There is a new imperative for the design and construction industry to find ways to reduce project delivery costs. Accelerated shifts already taking place before the pandemic are challenging existing project delivery models as care increasingly goes to lower-cost sites of care and the providers shift to acclimate to technology disrupting traditional health care.

In a cost-constrained environment, considering the changing needs of regulatory guidelines and local Authorities Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) becomes essential to manage the total cost of a project. As funding increases drive the rise in behavioral and mental health facilities, a thorough understanding of AHJ requirements is imperative to deliver cost-effective spaces with minimal rework and speed to market in mind.

Healthcare and technology industries are inextricably linked, and likewise, the Digital Care Environment is becoming more intertwined with the Built Care Environment. But simply adding technology to old processes risks creating a more costly and inefficient system. Early alignment with the health system’s strategic and tactical plans will become critical in ensuring that intentional selection, implementation, and training on these technologies deliver value for providers and patients.

Providers seek to limit the variability and volatility of their capital construction programs, whether initiating their expansion plans or because of merger and acquisition of assets. Through investment in building standards and prototypes, organizations can shift project delivery from time-intensive processes to address accelerated speed to market, cost certainty, consistency in quality, and branded user experience across sites of care leveraging best practices to enhance care delivery efficiency in parallel with achieving a reduction in operating expenses.