Medical construction projects range in scope from the construction of a brand new hospital to the extension of existing medical infrastructure. Each of these have their own challenges and, at the end of the day, providing medical care to a community is worth any cost. However, it is important that money invested into a medical facility be put towards constructing a building that can be utilized to its fullest potential.

Working Around Constraints

Developing sustainable medical construction projects encourages clever thinking about the issues that may hinder the regular functioning of these facilities. By looking at potential problems that may plague a medical facility, we can then move to deal with them either through adaptation of the plans for construction or development of procedures that will mitigate the negative impact of those problems. Some of these concerns that may affect medical construction projects include:

1. Accessing Capital For The Project

In many cases capital isn’t guaranteed for a project and it can only be budgeted and approved by the board of a medical organization. To this end, the facilities that are being constructed need to complete construction within specific cost constraints or they will overrun the budget. The capital should be used in construction as efficiently as possible, as approval of addition funding for the project may be cumbersome (if not impossible) to gain access to, as it requires review and ratification from the appointed board of directors. This often arduous process can seriously delay the completion timeline should the project run out of funding mid-construction.

2. Developing Around Future Expansion

Most medical facilities do not remain in the same size and state as they were originally built. As settlements grow, so do their medical service needs, and in constructing a medical building future additions must be taken into account. As a result, all building designs should be created with ease of expansion in mind, since future development will be affected by design decisions taken today.

3. Infection Control During Construction

Infection control is a factor unique to medical construction projects. Many construction companies have a strict policy in place when dealing with construction in locations where infection from patients may be possible. This is to ensure the safety of the workers as much as it is to ensure the safety of the patients. Disruption of a sterilized hospital environment, for example, can create many challenges for staff as they work ensure the consistency of medical care. In any construction environment on medical grounds, a plan must be put in place prior to commencing work to ensure that patient safety takes precedence.

4. Construction Noise & Impact On Patients

Another concern for medical construction contractors is in identifying how to minimize the amount of noise that construction brings with it. This is even more important when conducting work close to areas such as a neonatal unit, since undue noise can lead to very undesirable disruption of patient care. Professional medical construction contractors need to have procedures in place that can help to mitigate noise pollution.

5. Interruption Of Services

A medical facility is an indispensable part of a community. Construction on that building will, no doubt, interrupt the daily functioning of the doctors, nurses and support staff that make up the employees of that particular location. It is prudent that a contractor inform the department heads well in advance if an interruption for a particular area is expected. This will give those affected time to make contingency plans.

Timeline Of Medical Construction

While regular construction may take a long time to complete due to delays and other extraneous factors, medical construction cannot be allowed to languish for any great length of time. Because of this, medical projects need to be done in a most efficient manner. These projects must incorporate best practices when it comes to allocating resources and getting things done efficiently.

If you are looking for an experienced company to handle your next project, we at Nationwide Construction have been involved in a number of medical construction projects. We stand ready to lend our expertise, and are committed to getting your job done efficiently and economically, in a reasonable timeline that will accommodate the needs of all stakeholders. Contact us today for your free planning package!