Healthcare reinvention includes your real estate, too

As an avid golfer, I’ve experienced how continual improvement and reinvention can be keys to a successful game. Thriving on the golf course requires more than the right club. You need a combination of competitive drive, a strong stance, an aligned club, an effective swing—and the right people around you. As in golf, success in healthcare means more than clinical improvements or smart revenue cycle management. As the third-highest item on the balance sheet, real estate and facilities also represent a major opportunity for healthcare reinvention—but they’re often overlooked.

Disruption and uncertainty surround us in healthcare today. Providers face enormous pressure to deliver a better patient and family experience, reduce the per capita cost of care and improve overall population health. Cross-industry mergers and acquisitions are making headlines and transforming what “healthcare” means. Advanced technologies and innovations are transforming care delivery and the medicines of tomorrow. Our aging population means dramatically higher physician visits and medical expenses.

Reinvention includes facilities, too. I’m thrilled about this blog as a venue for tackling timely and future-focused healthcare topics; all through the lens of real estate and facilities. An agile portfolio strategy, alignment of operations and building engineering, and a safe and efficient physical environment, along with overall “systemness,” are the keys to success—and we’re excited to talk about how.

I’m also delighted to announce two of our blog authors, George Mills and Anthony (Tony) Disser. As industry leaders and subject matter experts, George and Tony have combined healthcare experience of over 65 years. We’re proud to add them as integral members on our team, using their expertise to help hospitals and health systems survive and thrive.

George is a recognized speaker and author, most recently serving as the director of the department of engineering at the Joint Commission. He’s now the director of technical operations at JLL. I admire George’s commitment to continually improving the safety and quality of the healthcare environment.

Tony is also a veteran of the healthcare industry, leading the management and operations of private and university healthcare systems. Most recently, he was senior vice president and chief patient care at Kindred Healthcare. Our clients will benefit greatly from hisundeniable commitment to improving the health of patients and families.

I hear the concerns of our clients every day. We’ve engaged in lively discussions about new therapies, innovative technologies and strategies to improve quality and reduce costs. Amid disruption, one thing is clear: the future can be unnerving, but also exciting.

I welcome you to read, subscribe and have conversations with George, Tony and our guest authors about how real estate and facilities can help your institution not just survive, but thrive through real estate and facilities reinvention. As in golf, we need more than just the right gear to win the game.