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South Florida Is Changing, And So Is Healthcare Construction

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As people flock to South Florida, demand is rising for new construction in housing, transportation and healthcare.

But in the face of supply chain challenges, escalating prices and a tight labor market, experts in the field believe the success of new projects hinges more than ever on timely decisions and collaboration.

“There’s been a 180-degree shift over the past few years,” says Operations Manager Johnathan Peavy at Robins & Morton’s Miami office. “In the early days of the pandemic, supplies, material and even labor were readily available. We anticipated some supply chain issues due to the pandemic, but no one anticipated the ‘Texas Freeze,‘ which compounded the supply chain woes. Along with secondary shutdowns to heavy manufacturing markets, these have created a title wave of supply chain issues.”

Staggered factory shutdowns have left lingering backlogs of construction supplies, from electrical components to building materials. The problems are compounded by the ongoing supply chain issues and a very tight construction labor market, with cost escalations increasing budget volatility.

At Robins & Morton, supporting clients in a changing market is a top priority – and that process starts on day one with a commitment to transparency and collaboration.

“We want to be available to help every step of the way; not only in building, but in budgeting, scheduling, procurement and approval,” says Peavy. “Making smart choices about which materials to use and when to order them. Or helping the client plan for volatility in the market – for example, carrying over a percentage of the budget each month to be ready for inflation or price hikes.”

The firm’s collaborative approach serves as an essential strategy when the company faces uniquely challenging projects – such as rebuilding Baptist Health Fishermen’s Community Hospital in Marathon. That same strong communication is key to overcoming market challenges at Robins & Morton’s projects across South Florida, including Jupiter Medical Center’s Surgical Institute Expansion, BHSF Boca Raton Regional Hospital and University of Miami Health System.

“There’s no one-size-fits-all solution,” adds Senior Project Manager Edwige Clark. “It’s about looking at the data you have and trying to spot risks and potential pitfalls before they happen – but the more you can communicate, the more effective all parties can be. We’re navigating this together.”

Those close partnerships help futureproof healthcare facilities. Often, that starts with designs that can significantly reduce the environmental footprint and utility costs. For tropical and coastal environments like South Florida, structures need to withstand humid environments, heavy winds, and potential flooding, and hospitals must remain operational to serve patients during hurricanes or other natural disasters.

“At the end of the day, we’re doing more than meeting parameters. We’re building for people: for healthcare workers, for expecting parents, for folks recovering from illness or injury,” says Clark. “When the construction is finished; it’s in the choices we made that will impact those people for a long time.”

As flexibility in work and transportation allows people to move “where they want to live” and not only “where they need to live,” South Florida is a key destination. An influx of new residents will fuel growth and new developments, which will include healthcare facilities to serve the growing population.

“If so, South Florida will be ready,” says Peavy. “Over the next three to five years, it’s likely the region will continue to grow – and with it, the cycle of new construction. But we’re rising to meet that demand with strong partnerships, new talent and strategies that will help our clients adapt in the years ahead.”

 

Source: South Florida Hospital News

Dallas-Fort Worth’s Booming Population Sparks An Opportunity For Build-To-Suit Developers

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While the country’s overall population growth may be slowing, people are flocking to Texas in droves.

The Lone Star State accounted for nearly one-fourth of the population growth in the U.S. between 2018 and 2019.. For Clay Curtis, this population boom means one thing: opportunity.

“It’s a great time for developers to pursue build-to-suit opportunities,” said Curtis, senior vice president at McRight-Smith Construction, a Texas-based construction management firm. “Millions of people are moving to the Dallas-Fort Worth area and they are all looking for services, from doctor’s offices and day cares to bars and coffee shops.”

Build-to-suit properties are designed in collaboration with the landowner to meet the needs of a specific tenant, such as a restaurant or medical facility. Curtis said that as a design-build firm, McRight-Smith has extensive experience working on projects that call for this level of collaboration and transparency.

Bisnow sat down with Curtis to learn more about what is happening in the Dallas-Fort Worth market and why he thinks now is the best time for developers to start searching for land to create their next build-to-suit project.

Bisnow: Where are you seeing CRE opportunity?

