Healthcare Design - March 2021 - 12

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HEN COVID -19 emerged in spring 2020, the
healthcare design industry began the now
year-long balance of supporting immediate
response while continuing to shepherd existing projects through planning, design, and
construction. To better understand the extent of these efforts and, particularly, how the
ongoing pandemic is expected to influence
the project pipeline going forward, Healthcare Design launched the
COVID-19 Industry Survey in September 2020. The survey was open
to any industry professional currently working on healthcare projects,
with 140 respondents completing the survey.
The extent of respondents' involvement in the initial COVID-19 patient
surge varied, particularly in terms of consulting on work compared to completing it. For example, 50 percent consulted on/assessed the conversion
of existing space to support patient surge and 39 percent consulted on/
assessed the creation of alternate care sites; however, just 30 percent and
21 percent reported completing those projects, respectively.
Meanwhile, most industry members were busy with other pandemicrelated projects-only 16 percent reported not having personal involvement with additional COVID-19 responses. Forty-eight percent of respondents reported identifying solutions to help providers remain operational
in the case of another surge, 36 percent master planning to address future
pandemic/crisis scenarios, and 34 percent implementing programs/design initiatives to support reopening (see the chart on this page for more).
Looking forward, respondents were largely optimistic about the effect
the pandemic will have on the industry. Regarding projects in early planning stages prior to COVID-19, 36 percent said they expect those projects
to be slightly adapted and/or delayed and some to be put on hold for at
least a year, while 34 percent expect only slight changes/delays. For projects already in progress, respondents had an even more favorable view,
with 53 percent projecting that they would move forward as planned with
some slightly adapted/delayed and 22 percent expecting most projects to
be slightly adapted/delayed and some to be put on hold for at least a year.
Regardless of when project workloads return to pre-pandemic volumes, respondents anticipate that COVID-19 will influence the goals
of healthcare organizations in numerous ways; the top three identified
were designing for flexibility/adaptability (69 percent), identifying solutions to remain operational during a similar crisis (41 percent), and
implementing infection control strategies (38 percent). And when asked
to consider the drivers behind projects prior to the pandemic and what
provider needs will still remain relevant in this current environment, repurposing space for new use (52 percent), the renovation/modernization
of existing space (50 percent), and consolidation of existing facilities/
services (34 percent) received the most votes.
As for ongoing challenges and opportunities, many industry members noted in open-ended responses that project funding will remain a
concern for some time, particularly as healthcare organizations work
to rebound from financial hits taken by the loss of surgeries/procedures
during the pandemic in addition to the cost of response measures. However, those measures are anticipated to continue as the industry corrects
the shortcomings in design realized in the past year.
Similarly, respondents wrote that new attention given to infection control will inspire the need for more cleanable, durable products. " Designers will need to be sure that every material specified is now extremely
cleanable and will withstand even more harsh cleaning chemicals, " said

respondent Heather Harris, interior designer at RMK Design Associates LLC (Fort Wayne, Ind.). Other tactics that emerged, such as building system upgrades and integration of telehealth services, are expected
to influence projects going forward, as well, requiring lessons learned to
be translated into evidence-based solutions. However, respondent Gina
Semerad, associate at Jaros, Baum & Bolles (New York), warned: " It's
also important that we don't overcorrect to solve this immediate problem (COVID-19) and forget about other goals and needs of a hospital, like
protecting patients that are in the hospital for noninfectious reasons and
finding smart ways to reduce energy usage. "
In fact, the balancing act that's defined design lately is likely to continue, as all these priorities must be considered against existing best
practices, regulations, and cost. Aaron D. Scott, principal at Cromwell
Architects Engineers (Little Rock, Ark.), stated that the types of investments healthcare leaders are eyeing include upgrading building systems; creating flexible inpatient space; and revising entry sequences,
especially in emergency departments. Added Anthony Treu, healthcare
practice leader at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (New York), " Our clients
are asking us about the future ... about how their institutions can continue to provide services during similar interruptions. We're discovering
ways to design for this future, balancing infrastructure upgrades and designs for new operational considerations against the issues of rising cost
and complexity. " -Jennifer Kovacs Silvis, editor-in-chief

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HCDMAGAZINE.COM

MARCH 2021

O T H E R C O V I D - 1 9 - R E L AT E D W O R K
R E S P O N D E N T S W E R E I N V O LV E D W I T H
( E X C L U D I N G I N I T I A L PAT I E N T S U R G E R E S P O N S E )
0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

Identifying solutions to
remain operational during
another surge
Master planning to address
future pandemic/crisis
scenarios
Implementing programs/
design initiatives to support
reopening
Designing/building sites
for testing, screening, or
intake
Introducing new/
reconfigured HVAC or other
building systems
Specifiying products to
answer critical needs for
infection control/cleanability
Adapting environments to
permit enhanced telehealth
services
Specifiying products to
answer critical needs for
flexibility/adaptability
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Healthcare Design - March 2021

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