Introduction
Hospitals face numerous challenges from, changing trends in illness to an aging population. For this reason, the facility takes an approach of embracing change, adapting, and actively striving to provide safe and high-quality care in an unpredictable, complex, and ever-changing environment. Every employee should aim to contribute to optimizing care and enhancing the patient experience. Central to this strategy is facility planning, which aims to efficiently utilize human resources to attain optimal health results (George et al.,2019). Addressing facility planning needs provides opportunities for workforce management, offering opportunities for professional development, ensuring compliance with regulations, and managing recruitment and retention.
Steps of Facility Planning
Organizations conduct facility planning to optimize operations and the process entails six critical steps. First, the healthcare facility assesses its current and future demands for its personnel, including analyzing patient volume, staff competence, and regulatory mandates (Gordon et al., 2020). After the needs assessment, the ideal staffing levels and schedules are determined for increased efficiency based on the needs assessment. The third step involves creating and implementing strategies that attract and retain staff, such as compensation, benefits, salary offer, training opportunities, and positive work culture (Asghari et al., 2019). Fourth, providing opportunities for professional training will potentially improve employees’ skill set and competence. The fifth step includes setting performance standards, providing regular feedback, and addressing any performance-related issues for high-quality care. As a critical aspect of facility planning, regulatory compliance ensures every employee remains informed about regulatory changes and makes the necessary adjustments to meet these requirements.
Pre-Design Planning
Healthcare facilities may become outdated over time, leading to the need for renovations that improve the patient experience, operational efficiency, capacity, safety and security. Iano and Allen (2022) asserted that pre-design planning is a crucial step in the design process, setting key objectives, and assessing the feasibility of the project, including budget constraints and regulations. In turn, this ensures that the project is viable and the design team is working within realistic parameters. Furthermore, pre-design planning provides a chance to engage with key stakeholders and understand their needs and expectations, thereby identifying potential opportunities and risks to save time and resources.
Conclusion
The decision to renovate or replace a healthcare facility is influenced by several factors. Evaluating the current facility’s physical state and operational efficiency can dictate the need for renovation. Financial and regulatory constraints further affect the decisions made related to the project. Renovation may be a more cost-effective option if the facility is in good shape with minor improvements to be done. On the other hand, if the facility is planning for expansion, a new facility may be necessary. Careful consideration of these factors will ensure the facility is equipped to meet patients’ current and future needs.
References
Asghari, S., Kirkland, M.C., Blackmore, J., Boyd, S.E., Farrell, A., Rourke, J., Aubrey-Bassler, F.K., Godwin, M., Oandasan, I., & Walczak, A., (2019). A systematic review of reviews: recruitment and retention of rural family physicians. Canadian Journal of Rural Medicine, 25(1), 20-30. Web.
George, B., Walker, R. M., & Monster, J. (2019). Does strategic planning improve organizational performance? A meta‐analysis. Public Administration Review, 79(6), 810-819. Web.
Gordon, E.J., Romo, E., Amórtegui, D., Rodas, A., Anderson, N., Uriarte, J., McNatt, G., Caicedo, J.C., Ladner, D.P., & Shumate, M. (2020). Implementing culturally competent transplant care and implications for reducing health disparities: a prospective qualitative study. Health Expectations, 23(6), 1450-1465. Web.
Iano, J., & Allen, E. (2022). The architect’s studio companion: Rules of thumb for preliminary design. John Wiley & Sons.