Healthcare Design - September 2017 - 16

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5
STRATEGIES
FOR AMBULATORY FACILITY PLANNING

THINK BEYOND THE
PRIMARY SERVICE AREA
By thinking in terms of population health,
healthcare systems can identify the total health
and wellness needs of people in a region and
the types of care delivery solutions a network
should include. Strategic partnerships and
affiliations are key to assembling an
effective ambulatory network that has
immediate access to expertise
and market penetration.

BUILD FOR ACCESS
AND EFFICIENCY
Patient-centric healthcare requires access and efficiency at all touchpoints in the care continuum. Design and
process must work in tandem to ensure easy access,
short wait times, and quick throughput. Facility
teams also must consider technology's impact on
patient interaction, check-in and registration,
space requirements, evolving telehealth
capabilities, and new staff and
physician workflows.

HEALTHCARE ORGANIZATIONS across the country are

building ambulatory networks to improve patient
outcomes and use resources more efficiently-a move
that's disrupting traditional facility planning methods.
"Healthcare's center of gravity is shifting away from
hospitals and toward ambulatory care," says Chris Kay,
president and COO of Hammes Co. (Brookfield, Wis.),
a healthcare development and management company.
"Healthcare leaders must adopt a new model for strategic
planning and development as the ambulatory network
of the future emerges." To help healthcare organizations
address this change within a flexible care setting, the firm
outlined five key planning strategies to consider in its white
paper "The Ambulatory Network of the Future." To
read the white paper, visit www.hammesco.com/files/
whitepapers/ANF_final.pdf.

U S E P R E D I C T I V E A N A LY T I C S
FOR SITE SELECTION
Predictive analytics use rich data sets to model
complex consumer demand and behavior. These
tools help leaders understand regional patient
populations and plan access points within an
optimal ambulatory network. Healthcare
providers can construct market scenario
models to differentiate market opportunity
by patient demand, as well as market
opportunity by competitive
landscape.

SEPTEMBER 2017

ADOPT A DESIGN-NEUTRAL
APPROACH
Ambulatory networks require a flexible and
operationally neutral design template that can be
adapted to support new technologies, scientific
advances, and delivery processes as they
evolve. The most efficient facilities must also be
capable of transitioning seamlessly to
accommodate an aging patient
population that will require geriatric
and chronic care services.

MAKE ROOM FOR
VIRTUAL CARE
While still in early stages, continued adoption
of virtual care will reduce or change the need
for many clinical spaces, including exam rooms,
and lessen the demand for facilities for specialty
care, with dermatology and psychiatry at the
forefront. However, virtual care will increase
the need for specialized spaces to support
IT systems, telehealth equipment,
and support staff.

HCDMAGAZINE.COM

http://www.hammesco.com/files/whitepapers/ANF_final.pdf http://www.hammesco.com/files/whitepapers/ANF_final.pdf

Healthcare Design - September 2017

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