Pictured: Prisma Medical Campus, Greenville, SC
Mention the term “healthcare services,” and what might come to mind are doctors, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and so on. A recent CBRE article mentioned another important tool in healthcare delivery services: real estate.
“The physical location, architectural design and aesthetics of healthcare facilities impact numerous metrics including patient access, operational efficiency and patient and staff satisfaction,” the article’s author, Stevie Bander, CBRE Managing Director, Americas Consulting, said.
As such, it’s a good idea to focus on a portfolio strategy, or as Bander defined it, “the systematic planning and management of a healthcare organization’s real assets.” Such a strategy can help ensure that healthcare facilities function, are well-located, efficiently used and financially stable.
So, how does this come about? The first step is data collection.
The article points to location, occupiers, ownership, leasing metrics and other measurements. “With complete portfolio metrics in place, a team analyzes the data and facilities according to factors such as aesthetic and functional criteria (facility and experience), volume and utilization (capacity), physical location criteria (market), and financial real estate dynamics (market base rate),” Bander wrote.
The article said the data should be accompanied by “a roadmap to guide the organization on the next steps each year. ” Such steps might include potential facility improvement recommendations, lease renewals, new site additions and management of existing locations.
Bander said the use of data and a roadmap represents an approach that “ensures facilities are aligned with market demand and organizational goals” while supporting decisions with objective information. This is important as “the healthcare industry continues to evolve, consolidate and (handle) rising costs. ” A solid portfolio strategy can help improve patient care and overall organizational success she added.
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