Curtis: I’ve seen significant CRE activity not just in the DFW metro area, but also in outlying areas beyond Plano, Frisco and Dallas. Specifically, in northern Collin County, the cities of Anna, Melissa and Prosper are experiencing tremendous growth in residential housing with the corresponding need for medical offices, small to large business offices, restaurants and other retail service businesses. Denton County is experiencing the same growth, particularly in the northern and western portions of the county.

Bisnow: Why do you believe now is the right time for developers to embrace build-to-suit opportunities?

Curtis: Retail occupancy rates in DFW are at 93%, near record highs. This trend has been going on for several years and we see no signs that it is softening. The areas we have identified in the northern sectors of both Collin and Denton counties are booming and we are seeing significant demand for medical office, general office and small to midsize retail space — exactly the types of projects built-to-suit was created for.  Couple this high demand with low availability and the opportunity is clear: Build-to-suit offers a wonderful opportunity to capitalize in this growing market.

Bisnow: What are some of the unique aspects of build-to-suit projects?

Curtis: What sets build-to-suit developments apart is that their specific advantages are shared by both the owner-developer and the tenant, allowing for a true win-win scenario. Since developers know exactly what the building will be used for, they can utilize the most modern, energy-efficient and cost-efficient systems to reduce a property’s operating and occupancy costs. For the tenant, build-to-suit provides an opportunity for direct input into the design and construction of the building, resulting in the most efficient use of the interior space. This helps keep the emphasis on the revenue-generating square footage and minimizes common areas, or back-office areas that can often feel oversized when trying to shoehorn a tenant into a larger space than they need.

Bisnow: What can design-build firms bring to these types of projects?

Curtis: Design-build companies like McRight-Smith manage the entire life cycle of a construction project, from the initial planning stages through ensuring that everything remains within budget and is delivered on time.  This approach offers owners, developers and future tenants a more direct line of communication during the construction process, without third-party intervention, which is key in build-to-suit projects. Our process is all about collaboration. It starts with a deep dive into the project goals, discussing tenant needs and building specifics with the design team, owner-developer and, in built-to-suit projects, the tenant.  The general design-build philosophy can be applied to any asset class. This process helps owners/developers, tenants and construction managers minimize cost, manage expectations, communicate effectively, stay on track of timelines and deliver the best outcomes.

 

Source: Bisnow

The Difference Between Patient-Centered and Patient-Centric Care Explained By Healthcare Development Company

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In an effort to help medical facilities provide more effective treatment, healthcare architecture firms, Simone Healthcare Development, explains the difference between patient-centered and patient-centric care.

The healthcare industry has advanced a great deal in recent years, and these leaps in knowledge and technology have started to change the way many providers and patients are approaching medical treatment. Patient-centered and Patient-centric care both have their strengths and weaknesses, but the industry as a whole continues to move toward the latter.

Discussed below are the differences between these two treatment philosophies and how they could change the way that facilities approach development and policy.

Patient-Centered Care

Patient-Centered care has been the traditional treatment format for many years, focusing on the physician’s authority as the driving factor behind medical decisions.

For the majority of modern history, medical care was handled almost entirely by a primary care physician. Although there is a push in the industry for patients to better engage with general practitioners, the fact of the matter is that patient care is often fragmented across many different specialists that may have minimal contact overal.

This lack of communication can be an issue when it comes to providing effective and comprehensive treatment for medical issues, as doctors may often not have the full picture of the patient’s medical history and collaboration with other doctors. Physicians make decisions with their patients’ best interests in mind, but without comprehensive knowledge, their ability to guide care has become more limited. It’s for this reason that patient-centric care has become more common – valuing the patient’s knowledge of their needs and values working in tandem with their practitioners’ expertise.

Patient-Centric Care

Now, more than ever before, patients are becoming a valuable authority regarding treatment for themselves. Medical facilities are starting to realize that the holes in their physicians’ understanding of the patient’s wants and needs have negatively affected outcomes – placing a renewed importance on the patient’s knowledge of their health and overall well-being.

In addition to coordinating care among multiple practitioners and facilities over time, patients also have an idea of their values and desired outcomes with treatment. While in the past, physicians may have made important decisions on their own, the modern healthcare field has made the treatment process a collaboration rather than a dictation.

Moving forward, patients themselves will become the go-to for information about their health and will be the catalyst for their treatment.

 

Source: HREI