5 Factors Shaping Healthcare Facility Construction In U.S.

Healthcare facility construction can be influenced by a number of things, ranging from development costs to the level of potential patient comfort.

Healthcare architecture firms, Simone Health, implements their knowledge surrounding the development of healthcare facilities to share 5 factors shaping US healthcare facility construction.

1. Integrated Approach: Need for Multi-Use Facilities

Multi-use facilities are becoming increasingly popular in the healthcare community because of their ability to offer more flexible and personalized patient care. The importance of quality patient care has become more prioritized and some small-scale centers offer a level of care, comfort and convenience that is missing when it comes to major healthcare facilities

2. Increase Technology:  Must be Used to Its Full Potential

The implementation of increased health IT resources can drastically improve the quality of care that is delivered by health experts. When constructing healthcare facilities, updated technology must be used to its full potential. Providing accurate patient records in a shorter amount of time allows doctors to better understand patient needs and can lead to faster diagnosis and treatment.

3. Sustainability

Healthcare facilities use large amounts of energy and resources in order to maintain function and operate smoothly. The construction of healthcare facilities that keep maintainable and green options in mind promotes cost-savings, sustainability, and long-term value.

4. Costs

Healthcare facility construction is driven by costs and cost-saving techniques. The right approach when it comes to the planning and design of a healthcare facility can lower the overall costs of construction. Decisions such as the prefabrication of buildings is essential for producing a cost-effective building design.

5. Modular & Prefab Options: Help Plan for Growth

Modular construction options consist of using repeated prefabricated structures. The pieces are constructed remotely and then assembled on-site, using a factory-like manufacturing technique to make the sections of the building in half the normal time. Modular and prefabricated buildings also offer an extremely cost-effective option for construction that will ultimately promote a plan for facility growth.

 

Source: PR Newswire

What Is Making The MOB Segment So Healthy?

Since 2012, annual revenues from the pharmaceutical industry have increased from nearly $200 billion to almost $300 billion in 2018. In the same period, single-tenant medical office transactions jumped from almost $1.5 billion in 2012 to $2.5 billion last year.

What is causing the significant increase in single-tenant medical office transactions along with the robust health-care market?

The simple answer is an aging population. There is no question that America is getting older. According to the United States Census Bureau, the number of Americans 65 years and older is expected to double over the next three decades. An aging population requires more drugs, more health-care professionals and  more space to deliver medical services. For investors in net lease properties, the medical office sector can provide a strong investment opportunity to ride this seemingly unstoppable trend.

First, the space is more accessible to a wider group of investors with an average transaction size of nearly $10 million in 2018 vs. over $20 million for the rest of the single-tenant office sector.

Secondly, medical office is commanding higher per-square-foot valuations than the net lease office sector overall, with buyers paying a 7 percent premium per square foot over non-medical assets. This reflects the robust demand and healthy market fundamentals, as investors can take comfort in owning a solidly performing medical office property that commands a strong valuation.

In an investor survey recently conducted by JLL, respondents’ interest in office assets leased to health-care-related tenants outpaced that of technology, business services, government and financial services. Investors who are targeting the health-care space in 2019 indicated they are allocating on average 20 percent of their capital towards medical office assets.

Additionally, apart from industrial assets, investors indicated that the health-care sector was the most likely to exhibit a decrease in cap rates in the remainder of the year. This, along with the other factors previously mentioned, has attracted a diversified and evenly distributed buyer population. Institutional and private investors as well as REITs have been putting money into this property type, which indicates the depth of investor interest across the spectrum of buyers. Broad investor interest and increased demand is expected to continue to put owners in a strong position to sell their investments at attractive valuations in the future.

Finally, the asset class on average commands lower cap rates than the rest of the single-tenant office space, due to the mission criticality of the real estate. Its cap rate is reflective of its dependable stream of income. On average, medical cap rates are 30 basis points lower than those in the office sector overall.

As net lease investors navigate the uncertainty of the retail sector, the medical office space appears poised to offer an alternative, with strong, dependable returns that are more difficult to disrupt with technology and the internet. As long-term trends in health care continue to point toward longer lifespans and increased care, medical office space will remain critical and demand will increase, providing opportunities for investors to capitalize on this unstoppable force: growing old.

 

Source: Commercial Property Executive

Health Care Firm Takes Big Office Block In AllianceTexas Project In North Fort Worth

An Indiana-based health care firm has leased a huge block of office space in the AllianceTexas development in North Forth Worth.

American Specialty Health Inc., a 32-year-old firm that serves millions of customers across the United States, has rented 164,000 square feet of offices in the Heritage Commons office complex near Interstate 35W to expand its North Texas operations. The company currently has an office in Southlake.

Mercedes-Benz Financial Services previously occupied the office American Specialty Health is moving into. The automaker finance unit has moved to a new building. American Specialty Health plans to move to the new location next month.

“American Specialty Health continues to grow rapidly, and expanding our workforce in Texas is central to our ongoing success,” co-founder, chairman and CEO George DeVries said in a statement. “As such, it’s vital we offer our employees an environment that meets the demands of today’s tech-driven workforce, and AllianceTexas checks all of the boxes. With access to a talent-rich labor market, a variety of residential options, lifestyle amenities and an established community, our company is poised to grow and thrive in North Texas for years to come.”

American Specialty Health provides musculoskeletal health solutions, fitness and exercise programs and health management services to employer groups, health plans, insurance carriers and others. The firm covers more than 50 million Americans under its benefits administration programs.

Steve Aldrich and Ian Kinne of Hillwood negotiated the new lease with Jenny Schreiner and Jon Altschuler of Altschuler and Co. Griffin Capital Essential Asset REIT owns the building.

The 30-year-old AllianceTexas development is now home to more than 500 companies and more than 61,000 jobs.

 

Source: Dallas News