Tuesday, 31 May 2016

8 Tips for Better Hospital Construction

A better hospital eventually translates to better healthcare; the healthcare system is undergoing certain changes so that they can meet the ever-changing requirements of the patients. When a hospital construction company undertakes a task, it becomes absolutely imperative to follow certain guidelines, because unlike any other project, renovation or construction of a hospital demands more attention. As more and more providers are looking for value-based care, they are looking for smarter ways to redesign their facilities, but also re-engineer the workflow to improve the journey of the patients.

Before the construction or renovation starts, they should think about the following

  • How to make better use of the space, more flexible spaces should be incorporated so that they are multi-functional
  • Take care of your hospitals, because an improved facility means greater care and better service.
  • Think of privacy when you consider the design; a flexible system which cater to workflow challenges and yet retain the privacy of patients.
  • Design a system where the experience of the visitors will matter.

1. Think of your plan

Talk to your hospital construction contractors, about the needs, demographics, wants and goals of the facility. Check the existing programs and facilities and think of ways to better them. Always remember that the construction is not just about now, you should have a detailed vision of how it will be in the future. So talk to your builder about the plan, and see if they understand your goals.

2. Make your patient’s experience worthwhile

The experience of the outpatient treatment should be such, so that the patients find the impetus to come back to the hospital again. The comforts and facilities provided in the outpatient unit should be as good as the in-house services. You can have a thorough discussion with the hospital construction contractors about your various needs and requirements.

3. Putting the nurse station at the centre

It is always good to put the nurse station close to the bedside. It helps the nurses to respond quickly to call and emergencies without any disruption to the workflow. In fact new units are now designed in such a manner so that the nurse station is just adjacent to the rooms.

4. Think about the staffing system

Consult with your hospital construction contractors and find out whether the staffing model collaborates with the needs of the patients. You must understand the workflow challenges to understand where you should improve your staffing system and make some changes in the design to help your patients.

5. Interviewing the staff to understand the system better

Experience speaks; you should speak to the staff, doctors, nurses and people who are part of the facility to understand the requirements. Close intently to what they have to say to make a system better. Often the best ideas for renovation or construction come from the staff themselves.

6. Take note of privacy

By creating a smooth masterplan which will effectively reduce or simply lessen the challenges of the day-to-day facility, you cannot overlook an integral component of the hospitals. As builder, it becomes imperative to take note of privacy while you create the design. The design should be flexible, but should not compromise on privacy.

7. Think about automated notifications

It is essential that the critical care team should have a flawless co-ordination at times of emergencies. Think about ways to reduce the administrative paraphernalia like sending EMR messages, emails or get urgent updates. You can talk to your contractors to find an easy solution for implement new technologies to automate the system.

8. Thinking about expansion plans

As it is stated earlier, you simply do not make your hospitals for now; you plan for the future. You must be prepared for it; talk to your builders so that system designs can be expanded later without any hassele.

Monday, 30 May 2016

Tips to Renovate Hotel Properties

As the hospitality industry evolves every day, guests also inherently expect more of the hotels in which they stay; they are looking for advanced amenities, better accommodation and upscale services. This often leads to occasional renovation projects which will make the property more lucrative to the guests. But even when you are doing renovation, you do not have the luxury of shutting down the property completely. Even a partial shutdown during renovation can be quite challenging because it is a rare phenomenon to make your guests feel at home while conducting the renovation operations effortlessly. The result; a bunch of annoyed guests who report about their unflattering experiences during a renovation project! Let us find out about ways in which a construction company can resolve the issues.

Before you begin with your construction project, you must think about the following things:

  • Plan about the entire process; if it is a long renovation work; think about how you are going to finish it without compromising disrupting the guest’s stay.
  • Outline the scopes of work and find out about the kind of budget which you need to complete the work.
  • Develop a well-planned schedule which will integrate both construction and operation, so that there is a smooth transition.
  • Find the right contractor who understands your requirements and has dabbled with various projects of hotel construction.

Making the guests comfortable

When you undertake the renovation project, the first thing that you need to do is to create a well chalked-out plan. Not only it is important to guide your employees so that your guests have a smooth check-in and check-out process, but it is absolutely mandatory to look after the needs of guests who will be staying on the property for longer days. It is often found out that the long-term guests have different needs and they are overlooked when you are thinking about renovations.

Thinking about a buffer system

Every hotel construction company will present you with a renovation schedule; staying focused on time standards is absolutely essential for any renovation, especially if it a long and on-going project and needs to be completed in phrases. But often it is seen that the expectations set by the management for a property’s progress in the course of renovation can create an impact on guests and employees and how well they receive them. It is crucial to
  • Define the investment limits; you must do the evaluation and be confident that the market will provide a good return on the invested capital
  • You should have a clear idea about what you are being offered; a reputed company engaged in hotel construction sets certain standards about the quality of the work undertaken; if the standards are not properly outlined, you should take it upon yourself to create a proper standard.
The construction whether done in phases or as a whole will impact the income of the property during that time. A good hotel will always think of ways to create a positive experience even within those limitations. They should create a buffer between the guests and the place where the construction is taking place. It is not easy; as different guests will have various requirements.
Always remember that it is up to you to live up to the expectations of the guests and maintain the reputation; so think of innovative ways to successfully conduct the transition without hampering the peace of the guests!