"Design an outpatient pavilion along with the necessary work-flows and processes that'll reduce costs per episode of care by 30%..."
Information across my desk today hints that this economic downturn is affecting health care construction spending to a greater-than-expected degree based on historical precedent. If you are a vendor to the health care industry (architect, facilities planner, contractor, equipment vendor, etc.) watching your project backlog evaporate, maybe it's time to change the rules of the game.
The game goes like this. Think about a major Fortune 500 company, say, Intel, spending millions of dollars on a new chip manufacturing plant. Can you imagine them doing so without knowing - to the penny - the new plant's impact on manufacturing costs? No, you can't.
So why is the game so different in health care? Have you, dear vendor, EVER had a health care client say to you "Design an outpatient pavilion along with the necessary work-flows and processes that'll reduce costs per episode of care by 30%..."? Extremely doubtful.
Have you pitched such a project to a client? Have you invested in the skills and talents to create that facility, assuming you found a willing client? Would you know how to sell those capabilities if you had them? Are you past that stage of "evidence-based design" where you're arguing about whether, to maximize handwashing, the sink goes in THIS corner or THAT?
Yeah, I know, manufacturing computer chips is a stable, automated process while health care is really more of a craft-driven job shop filled with unpredictable diseases, and the doctors aren't our employees, blah, blah, blah. All true, but irrelevant to vendors seeking an edge in a tough economy. After all, those who say something can't be done usually lose market share to those doing it.
I agree it's not an easy approach to implement; if it's easy you're wanting, just sit back and watch that backlog disappear entirely. Easiest thing in the world. But design "to an outcome" and you'd have a project that might actually get green-lighted. I'd buy it.
By the way, if you're a hospital PR staffer, spare me the glowing release about how your new facility is really cool because it has flat-screen TVs. Hello! Go shopping! You can't buy anything else!
Information across my desk today hints that this economic downturn is affecting health care construction spending to a greater-than-expected degree based on historical precedent. If you are a vendor to the health care industry (architect, facilities planner, contractor, equipment vendor, etc.) watching your project backlog evaporate, maybe it's time to change the rules of the game.
The game goes like this. Think about a major Fortune 500 company, say, Intel, spending millions of dollars on a new chip manufacturing plant. Can you imagine them doing so without knowing - to the penny - the new plant's impact on manufacturing costs? No, you can't.
So why is the game so different in health care? Have you, dear vendor, EVER had a health care client say to you "Design an outpatient pavilion along with the necessary work-flows and processes that'll reduce costs per episode of care by 30%..."? Extremely doubtful.
Have you pitched such a project to a client? Have you invested in the skills and talents to create that facility, assuming you found a willing client? Would you know how to sell those capabilities if you had them? Are you past that stage of "evidence-based design" where you're arguing about whether, to maximize handwashing, the sink goes in THIS corner or THAT?
Yeah, I know, manufacturing computer chips is a stable, automated process while health care is really more of a craft-driven job shop filled with unpredictable diseases, and the doctors aren't our employees, blah, blah, blah. All true, but irrelevant to vendors seeking an edge in a tough economy. After all, those who say something can't be done usually lose market share to those doing it.
I agree it's not an easy approach to implement; if it's easy you're wanting, just sit back and watch that backlog disappear entirely. Easiest thing in the world. But design "to an outcome" and you'd have a project that might actually get green-lighted. I'd buy it.
By the way, if you're a hospital PR staffer, spare me the glowing release about how your new facility is really cool because it has flat-screen TVs. Hello! Go shopping! You can't buy anything else!
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