Healthcare Not-For-Profit

One of the most fascinating trends in the Healthcare industry is the emergence of hospitals and community-owned facilities as “anchor institutions”. There is a growing recognition that we are at a critical juncture as the industry transforms to a model based on preventive care and health and wellness promotion. Many universities and not-for profits hospitals are beginning to look beyond treating patients that come in through the door to focus on ways in which to improve the larger communities in which they are firmly established. Increasingly, these anchor institutions have taken on this mission and look for ways to change the natural and built environment to produce desirable healthy outcomes.

New regulations will require a systematic way to measure health outcomes and the overall level of health care system quality. New and improved infrastructure development and creating a seamless array of coordinated and specialized health care services (i.e. Behavioral Health, Critical Access Care, etc.) must be planned and designed with an eye on this health outcomes-based approach.

In response, many not-for profits hospitals have developed a number of novel approaches to promote change in their communities and work collaboratively to build a Culture of Health. One recent example is the greater use of Traditional Neighborhood Development (TND) in healthcare development. TND emphasizes a balance of commercial, retail, public gathering space, and residential housing to create vibrant town centers and gathering areas that promote compact, pedestrian-friendly, vibrant mixed-use neighborhoods that address multiple community needs.  In this sense, the use of community hospitals to anchor TND communities is an interesting twist on this familiar formula. In addition to providing state of the art facilities, a number of specialized ancillary support functions are streamlined into the overall design to allow patients and visitors a wide range of services while preserving the traditional feel of a community hospital. Great care is given to optimize the look and feel of the users experience and to design elements into the hospital that creates a warm inviting place.  Some of the design features that are considered when trying to improve the user’s overall experience include:

  • Prioritizing vehicular and pedestrian circulation within the campus to emphasize a pedestrian-friendly and a healthy experience
  • Developing Low Impact Development and Sustainable Design Practices
  • Incorporating water use efficiency
  • Utilizing appropriate materials selection and resource conservation

S&ME professionals are experienced in the planning, design, engineering and construction of non-profit hospitals on a national basis. An S&ME design professional can assist not-for profits hospitals to meet their objectives.

Services we can provide include:

  • Pre-planning, Programmatic, and Due Diligence Services
  • Economic Development Services
  • Site Access / Land Use Analysis
  • Master Planning and Conceptual Plans
  • Facility Studies
  • Traffic Analyses and Design Development Services
  • Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Compliance
  • Utility Design and Relocation
  • Stormwater Detention Design and Planning
  • Zoning and Planning Commission Approval Assistance
  • Development of Detailed Opinions of Probable Construction Cost
  • Permitting and entitlements