Exclusive Q&A: How the Future of Healthcare is Changing Real Estate
The Affordable Care Act’s 16.4M new patients added stress to a healthcare system already burdened by aging Boomers, forcing providers to deliver quality care more efficiently and cost-effectively than ever before.
Bisnow caught up with San Diego-based Pacific Medical Buildings (PMB) SVP Jake Rohe (pictured here with sons James, 3, and Luke, 18 months), a speaker at our 5th Annual Los Angles Healthcare Forum on Wednesday, Dec. 2, at the by the Los Angeles Athletic Club in Downtown (431 W 7th St) beginning at 8am.
Below is a look at the new $58M, 157k SF ambulatory-care complex PMB is developing for Hoag Health in Irvine. It includes a retail building with an urgent care facility and café and three MOBs that will house an ambulatory surgical center, GI services, clinic spaces, imaging and a cancer treatment center.
Bisnow: How are changes in healthcare delivery impacting facility design and location of new healthcare facilities?
Jake Rohe: There is a tremendous push to deliver healthcare in the lowest cost settings. These settings range from ambulatory-care centers to retail clinics to at home care and virtual care options.
Bisnow: What types of new facilities are being developed to address changes in the delivery of healthcare?
Jake Rohe: Healthcare real estate traditionally has been defined as MOBs. There is still a focus on outpatient-care facilities, with more and more focus across the continuum of care, including post- and sub-acute care and wellness facilities, and even moving towards a healthcare focused senior-living model.
Bisnow: Are there any differences in the types of facilities being developed in rural communities as opposed to urban centers?
Jake Rohe: Healthcare facilities aren’t necessarily rural versus urban specific, but more defined by the population that the facility serves. It’s all about understanding the market and incorporating the right programs to serve a specific population, taking into account factors like specific healthcare demographics and social determinants of health. Rural clinics are often more primary care-oriented and often times include a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC).
Bisnow: Does your company specialize in certain types of healthcare facilities?
Jake Rohe: Yes, outpatient healthcare facilities, and we’re beginning to pursue post-acute and senior-living partnerships. We’re currently developing a $58M, 157k SF ambulatory-care campus for Hoag in Irvine and a $170M, 250k SF ambulatory-care center for Sutter Health in downtown San Francisco.
Bisnow: How are new and emerging technologies impacting the type and size of facilities built?
Jake Rohe: More and more healthcare is being provided outside of the hospital, and this trend is accelerating along with technological advances. The biggest factor we like to think about in our projects is being able to accommodate the future of outpatient care, freely admitting that we’re not smart enough to know what that will be. We need to develop facility infrastructure to support efficient, adaptable and technology-driven facilities.
Hear more at Bisnow's 5th Annual Los Angles Healthcare Forum on Wednesday, Dec. 2, at the Los Angeles Athletic Club in Downtown (431 W 7th St) beginning at 8am. Sign up here.
