91视频

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on the world around us. This of course includes the health care industry and its facilities. 91视频 of the past two years have laid bare the need for innovative types of facilities that focus on staff and patient well-being as well as flexibility of use, and an increased need to make those facilities more available to traditionally underserved communities.

Most fundamentally, the pandemic has changed everyone鈥檚 view of health care preparedness and the need to radically increase the ability to care for high-risk, infectious patients. Starting in March 2020, it was recognized virtually overnight that the risk to health care workers, other patients and anyone interacting with hospitals and other health care facilities had increased substantially. This has led to significant changes in how those facilities are now designed and built. There is also widespread demand for an overhaul of existing facilities to deal with this new reality. This presents both a challenge and a great opportunity to those of us in the design and construction industry.

In order to better understand how COVID-19 has impacted the health care profession, Mortenson surveyed more than 100 professionals at the 2021 American Society for Health Care Engineering Planning and Design Conference. The results revealed that 97 percent of respondents confirmed the pandemic has heightened their organization鈥檚 commitment to the safety and well-being of staff. This line of thinking is now directly informing how health care facilities are designed, built and retrofitted to handle the current pandemic and future events. Providers are also rethinking approaches in all areas, including operations, planning, facilities, and patient and staff care.

At the same time, the pandemic has also accelerated important health and community trends that were already under way. Three major themes summarize those changes: flexibility, space changes, and telehealth. This was all reflected in the survey, where no fewer than 40 percent of all topics mentioned relate to flexibility in health care infrastructure. Respondents know this is urgently needed to better handle infectious diseases and other emerging threats to public health.

One important way to gain flexibility is by building in modularity to new and retrofitted facilities. Modularity has the added benefit of significant potential for cost reduction. It calls for facility rooms and components to be designed and built in a standardized manner so they can be configured and reconfigured efficiently. Nearly two-thirds of our survey respondents indicated they are considering modularity when constructing new hospital space.

鈥淲e must have the flexibility to convert a space at a moment鈥檚 notice,鈥� one respondent commented.

Flexibility also means the need for adaptable spaces designed for social distancing and touchless use, which integrate technology enabling check-in and patient navigation processes. There is also a need for more isolation rooms, negative pressure rooms, and more single occupancy rooms, each of which can be more effectively enabled through modular design and construction.

Better protecting staff, patients and their families going forward will also mean better ventilation and air quality in buildings. It also means creating high-quality respite and wellness spaces, and better separation and physical barriers between patient rooms and other areas inside hospitals and clinics. One survey comment noted 鈥渋mprovements in air quality, convenient access to PPE, respite spaces for caregivers, and increased use of telehealth are needed to keep staff safe.鈥�

Another key aspect of the survey highlights the disproportionate effect the pandemic has had on disadvantaged communities and the need to provide greater access to health care in those communities. A combined 84 percent of respondents indicated that the pandemic has 鈥渄efinitely鈥� or 鈥減robably鈥� heightened their organization鈥檚 commitment in this crucial area. Providers say this will likely be achieved through a combination of improved telehealth and extended ambulatory networks in their service areas.

What does this all mean in practice? Currently, Mortenson is taking the results of this important survey into the field for several projects in the Greater Portland area. This includes ongoing improvements being carried out at Kaiser Permanente and OHSU facilities, as well as the new Providence Health Center 鈥� Reed鈥檚 Crossing. Scheduled for completion in June, this innovative, 118,000-square-foot health center is a critical part of the Reed鈥檚 Crossing master-planned community in Hillsboro. It will include primary and urgent care for all ages, as well as mental health specialists, nutritionists, physical therapists, fitness and yoga classes, therapy, and lap pools, and more. This integrated approach to wellness aims to prevent chronic illness and ensure care access to the local community.

Flexibility is at the heart of the facility, with the active wellness center occupying 45,000 square feet over two floors integrated with 65,000 square feet of urgent care, imaging, women鈥檚 health, and dermatology. Just one example of the built-in flexibility can be found in the adaptable exam rooms within urgent care. They were designed with the ability to supply negative air pressure capability to isolate patients with infectious diseases should the need arise.

Providence Health Center 鈥� Reed鈥檚 Crossing also includes a large collaborative workspace for health care staff, and improved respite spaces along exterior walls and other purpose-built respite amenities. Large amounts of natural light in break rooms are intended to boost mental health and improve wellness overall.

Mortenson鈥檚 work with Providence, OHSU and Kaiser Permanente is indicative of yet another survey result, which shows that most health care providers believe they will be undertaking significant investments in facilities in the coming years. Over 80 percent of our respondents said that traditional hospitals, ambulatory surgery, cancer centers, and general medical doctor鈥檚 offices will all see a new influx of investment in response to COVID-19.

鈥淭he ever-changing health care field brings with it unique demands and opportunities to maximize both active and acute care environments,鈥� notes our health care market executive, Trent Rehfeldt. 鈥淔orward-thinking health care organizations in Oregon and Southwest Washington are adapting their built environments and approach to care in a way that puts the needs and desires of patients and staff first.鈥�

As construction professionals, we are in the distinctive position of benefiting from lessons learned over the past two years to provide our health care clients with modern and holistic spaces that promote personal health and wellness.

Dan Mehls is the vice president and general manager of Mortenson鈥檚 Portland office. Contact him at 971-202-4113.

The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed in the preceding commentary are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Daily Journal of Commerce or its editors. Neither the author nor the 91视频 guarantees the accuracy or completeness of any information published herein.