The population continues to climb in the United States along with the number of elderly people requiring medical care. As healthcare construction recruiters, we see how the healthcare construction industry continues to progress in an effort to meet a growing demand for quality medical services. The way that healthcare is delivered to people has definitely changed over the years from when medical doctors maintained small offices in their personal homes for treating patients. Now, the modern healthcare system consists of a number of different facilities ranging from smaller clinics with a few physicians specializing in specific medical practices, to expansive hospitals that employ hundreds of MDs. As the population continues to climb in the US, here are some of the top healthcare construction industry trends.

Unique Challenges and Healthcare Construction Trends

As new trends are being introduced, the healthcare construction industry continues to encounter a variety of unique challenges. Healthcare construction recruiters are navigating a skilled labor crisis. Candidates that can provide good leadership are in high demand because firms need help to formulate effective strategies moving forward. For instance, industry professionals must determine whether it’s more cost-effective to renovate existing healthcare facilities or build entirely new facilities. Firms will also need to accommodate the growing demand for environmentally responsible and resource-efficient building materials and technology. Healthcare construction jobs will require those candidates with skills installing LED lighting, low-flow plumbing fixtures and energy-efficient HVAC systems.

Current Projects

The demand for hospital stays has been declining due to the growing number of procedures that can be done on an outpatient basis. Today’s consumers want their healthcare to be delivered as conveniently and efficiently as possible, so the industry is experiencing growth in micro-hospitals and outpatient clinics. Construction Dive recently highlighted several current projects in the healthcare construction space.

  • Pennsylvania-based Highmark Health, for example, announced plans last month for a $700 million Pittsburgh-area expansion, which not only includes a 160-bed hospital but four 10- to 12-bed micro-hospitals, each with a 24/7 emergency room and primary and specialty medical services.
  • The nation’s largest integrated healthcare provider, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), announced last month that it is planning to build a $925 million facility near downtown Louisville, KY, to replace its existing Louisville medical center.
  • San Diego-based Scripps Health announced that it was launching a $2.6 billion building program that includes all of its five area healthcare campuses. The largest of the projects is a $1.3 billion replacement of Scripps Mercy Hospital. The initiative also includes the addition of a three-story acute care center, an oncology center and performing seismic upgrades throughout the system. All of the projects should be completed by 2030 in order to meet the state’s new hospital earthquake standard.
  • Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta (CHOA) has revealed the master plan for its new $1.3 billion pediatric medical campus in Brookhaven, GA, for what will be the most expensive facility built in the state’s history.

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