January 10, 2019

The Scoop

New Year - New Opportunities

With the holiday season now behind us, if you’re like me, you’re deep into planning for 2019. Lists are being made, priorities set and an event calendar is getting organized. At The Center, we are focusing on providing you with many virtual and in-person, cutting-edge learning opportunities throughout the year. But, I wanted to let you all know that along with being able to attend these events, there are also chances to become an event sponsor. Event sponsors gain exposure for both their company and their products through event marketing that includes website and social media postings, emails to our entire database and, for our workshops - print ads in Healthcare Design magazine. Our events fall into two categories: virtual, which includes webinars and Research Corners, and in-person events which include our regional Health Design Insights Networking events and Pebble-in-Practice workshops. This year we will be hosting four Pebble-in-Practice workshops. The first workshop will address the challenges of designing for behavior health populations in every healthcare space and will be held in Los Angeles in May. The three other workshops will occur during the week of September 16, and will cover Pediatric Design, Designing for the Challenges of Dementia, and Designing for Behavioral Health. Stay tuned for exact dates of these workshops and the East Coast location.

There will also be three Health Design Insights Networking events - San Francisco, Chicago and New York. Created for The Center's Affiliate and Affiliate+ members, these regional networking events feature an educational session worth one EDAC/AIA CEU, as well as plenty of social time to meet and connect with the regional healthcare design community. Non-members are also invited to attend for a nominal fee which can then be applied to membership.

We also provide bi-monthly webinars where top industry leaders present their recent studies and projects, offering you a chance to directly interact while earning a CEU. Our next webinar on January 17 is  "Designing a Brand Through Art and Architecture: A Tale of Two Hospitals" with Kurt and Carolyn Johnson, owners of Kurt Johnson Photography and Julie Robertson, Interior Design Director, HDR, who will describe building a brand utilizing architectural and artistic language.  

Get up to speed or dive deep into healthcare design strategies and trends through all our upcoming events - all created to offer fresh perspectives from industry thought leaders. Staying up-to-date with all our events is easy - simply click here.

Are you interested in becoming an event sponsor? Contact Randy Carter, rcarter@healthdesign.org, (925) 521-9404, ext. 132, who can outline the upcoming event opportunities.

I look forward to seeing many of you at this year's events!

Be well,

Debra Levin, Hon. FASID, EDAC
President and CEO

Industry News Briefs

Healthcare Developers Must Be Able to Adapt to Market Changes

The world of healthcare real estate has experienced more profound change in the past few years than perhaps any other sector. Along with advances in medical technology, the transformation of healthcare delivery by the introduction of Obamacare has led providers to demand different types of facilities. And that means opportunities for developers and investors, if they understand the marketplace’s new realities.

The construction of massive hospitals is no longer wanted, experts agreed at Bisnow’s National Healthcare Midwest 2018 event in Chicago Tuesday. BEAR Construction Co. project executive Victor Senese moderated an afternoon panel that examined what builders can expect in the future.  “We’re not building any new bed towers,” said Jeff Janicek, vice president of healthcare for Skender, a Chicago-based construction firm. That is primarily because healthcare systems are now required to improve efficiency, and many providers have decided they can achieve these goals by caring for people in their own neighborhoods. “There is now more of a focus on specialty groups.”
BISNOW, more . . .

Five Ways Telemedicine and AI are Improving Patient Outcomes

Telemedicine and artificially intelligent applications in healthcare are one of today’s fastest growing markets. With the ability to streamline services, prevent human error, improve patient experiences, cut costs and harness massive amounts of data into applicable knowledge and insight, the potential benefits of telehealth apps are almost limitless. But in order to achieve high quality patient outcomes in medical facilities when using AI and telemedicine, it is crucial to preserve the human element and create a scenario where both technology and patient care can thrive in perfect harmony.  

Patient outcomes are already being improved by AI and Telemedicine, and it is only a matter of time before these technologies become more refined and more widely used. 
Healthcare Facilities Today, more. . .

Renovating Underused Spaces at Healthcare Facilities Can Generate Revenue

By 2020, behavioral health disorders will surpass all physical diseases as a major cause of disability worldwide. In the United States, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration estimates that nearly 43.7 million adults ages 18 and older have a mental illness and more than 20 million people ages 12 and up have a substance use disorder. According to a recent Health Affairs report, national spending on mental health and substance use treatment services is projected to reach $281 billion in 2020. There continues to be a movement toward integration while more healthcare professionals recognize the need to address the impact of mental illness on chronic conditions, such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. The main catalyst has been the value-based directive to provide better-quality, cost-efficient care. When providers are paid based on patient outcomes, then all factors related to those outcomes should be addressed—including the infrastructure and built environment.

Hospital executives are taking notice, seizing upon the need for mental health services by converting underutilized spaces into state-of-the-art behavioral facilities to better serve their communities and generate revenue. Repurposing and renovating existing spaces can be a great solution to meet demand in this arena. 
Medical Construction & Design, more . . .