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limitations on access, use of elevators and other restrictions needed to be known early in the planning process. The building owner will want to make sure the occupancy planning does not disrupt the other tenants if applicable. Teams and committees are the engine that drives the activation process continually toward the fi nal goal — fi rst day of operations. Project task force teams should be created to ad- dress the multi-faceted activi- ties involved in planning and preparing the new facility. The teams are responsible for devel- oping the detailed unit/facility- specifi c education, orientation, training, move logistics and activation plan. These teams should meet regularly on an established timeline and report progress to leadership. For best success, organiza- tional leadership must be in- volved throughout the process. A successful project is one in which the owner is commit- ted to applying the necessary resources to achieve outcomes on schedule and within budget. It is a good idea to establish an "activation steering commit- tee" that can meet on a regular basis. This committee, made up of subcommittee chairs, will be responsible for providing overall guidance, decision- making, confl ict resolution and direction. A cadence of regular meet- ings should be established for the activation steering com- mittee to allow all task force teams to track activities, as well as the activities of other teams. Activation steering committee meetings enable the C-Suite sponsor and/or the project champion to track progress or identify issues. One of the most important things an organization can do to ensure activation success is to name a project champion. The project champion should serve as the in-house team leader for the entire facility ac- tivation planning process. This individual should be someone very familiar with the organi- zation's processes and proce- dures; ideally they would have been involved in the planning phase of the project. This in- dividual should be well known throughout the organization and be empowered to make de- cisions and hold team members accountable. In addition, a C-Suite sponsor should be identifi ed to provide senior leadership. This individual will serve as the escalation point for items that cannot be resolved in the planning committees or by the project champion. He/she will have budget authority, address issues or project changes and be empowered to make fi nal decisions regarding direction. The C-Suite sponsor does not need to be a full-time project position, but should receive regular project briefi ngs from the project champion and be an ad hoc attendee of project plan- ning meetings. The teams, task forces or committees created to assist in the activation process should be guided by the components previously mentioned to build their structure. Planning ef orts by these groups will ensure the facility is function- ally and physically ready for use. Suggested team structures should be tailored to accom- modate the new facility's modalities. Responsibilities parallel their roles and should be inclusive of their appropri- ate licensure and certifi cations. Suggested task forces include: Operational readiness is responsible for all clinical and support services for the new fa- cility. These responsibilities in- clude policies and procedures, staf orientation and training, new systems and equipment, life safety, patient communica- tion, public relations, branding and advertising. This task force will serve as a steering commit- tee for the relevant operational subcommittees. Team mem- bers should include the chief operating of cer, chief nursing of cer, director of support ser- vices, director of PR/marketing and director of education. Education/orientation is a subcommittee under operational readiness and is responsible for managing the process whereby facility staf is oriented to the new space and is trained on systems, equip- ment and methods of operation associated with the project. This team will develop training manuals, tours and classes to ensure that high levels of pro- ductivity will be maintained as the new facility is activated. Workfl ow is a subcommit- tee under operational readiness and is responsible for iden- tifying and documenting all processes for the new facility. If relocating from an existing facility, these processes may be new and time must be dedicat- ed to reorienting existing staf . Public relations/ communications manages information and publicity related to the activation process. This team will develop and control external communications, such as press releases and community tours, as well as internal communications to facility staf . Facility readiness is responsible for managing a smooth transition and ensur- ing the physical plant is ready for occupancy. Team members should include materials man- agement, environmental ser- vices, biomedical engineering, nursing management, medical equipment planner, interiors/ furniture/artwork, security, infection prevention, construc- tion manager, pharmacy, PR/ marketing, IT/telecom, lab, radiology and central sterile. IT/telecommunications is responsible for managing the planning, procurement, instal- lation, testing and coordination of staf training on the new electronic data processing and telephony systems. Team mem- bers should include chief infor- mation of cer, telecommunica- tions manager, registration staf representative, fi nance/ billing staf representative, informa- tion desk representative, health information management, clinical management, biomedi- cal engineering and pharmacy ad hoc. With thoughtful plan- ning and investment from the organization's leadership, users and peripheral support departments, the activation of a local ambulatory care facility can be a smooth and seamless endeavor. Establishing teams staf ed with various subject matter experts will provide the foundation to develop a comprehensive plan to enable a timely and succes sful fi rst day of operation. Tim Schaefer is a director of project management for CBRE Healthcare. He can be reached at tim.schaefer@ cbre.com. Images: CBRE Oncology treatment center at Duke Cancer Institute. MCDM AG.COM | M A RCH /A PR IL 2015 | Medical Construction & Design 37