Just a quick glance at the educational session content will let you know that the HEALTHCARE DESIGN.09 conference starting in Orlando this weekend is far-reaching beyond the design of the healthcare built environment. Consider session titles such as Form Follows Finance: Health Facility Development in a Time of Scarce Credit. This is a 2-hour deep dive session will share perspectives and strategies from leading healthcare strategic planners, CEOs and CFOs of major medical centers and health systems. How Integrated Project Delivery Can Transform the Design and Construction of Healthcare Facilities looks into how IPD was applied at BJC HealthCare. BJC adopted IPD with the goal of improving the construction process for new healthcare facilities, and has recently completed its first IPD project: a new patient tower, pharmacy, and medical outpatient building addition at BJC Barnes-Jewish St. Peters Hospital in St. Peters, Missouri.
Further, Re-Prioritizing and Re-Evaluating Your Master Facility Plan focuses on re-assessing financial capacity and capital spending priorities and provides a framework for re-evaluating what projects are necessary, cost-effective, and ultimately beneficial. FMs learn how to re-prioritize and re-evaluate the master facility plan and identify what programs can and should be implemented in light of the economic downturn.
At a time when retention of talented staff is critical to hospital functions, the conference wisely looks at transforming the delivery of care in “Designing for Your Staff–The Forgotten Consumers” where research will be presented to understand what hospitals and research centers are doing to enhance their workplace. The presenters will reveal the top environmental amenities that make a difference with staff, and in turn, patient care and research.
The information presented should help healthcare FMs with difficult planning decisions. If you’re not able to attend, this is a conference to watch and plan for in 2010.
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Eileen McMorrow
Editor & Publisher
