The “Smart” Approach to Creating a “Smart” Hospital

The Set-Up: There’s a crane outside and construction guys are hard at work building your organization’s new patient care facility. You’ve heard the buzz words flying around, “Facility of the Future,” “Smart Hospital” … and you wonder, who has their finger on the pulse for technology?

The Question: Technology must play a role in the “Smart” part the building; right?

The Answer: Right; technology is the key component creating today’s innovative hospitals. From experience I can tell you, it’s never too early to engage technology resources in the planning phases of a new facility (or renovation, for that matter). From the initial planning stages, technology and the space required for technology should live in every conversation. Many incorrect assumptions are made around technology affecting how the building will operate, and how providers, patients and families will function inside.

Collaboration and coordination with the architect, construction manager, medical equipment planners and other key players is paramount to the success of any construction project. Helping non-technical players understand that “IT” is much more than cabling, network hardware and workstations is critical.

Aligning your IT activities with the various phases of the construction project is a great way to ensure the building has the necessary infrastructure to allow it to be “Smart” today and 10 years from now.

The Must-Dos: There are three key elements to ensure your new facility will be “Smart” and ready for the future:
1) Create a technology plan a.k.a. “playbook.” Use your playbook to keep everyone on the same page.
2) Develop a solid budget (early-on, during the planning phases) that will allow for appropriate infrastructure to support whatever technology is introduced years after the building opens.
3) Integrate all technology activities into the construction project. The project moves fast and often technology decision makers operate in parallel to construction.

Accomplishing the three tasks above will go a long way to ensuring technology isn’t value engineered out of your healthcare construction project.

In Sum: Professing that IT integration is the key to immersive and leveraged solutions is a task that will last throughout the project and long into your new facility’s future.

To learn more about Impact Advisors’ approach to New Facility Technology Planning and Transition Management, contact Carl Fleming at carl.fleming@impact-advisors.com.

Carl will be the keynote speaker at the North Dallas Chamber of Commerce Technology Conference on Tuesday, November 4th. To learn more, click here.