Critical access hospitals are evolving with industry-wide changes in healthcare delivery methods, technology and demographics, according to an article on the Healthcare Facilities Symposium newsletter. 

In her blog, Jennifer Klund of HGA Architects and Engineers offered three guidelines that critical access hospitals should consider to improve patient access, increase operational efficiencies and meet growing market needs.

• Address unique community characteristics

Many newer CAHs are designed as points-of-pride, reflecting the town's architectural heritage and projecting a sense of welcome.

• Plan for flexibility

Flexible planning allows critical access hospitals to share resources with multiple healthcare providers and expand easily with evolving programming. 

• Rethink the business model

Critical access hospitals have four key revenue-generating departments: Emergency Department, Procedure/Surgical, Imaging/Diagnostics and Clinic. When planning a facility upgrade, owners should first consider how to optimize department productivity within a sustainable business model.

Read the article.