Healthcare facilities became the spotlight during the recent (and still ongoing) COVID-19 pandemic. At the peak of the pandemic, they built hospitals in only five days in China, and different countries constructed field hospitals in different areas. These healthcare facilities did their job during the pandemic, but these buildings are an exception rather than the norm.
The construction of a healthcare facility in normal circumstances is unique because it requires distinct regulations and specific building attributes you will not find in other buildings. Healthcare facilities can range from a simple doctor’s office, an outpatient clinic, or a specialized hospital. Regardless of type, it’s one of the most complex buildings you can build.
What makes healthcare facilities unique in terms of build and why do you need to invest in an experienced general contractor when building one? Let’s address these and more in this article.
Elements Making Specialized Healthcare Facilities Unique
Whether you’re building a small doctor’s office, a treatment center, or a complete hospital, these are some of the elements that you need to take into consideration.
Location
The prime function of a healthcare facility is to take care of the community, so you must be in an area that’s convenient for everybody. This locale should be accessible to most people. It should be close to main roads to reduce the travel time to and from the hospital. This proximity makes it convenient for the patients and their families and relatives.
Healthcare facilities must be built in an area that’s not prone to flooding and natural calamities.
Self-Sufficiency
Healthcare facilities like outpatient clinics, treatment centers, or hospitals must have auxiliary generators that can go online in an event of a blackout or a natural disaster. Ideally, a reservoir must also be available for continuous water supply. These things must be included in the initial project regarding building area, equipment and budget.
Waste Management and Supplier Handling
Healthcare facilities produce a large amount of waste that requires special handling and disposal procedures. Proper medical waste disposal is one of the essential aspects that you need to consider. In line with this, the building should be energy efficient to reduce the amount of waste produced.
Supplier handling is significant considering the number of items you need for the day-to-day operations – food, linen cleaning, medical consumables, medical equipment, etc. this will include warehouse, conveyor belt, pneumatic tubes, cold rooms, etc.
Cleanliness
Hospitals have to be clean and the construction and interior should reflect and support this. Door frames, casework, and other details must be easy to clean and hard-to-clean crevices and joints should be avoided. Special materials like antimicrobial surfaces may be considered for spaces that need to be kept sterile at times.
Decentralized But Integrated Layout
The ideal hospital layout is decentralized – with one main building and all other buildings around it. Also, note that a good parking area can make the stay or visit a less stressful one.
However, even with a decentralized layout, the different departments in a healthcare facility should easily integrate into each other. If you are building a specialized healthcare facility, it has to have a reception, laboratory, X-ray room, and administration room, to name a few. The goal is to distribute or allocate all these departments to interact with one another smoothly. This efficient distribution is a critical part of the project that will reflect straight on the hospital’s overall efficiency.
Unique Systems, Accessibility, and Functionality
Many of the systems installed in a medical healthcare facility or a hospital must conform to strict codes. For example, your heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system is different from a regular HVAC system installed in non-medical buildings. Medical HVACs must comply with stringent regulations.
The accessibility of the building must be within the Americans with Disability Act (ADA) minimum requirements. If the construction is federally funded or owned, the GSA’s ABA Accessibility Standards.
An Experienced General Contractor Is the Key to Build Success
Building a healthcare facility is very complex and going with an experienced contractor is crucial to a successful build. A professional contractor has:
- Deep knowledge of Healthcare Building Codes and Regulations. Building a hospital requires a deep understanding of regulations and building codes specific to healthcare. An experienced contractor knows how to navigate these codes to make sure the building is compliant.
- Have experience building healthcare facilities and contact with specialized suppliers. It would help if you had a general contractor with experience in handling large projects and good connections with suppliers and specialized companies for the industry-specific needs of the building.
- Licensed and has insurance. Your contractor has a state board license and liability insurance and compensation for the workers in case of accidents.
Building a specialized health care facility can be challenging but, with good architecture and compliant design put together by an experienced contractor, your hospital is on its way to being an integral part of the community. Are you looking for inspiration for your healthcare build? See our healthcare projects here.