Centered around the future of the healthcare industry, the KCAHE Annual Conference 2022 was held October 6 at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City. Mark Chrisman, health sector executive, Liz Greer, behavioral health practice director, Alex Infante, hospital practice manager, Greg Johnson, business development director at Henderson Building Solutions, Jake Katzenberger, health sector technical director, and Laura Longoria, health sector design and construction director, returned with the following takeaways.

A common theme throughout the conference was how to harness the power of data to drive change in the healthcare industry. John Barto of Microsoft touched on this topic by discussing how software can be used to gather data to not only treat illness, but to identify issues early to begin preventative interventions.

Data collection is not only beneficial to the clinical aspect of health facilities. Brian Weldy, vice president of engineering with HCA Healthcare, discussed how HCA incorporates data to help maintain buildings and equipment. Collecting data from mechanical equipment and utilizing algorithms to discover a change in trends will allow a facility to perform preventative maintenance at the most opportune time. This will prevent emergency maintenance caused by equipment which has completely failed, limiting wasted resources by completing maintenance before it is absolutely required. The use of a digital twin for the controls systems provides past operating data that can be utilized to simulate the impact of changing controls sequences.

Another presentation discussed ways to change the design process. This included having a consultant overseeing the use and flow of data in a new facility to make sure the design team provides components to interface with and move the data to appropriate systems. This role sets the facility up to integrate systems and utilize each of the low voltage systems for needs across the organization more efficiently.

Henderson Engineers hosted a panel to discuss modifying project workflow to design our system with fabrication and assembly of components as a priority. This takes tools and approaches currently in use such as offsite fabrication and modular components but rather than being an afterthought, we elevate it to a priority in the design process. This has shown to decrease cost and waste for projects as compared to the traditional workflow.

Engineering practices for the healthcare industry have always been slow to change, but with evolving technology and economic conditions, design firms and owners need to be willing to think outside the box. If we are willing to accept new technology and workflow, the power of this technology could vastly improve the patient experience and how healthcare structures operate for the long-term.

Henderson Knows Health

Henderson has been designing healthcare projects for more than 25 years and understands that each facility, campus, and project requires a unique approach. With that great responsibility comes the need to design solutions for patient safety, complex equipment, facility infrastructure, and resident comfort. Our experts are on the frontlines helping healthcare providers navigate new technology, complicated code requirements, and the emergence of neighborhood medtail clinics – all while taking patient care and safety as seriously as our clients do. To learn more about our Health Sector, click here.