(11/13/2024)
Looking back, healthcare facilities management in the last decade was largely about mitigating the effects of critical issues. An aging pipe infrastructure here, a downed elevator there, power outages, maybe some storm remediation. Historically, facilities management prioritized correcting problems, not preventing them. At the same time, many of the functions touching the built environment — construction, energy management, and compliance, for instance — were disjointed, managed by siloed teams or vendors, without a coordinated strategy for how those pieces fit together.
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Looking back, healthcare facilities management in the last decade was largely about mitigating the effects of critical issues. An aging pipe infrastructure here, a downed elevator there, power outages, maybe some storm remediation. Historically, facilities management prioritized correcting problems, not preventing them. At the same time, many of the functions touching the built environment — construction, energy management, and compliance, for instance — were disjointed, managed by siloed teams or vendors, without a coordinated strategy for how those pieces fit together.
That disconnected, break/fix model is still standard at many hospitals today, driving sky-high costs stemming from emergency fixes, unplanned downtime, accelerated equipment wear/tear/replacement, safety risks, and physical spaces that don’t match actual patient needs or organizational goals. It’s high time for that model to evolve. And it’s why a growing number of healthcare leaders are embracing integrated facilities management.
Why and How Facilities Management has Changed
Ask any healthcare leader and they’ll point to common challenges forcing their organizations to find new ways to operate: inflation, shifting regulatory mandates, aging equipment, a shrinking and tired workforce, new sustainability goals, rising concerns around behavioral health… the list goes on. The reality is that the ways healthcare facilities have been managed for decades is no longer adequate. Increasingly, the ramifications of getting healthcare facilities management right (or wrong) are deep and wide, either driving or derailing patient outcomes, profits, and a slew of other goals.
Finding the right balance starts with widening our focus to include the many components that make up the built environment. “We see facilities management broadening to other service areas, and greater collaboration between disciplines. Integrated facilities management considers how all pieces interconnect and build on one another,” shares Carla Shade, Vice President, Operations at Medxcel.
To that end, integrated facilities management unifies a variety of functions that were historically siloed, including:
For integrated facilities management practitioners, each of these components is inextricably linked to the next, either improving or degrading one another.
Think of it like the human body. You have various systems – cardiovascular, nervous, lymphatic, respiratory — all working together. Neglect any of these systems, and the whole body suffers. Integrated facilities management is akin to a whole-body approach to your facilities, versus treating individual “limbs” or symptoms as they arise.
Consider, for example, a hospital that’s building or renovating patient rooms. Simultaneously, hospital leaders need to heed rising regulatory scrutiny over ligature risks. “In that scenario, our facilities teams would collaborate with safety, emergency management, and planning, design and construction experts to make sure physical spaces are ligature-resistant and can meet patient and regulatory needs for years to come,” says Carla.
Real estate management is another discipline within healthcare that is receiving a lot of attention. “Many health organizations struggle to manage their property portfolio, and an integrated facilities management partner can bridge that gap,” Carla adds: “If your organization is looking to downsize your square footage, multidisciplinary teams should assess your physical spaces to discern what’s wasteful and what’s necessary or advantageous in light of your goals.”
In addition to identifying gaps, risks and opportunities that might’ve remained hidden otherwise, this holistic, multidisciplinary approach also fuels a great deal of innovation and creativity. “That’s what’s going to drive healthcare organizations forward: innovative thinking,” Carla shares.
Connecting the Dots with Integrated Technology
ntegrating so many critical functions with precision and speed requires integrated technology, data capture and analysis. With that in mind, your computerized maintenance management system (CMMS) should enable you to track work orders, manage preventive maintenance schedules, measure performance, forecast operational and capital investment needs, and even benchmark your performance against other facilities.
Medxcel client facilities lean on that level of integration for real-time, 360-degree visibility into their facilities operations and assets, but that’s not all. They can also glean insights from data from hundreds upon hundreds of facilities like theirs, to help them forecast needs, and define next steps and investments with a high degree of accuracy.
Delivering Measurable Impact
More than a good idea, integrated facilities management is a proven idea.
To date, Medxcel has implemented integrated facilities management in more than 160 hospitals and 2,600 sites of care across the U.S. In the last three years, client facilities have reported $104 million in savings, averaging 10-15% in facilities management savings over the life of the contract. What’s more, those facilities can also predict operating expenses for the next three to five years.
We’ve also found the workforce impact of an integrated facilities management model to be significant. On-site facilities teams reporting to Medxcel boast a retention rate of 83% — more than double the average worker retention rate in healthcare, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. We credit that unusually high level of retention to ongoing investment in workers’ professional growth, skill-building and knowledge-sharing.
“It all leads back to improving patient outcomes. Every aspect of patient care is dependent on your facilities management program,” Carla reasons: “You can’t have clinical success without integrated facilities success.”
Looking to elevate your healthcare facilities program? Learn why Medxcel is the leading facilities services provider in the U.S. exclusively serving the healthcare industry.