“This was a great conference that really hit home for Meridian as we are headquartered in the Bay Area. Regarding the future of healthcare in our area we talked about how costs continue to climb with flat or shrinking reimbursements. There is a shortage of labor that was never replaced after the last downturn. Healthcare systems and G.C.'s will continue to look at cheaper and more innovative methods to deliver buildings, including modular and prefab construction. Modular is starting to evolve with plug and play Direct Digital Controls for equipment and IT connection to make smarter and more energy efficient buildings. Medical facilities need to be constructed for the way healthcare may be delivered in the future, including multi-purpose rooms and alternative uses. The idea might be to change the function and equipment in the room, but not the room itself.

There was an interesting discussion about how Value Engineering often starts before we ever put our concepts down on paper or start schematic design. Projects are going so fast and delivery teams are working so fast to get permitted and built that the original premise and functionality sometimes gets lost. The idea is that we need to slow down to make sure we get it right.

The Systems discussed utilizing their bulk buying power on everything from specialized equipment down to supplies. We should expect to see more telehealth stations and virtual access to our doctors. All of this is aimed at reducing cost and providing access to care.

The future should bring more joint ventures and strategic alignments between Systems. There will be new business models, new opportunities, and more outpatient facilities. There is a looming question of how the motherships will perform in this evolving hub and spoke model. Overall, lots of interesting and exciting stuff happening in our industry and this was another great conference with tons of new insight.”

– Mike Conn, Senior Vice President