Medical Construction & Design

JAN-FEB 2018

Medical Construction & Design (MCD) is the industry's leading source for news and information and reaches all disciplines involved in the healthcare construction and design process.

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42 Medical Construction & Design | JA N UA RY/ F EBRUA RY 2018 | MCDM AG.COM BY JAMES R. KOLB Consumerism has had a signifi cant impact on healthcare. Consumers are increasingly expecting instant access — to goods, to ser- vices, to contacts — largely driven through the internet and other technologies. While this instant gratifi cation and access largely started with the retail marketplace, con- sumers have also come to expect instant access to healthcare. Recently, health systems have increas- ingly addressed and enhanced access and convenience through the develop- ment of ambulatory care hubs embedded in the community. These hubs provide access to care delivered in ways akin to the retail environment and are focused on the specifi c needs of the community. Furthermore, these hubs mitigate acces- sibility as a barrier to care and, in this way, outpatient care and ambulatory services support population health. But eff ectively advancing population health is not merely a matter of building a new outpatient clinic. Build it and they might not come. Ambulatory centers must foster connectivity, potentially to other locations, and support the full continuum of care. Outpatient services most eff ec- tively serve a community when accessibil- ity meets customization, consumerism and collaboration. Power planning with analytics Understanding a community and its needs is the fi rst step in building an eff ective am- bulatory care strategy. Only then is there a clear understanding of how to respond; that response should be as holistic as pos- sible. Determining the right mix of facility and service off erings is a matter of smart planning, powered by analytics. Using big data and other technology can provide rich insights. Understanding the demographics, socioeconomic status and conducting a community health assessment can help planners understand what servic- es are needed. A young community might need more pediatric services while certain SES will have the propensity for certain diseases and will require diff erent services. This analysis should drive service line planning. Overlaying demographics, data about existing access points and utilization drives forecasts critical for site selection and design. The result is a facility custom- ized to the community it serves. Take a holistic approach Collaboration and connectivity should also be primary objectives of planning. Community health requires a holistic approach, not just a clinic with custom- ized service lines. In addition to fi rst line clinicians, a plan should account for other disciplines and amenities known to impact population health. Behavioral health and nutrition are just as important, as are parks, pathways and access to nature. UF Health recently partnered with a developer for a planned community called Wildlight. The university brought a mul- tivalent approach, looking at everything from urban gardening to early childhood development. The focus was not just on OUTPATIENT OUTLOOK Intersecting care, population health + consumerism to create facilities 100 Number of UF Health physician outpatient practices located throughout North Central and Northeast Florida — wildlight.com Outpatient Care ISSUE FOCUS 1st UF, UF Health is developing the Wildlight, Florida community's fi rst healthcare facility, part of a multi-year project. — wildlight.com

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