Large urban healthcare facilities are often sites of advancement in facilities management, but rural facilities also are launching industry-leading ideas, according to Healthcare Facilities Symposium and Expo.
Rural facilities face unique issues that often encourage innovative design solutions and cultivate creative problem-solving. These providers that need to upgrade facilities face challenges.
For example, construction costs for rural healthcare facilities might be inflated due to a lack of healthcare expertise among local contractors. Also, tight budgets do not accommodate extra space, so rural facilities must find creative ways to adapt to change.
Because of these considerations, many new operational and design approaches are being developed in rural healthcare settings in order to maximize resources and implement new delivery concepts, from universal information technology platforms that adjust with changing needs to facilities designed for outpatient conversion.
Cathryn Jakicic is healthcare industries editor of FacilitiesNet.com. For more information on hospital campuses and other medical facilities, click here.
