June 26, 2025 | BOMA International, Ella Krygiel
AI is steadily making its presence known in the healthcare industry. With one-quarter of healthcare workers considering leaving their profession each week and a projected global shortage of 10 million workers by 2030, as reported by Healthcare Business Today (HBT), the message is clear: the industry urgently needs effective support. Artificial intelligence has the potential to be a powerful ally—streamlining documentation, analyzing clinical data and easing administrative burdens. Yet, despite its promise, several barriers still hinder its full integration into daily healthcare operations.
For instance, Healthcare Dive found that while 85% of nurses identify staffing as a top concern, only 57% believe their organizations are prepared to leverage AI to address it. Three experts in the healthcare real estate industry ─ Cheryl Carron, COO, Work Dynamics Americas and President, Healthcare Division, JLL; Shawn Janus, National Director, Healthcare Services, Colliers and Marianne Skorupski, Director, National Office Research, Colliers ─ share their long-term vision for AI’s role in building more resilient health systems and what leaders can do today to prepare for tomorrow.
Emerging Trends in AI and Healthcare Infrastructure
AI is rapidly reshaping healthcare infrastructure, driving both operational efficiency and improved patient outcomes. “Autonomous AI agents are increasingly managing complex tasks—from preventive maintenance to space optimization—while property owners adopt AI for real-time facility adjustments, accepting upfront costs in anticipation of long-term efficiency gains,” explains Carron, highlighting the broader impact of AI across commercial real estate and healthcare environments. She points to specific applications like lease administration, facility utilization optimization and health condition prediction as examples of how these technologies enhance both patient experience and revenue capture across the care continuum.
Janus and Skorupski of Colliers add that emerging technologies are significantly influencing how providers plan for the future of healthcare environments. They note that AI’s early applications—such as billing and coding—are reducing the need for administrative space, while simultaneously increasing demand for computing infrastructure. Carron also cites tools like JLL Azara, a cloud-based CMMS platform, which uses IoT sensors to track occupancy, utilization, and environmental conditions, enabling smarter resource allocation—an especially valuable advancement amid ongoing labor shortages. Beyond infrastructure, AI is also making strides in clinical applications. Janus and Skorupski highlight its growing role in detecting diagnostic patterns and anomalies in radiology, offering potential relief in the face of persistent physician shortages. A compelling example comes from Northwestern Medicine, where the deployment of a generative AI system across its 11-hospital network led to a 15.5% increase in radiograph report completion efficiency. This improvement translated into faster diagnoses—critical in situations where every second counts.
Opportunities and Barriers in Healthcare Tech Adoption
Healthcare technology is advancing rapidly, offering both exciting opportunities and notable challenges. A recent Becker’s Hospital Review article highlights the growing interest in “ambient listening AI,” which transcribes medical visits and drafts clinical notes for electronic health records. Ochsner Health has adopted this technology to boost provider productivity, reduce documentation burdens and ultimately drive revenue. Janus and Skorupski echo this optimism, pointing to AI’s potential to increase efficiency, reduce human error and help address workforce shortages. Carron adds that operational AI tools—such as predictive maintenance models and advanced energy management systems—can significantly cut costs. She notes that unplanned shutdowns cost four times more than scheduled maintenance, and that smart energy systems are already reducing utility expenses across healthcare portfolios.
However, barriers to adoption remain. To circle back on the Healthcare Dive piece, only 57% of nurses believe their organizations are ready to use AI to address staffing and recruiting challenges. A key issue, as Healthcare Business Today explains, is that general-purpose AI often struggles with the nuanced demands of medicine, including compliance, context and safety. Carron references the JLL Future of Work Survey, which found that lack of leadership support and limited availability of tailored solutions are major obstacles to adoption. Janus and Skorupski also cite financial constraints—tight operating margins, rising labor and supply costs, and high interest rates—as well as privacy and HIPAA concerns as persistent challenges.
Strategic Leadership and Culture in the Future of Healthcare
According to Carron, Janus and Skorupski, healthcare leaders can build a resilient, future-ready system by focusing on the following priorities:
- Lead with Vision and Purpose: Establish a clear mission and align organizational culture around long-term goals.
- Design Environments for Value-Based Care: Create spaces that support efficient, patient-centered care delivery from the ground up.
- Leverage Technology Strategically: Use tools like telehealth to match care methods to patient needs, improving both access and efficiency.
- Build Strategic Partnerships: Collaborate with external experts to focus internal resources on delivering superior care.
- Encourage Continuous Feedback: Implement mechanisms like diverse employee advisory boards to surface insights that improve both staff well-being and patient outcomes.
- Invest in Culture and People: Prioritize rest, privacy, and wellness for healthcare workers to sustain performance and morale.
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