Older inpatient units that were designed circa 1960-1970 create challenges to todays healthcare providers attempting to transform the patient experience offered to patients on their campuses and in their secondary market areas. In this current economic condition, many healthcare providers are challenged with adapting their older facilities to meet the demands for new technology, position their care giving in a fiercely competitive marketplace, and meeting the ever increasing demand of healthcare regulatory requirements.

This material in this presentation will demonstrate tested strategies used to convert aged healthcare facilities developed during the Hill-Burton era into viable patient care spaces that support best practices in clinical care today. Re-creating an older hospital inpatient unit into a modern facility requires a transformation strategy that converts small, semi-private patient rooms into patient-centered healing environments, while incorporating modern patient, family and nursing amenities.

Examples of conversion of 1970s vintage inpatient nursing tower from semi private patient rooms with inadequate support core to a reconfigured private room inpatient unit prototype will be reviewed to educate the audience on necessary the valued added transformation areas addressing items from building infrastructure to new staff models resulting from process re-engineering.

Examples will be shared that demonstrate a range of investments and associated outcomes; from minimal investments of $15.00/ square foot, moderate renovations achieved at $75.00/square foot, to major modernization achieved with an investment of $185.00/square foot. This financial range of investment in older facilities pales in contrast to the current market for new institutional facilities budgeted today between $350.00 to $600.00 / square foot. Executing these reuse strategies has become a more viable alternate for healthcare providers in an uncertain economy that has restricted access to the capital bond market, diminished provider portfolios and cash reserves.

In addition to the review of inpatient environments, methods of repositioning outpatient services in re-commissioned, older facilities will be reviewed highlighting adaptive reuse strategies to brand specialty services in a competitive market without investing in new buildings. Examples that demonstrate how aligning clinical programs in proximity to the consumers they serve in select focus to womens health, cancer treatment, and advanced imaging will be featured in the models shown for outpatient services in aged facilities.

Nursing, physician and patient needs have set new standards for environments that are evidenced in new facilities, yet little research has been conducted on how these standards transfer into the older, existing facilities. This program instructs hospital providers on proven techniques to elevate the level of performance of their older facilities.