More Than a Snapshot in Time: Operational and Finance Diligence Across the Life Cycle of Capital Projects (140H)

A healthcare construction project can span 5-10 years from the initial strategic plan, through design, construction and transition to occupancy. Circumstances such as physician alliances, competitive market dynamics, community demographic shifts, payer reimbursement and technology advancements do not remain stagnant during this lengthy process. Will your operational planning process position you to build a healthcare facility to fulfill your needs day one and into the future, or will you be opening a building that met your needs when the business plan was written? Overbuilding clinical services when requirements have changed can be financially devastating from the capital spend to operational workforce impacts. Conversely, underestimating staff requirements can result in safety and quality implications due to a long recruitment cycle.

This session will provide an operational planning approach that not only provides patient and staff flows that are synergistic with facility design but also focuses on dynamic validation of strategy, market dynamics and patient volume projections throughout the life cycle of the capital project. This includes physician input for mutual strategic service line goal-setting and the resultant space and staff requirements ensuring the opening of a right-sized building. Our case studies from recent projects spanning over 2 million square feet of healthcare facilities will highlight the importance of continuous strategy and financial realignments versus following a plan from a snapshot in time.