By Jeff Wardon, Jr., Assistant Editor

Healthcare facility managers face constant pressure to do more with less. They have to balance patient care, operational efficiency and infrastructure needs while working within tight budgets. Healthcare Facilities Today recently spoke with Christy Lindsey, global head of healthcare advisory at consulting firm SJ, to understand the way managers can use data analytics to make smarter decisions about upgrades and capital planning.  

HFT: Many healthcare organizations operate with limited facilities budgets. How can data analytics help leaders prioritize which infrastructure upgrades deliver the greatest impact? 

Christy Lindsey: Data analytics allows leaders to move beyond gut feel and anecdotal evidence by quantifying utilization, patient flow and facility condition. For example, our clinical delivery system plan integrates demand modeling, operational performance and building data to identify which facilities drive the most value and which may drain resources. That means scarce dollars go to the projects with the greatest impact on access, throughput and financial performance. 

HFT: What are the most common blind spots healthcare organizations face when assessing the condition of aging facilities? 

Lindsey: One blind spot is looking only at physical condition without factoring in functional performance. A building may look structurally sound but still hinders care delivery because of outdated layouts, long patient travel distances or poor adjacencies. Another is underestimating the cost of deferred maintenance, which compounds over time. 

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HFT: How do data-driven tools differ from traditional facility condition assessments, and what advantages do they provide? 

Lindsey: Traditional assessments are often a static snapshot in time. Our data-driven models, like the capital asset renewal plan, go further by applying our SJ Index, which integrates facility age, condition and operational utilization with financial scenarios. This creates a dynamic planning tool, not just a report, allowing leaders to test trade-offs and adjust priorities as markets and strategies shift. 

HFT: Can you share an example where data-driven planning extended the useful life of a healthcare facility or avoided unnecessary capital spending? 

Lindsey: In Australia, our team supported a health system that initially anticipated needing a full replacement of an aging acute-care facility. By analyzing utilization and functional flow, we identified targeted modernization measures that extended the facility’s life by 15 years — at less than half the cost of replacement. Similarly, in Singapore, digital twin modeling helped right-size expansion, avoiding millions in overbuild. 

HFT: What advice would you give facilities managers just beginning to adopt data analytics in their infrastructure planning? 

Lindsey: Start small, but start with the right questions. You don’t need every dataset at once. Focus on utilization, condition and population demand first. Build confidence by showing quick wins, like reallocating underused space or preventing a costly but unnecessary upgrade. Most importantly, involve clinicians, planners and engineers early so the insights translate into practical design and operational decisions. 

Jeff Wardon, Jr., is the assistant editor for the facilities market.