By: Julie Wanzer, LEED AP
Denver, CO – SMPS Colorado hosted their monthly luncheon program last Wednesday, May 11th at the Denver Athletic Club with a focus on the expanding healthcare and senior care markets in the AEC industry. Moderator, Nancy Byrd, CTS, LEED GA, Director of Business Development for K2, led the panel that included:
– Cheryle Powell, Broker – Healthcare Services, Colliers International
– Richard Ziegner, Executive Vice President & Director of Healthcare Banking, UMB Bank
– Rhonda Skallan, President, Rhonda Skallan Consulting, LLC
– Bob Gance, Director of Facilities Management, Boulder Community Hospital
The below trends were captured from the event that included several marketers, business developers, principals, contractors, architects and engineers.
Healthcare real estate trends:
- Neighborhoods with 50+ residents are ideal locations for long term care and assisted living
- Consumers want new buildings for their parents in the form of nursing facilities – market is building 4,500 beds/year
- In Denver, 25% acute care are in process of acquisition/merger and 50% are considering the possibility
- Construction is focused on primary care – but trending towards combination facilities with multiple care providers in one location. Keep things small and flexible with less square feet and more technology.
Overall healthcare industry trends:
- Industry is looking for more video doctors to replace doctor visits in order to see more patients faster
- Less hospital beds signal a greater need for long term care; Hospitals seeking quicker turnaround on hospital beds and to improve the inpatient technology so patients can recover better at home
- Medicare costs will be cut next year. Expectation is rate of Medicare payments will go up.
- Hospitals receive 40-50% of Medicare but now that loss will continue to worsen with several unknowns from the Affordable Care Act
Photo courtesy of Small Giants
