Healthcare facility planner Don McKahan, McKahan Planning Group, San Diego, discusses the changes that regulations, economics and patient preferences are having on healthcare facilities in a Q&A on the Health Facilities Management website.
Q: What are the most significant changes driving healthcare facility planning today?
A: Healthcare reform, new reimbursement schemes and evolving patient care strategies are upending traditional planning models. As hospitals move from quantity to quality, a new generation of more agile facilities is required.
These buildings need the flexibility to support several generations of ever-changing hospital departments during their lifespan. This includes structural solutions that provide simple, expandable corridor systems; interstitial space for evolving mechanical and electrical systems; and the inclusion of soft space for future expansion of critical diagnostic and treatment departments.
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