt to tomorrow’s needs. With
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