Medical Journal Houston Vol. 11, Issue 12, March 2015

Legal Affairs: Court finds that violation of condition of participation is not the basis for an FCA suit, see page 3

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The Leading Source for Healthcare Business News

Special Report: Construction

March 2015 • Volume 11, Issue 12 • $3.50

Healthcare renovations need experts and leaders
INSIDE
▼
Bay Area Regional Medical
Center announces fourstory expansion
see page 14

INDEX
▼
Legal Affairs......................3
Financial Perspectives.......4
Integrative Medicine.........6
Moving On Up..................8
Physicians’ Forum.............9
THA...............................12
Breaking Ground............14

What is osteopathic
medicine?
see page 6

. . . . . . . . . . . .

By Jackson Simpson,
Project Manager,
Hoar Construction
Healthcare
construction
has evolved dramatically
over the past few years. The
industry has always required
experienced contractors that understand
the importance of patient satisfaction and
safety; however, recently the type and
scope of projects in the healthcare field
have trended toward more renovations and
upgrading of existing facilities. Hospitals
are constantly evolving to keep up with the
latest technological advances in the medical
field as well as undergoing cosmetic upgrades
that lend themselves to increased patient
desirability. Changes in how and where
care is delivered require a re-examination
of real estate strategies and often trigger
repurposing of existing physical plant.
When it comes to healthcare, renovation
projects are typically far more challenging
than new construction. Any renovation
of an existing building affects every facility
user: physicians, staff, patients and guests.
The potential disruption a construction
project typically causes can affect patient
satisfaction and create serious safety
concerns if the ability to deliver services
without interruption is not handled with
absolute attention to detail.
Renovations must address a basic truth
that can not be overlooked: Patients use
the facility under construction. Since
reimbursement is increasingly tied to
patient satisfaction ratings, providing an
excellent patient experience is not just the
right thing to do—it can also influence
a hospital’s bottom line and the facility’s
reputation. Hoar’s healthcare builders stress
a solid team, communication, and planning
as the keys to accommodating patient care
needs during renovations.

Visitor wayfinding is key for successful hospital renovations
A well-qualified and reliable project team is
critical to the success of a healthcare project.
At Hoar, our healthcare professionals
understand the critical importance of
investing in robust scheduling and phasing
strategies, establishing smart processes
for utility tie-ins and shutdowns, and
implementing outstanding safeguards for
infection control. We study every element
of the building, schedule, and process and
give direct and candid feedback to help
team members understand the intricate
issues that can impede success.
This detailed approach is exactly what
Hoar’s team is implementing for the
Emergency Department addition and
renovation at Tomball Regional Medical
Center, our sixth consecutive project with
the hospital. Shawn Mitchell, Project
Superintendent, explains our emphasis on
communication: “Our job as construction
manager goes beyond bricks and mortar. We
strive to work alongside one another, and
we seek out opportunities to engage with
our client and our design and subcontractor
partners. We work to establish an open line
of communication and mutual trust so the
project can succeed.”
Once construction commences, regular site
walks with the Project Superintendent help

keep hospital administrators, doctors, and
plant operations personnel informed on the
construction progress, logistics and team
challenges, and also allow Hoar to hear and
address any concerns hospital personnel
might have. Honest, open communication
can have far-reaching impacts on budget
and schedule.
At Hoar, we make it common practice to
look at the impact of our work from the
perspective of important stakeholders.
We place just as much emphasis on the
patient’s satisfaction as we do the hospital
personnel’s. “Think like a patient sitting
in the rooms adjacent to construction,”
suggests Brady Johnson, Vice President of
Operations. “Think of sound, sight, smell,
vibration, wayfinding.” When patients fill
out satisfaction surveys, their recollection
of construction around them should be
negligible. This can only happen when
construction processes are so well designed
their intrusion on the working medical
environment is perceived as minor—even
if it is not. And remember, families often
fill out surveys on behalf of patients. If they
are dissatisfied, they’ll be sure to express it;
so try to make construction an invisible (or
barely visible) activity. Johnson recalls an
idea Hoar used at one hospital where new
construction was rising right outside the
Please see CONSTRUCTION page 16

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