The Five Healthcare Trends to Watch article by CBRE identified the five key trends that are currently impacting healthcare priorities. Author and Senior Managing Director Dan Dolsen of CBRE provided his insights for strategic and tactical solutions for both real estate and facilities management leaders alike, in addition to describing the steps for achieving short-term and long-term goals.
Read the below recap below to learn more:
What is the biggest challenge you are seeing in healthcare today when working with clients?
Out of all the initiatives out there, the number one issue for our clients is portfolio optimization and how they can lower costs in terms of the delivery of real estate. When we look at portfolio optimization, we look at it through the lens of the health system and providing the right services in the right location under the right economics. We work closely with clients to help understand the delivery of care and how that care should be organized by factors like location, for example. We’re also looking at the health system through its total economic value of occupancy. We’re doing this by asking questions like, “How is it working from a revenue perspective? Is it attracting the right patients? Is it done in the continuum of care that a health system is trying to provide?” That is a lot of what we’re working on now, and I’d say it is the biggest issue.
When discussing the need for behavioral health services and mental health treatment centers, how can health systems create the “multi-faceted portfolio strategies” mentioned?
When it comes to delivering mental health services, I think there’s a strong understanding that healthcare is multi-dimensional. For instance, there are multiple aspects to it both from a mental perspective and the physical healthcare side of it too. As we’re designing facilities, we’re working with health systems. In a location, you’ll want to have availability of mental health services, but also have other services like primary care and a couple of other specialties present. The main issue is security because a healthcare worker out of all industries is the most likely to be a target of workplace violence, and much of that is the need for security. Mental health can be a real issue in how to create a safe and secure environment for the patient and the clinician. So, as we’re working with health systems, we are mindful of that and integrating care that balances security.
I recently discussed with JLL the implications for the increase in healthcare roles we are seeing – and they mentioned the importance of the “non-healthcare roles,” like facilities management teams or security. Your article also mentioned expanding these teams – would you also say that there is a need in growing other roles in healthcare?
At CBRE, we think of facilities workers as healthcare providers. We see them as being integral parts of delivering care. What we’re finding is that the skill set for the facility technician needs to be broadened and strengthened because the technology that’s been delivered is much more sophisticated. When you pair the development of technology with the increasing need for the patient experience and employee experience, we’re focusing a lot on strengthening the abilities of our technicians. Hospitality skills are also very important because they involve a greater awareness of what’s happening in the environment and around the patient. This trend has stemmed a lot out of COVID. That and the availability for fast and efficient service is prioritized for patients, in addition to the need for fostering trust since the pandemic, which might have been lost by some patients.
On the topic of financial and operational excellence, you mentioned the importance of preventive care. How is preventive care and AI helping improve efficiency and cost savings?
Preventive maintenance helps monitor all healthcare assets, and AI helps oversee work order management to ensure that work orders are being done in the right sequence and that technicians are doing the right work at the right time. Our technicians are looking at a piece of equipment and they’re not just fixing what’s there, they are also recording the condition and adjusting any kind of preventive maintenance plans to ensure that the equipment is in its best condition. Using technology like sensors, for instance, is integral for data analysis and optimizing building performance.
One of the topics mentioned, Social Determinants of Health (SDoH), described how education, economic stability, communities and healthcare quality impact health. How can health systems remove barriers to care in underserved communities?
Health systems are in a very unique position in their ability to have a positive impact on their community. Population health is moving in a direction where healthcare organizations are taking a greater responsibility for the health status of the population - serving not just the patients that are in the room or in the network – but the individuals in the community as well. Health systems are providing better food sources by building community gardens, they are introducing STEM to schools to develop a workforce for young professionals in the medical field and they are partnering with low-income housing to provide resources. Healthcare is a huge economic driver, and when health facilities are leading well, it attracts jobs and inspires a thriving community.
What is community-based collaboration and how can this improve healthcare equity?
We’ve seen a lot of our clients partnering with the community to develop housing for their employees. When you look at the portfolio of some health systems, they have many residential units that they own to provide housing to nurses, for example, as many may not be able to afford to live near the hospital. This gives healthcare workers an alternative for housing and closer access to work. In addition, from a real estate perspective, this creates great housing inventory for people, and then from a community side, it also feeds into the retail in that area.
I’ve also seen health systems that will go out and provide health fairs and screenings to the community, or organizations that will volunteer once or twice a year to help fix up homes for people in need. This all plays into the community-based collaboration that is so significant, because at the heart of healthcare is the word “care.” Many are looking for opportunities to have a positive impact on their community, so community-based collaboration is just another extension of that passion to be able to help others.