Health systems are increasingly consolidating services into large, new, technology-rich medical office buildings near population centers, according to an article on the MiBiz website.

Rather than sending patients to facilities scattered over a wide region, health systems across West Michigan and nationally are finding that consolidating those dispersed offices under one large roof can cut costs and provide a better patient experience.

“Much of it is about being able to provide facilities that are very convenient for our patients,” said Rick Redetzke, vice president of facilities and real estate at Spectrum Health. “To pull up next to a facility close to your home is a completely different experience than trying to navigate a parking ramp downtown at our medical center.”

A focus on the patient experience is just one of the drivers for the construction of new medical office buildings, the article said.

In 2014, Colliers International reported that healthcare reform and the implementation of the Affordable Care Act underscored a need for large healthcare systems to innovate and consolidate.

Read the article.