Clark Construction’s Taylor Johnson On Improving Healthcare Access At Bisnow’s Pacific Northwest Event

The healthcare industry is rapidly evolving, with every regional market having its own focus and set of priorities for best serving patients. However, common demands extend throughout the sector, including the need for greater accessibility and mindfully designed spaces that make patients feel comfortable. 

These trends ring particularly true in the behavioral healthcare sector, where demand for services is high but other issues prohibit many from getting the help they require. One study from Cigna revealed that 50% of adults diagnosed with a behavioral condition such as anxiety don't receive treatment because of such issues as lofty treatment costs and lack of access.

In the Pacific Northwest, behavioral healthcare has increasingly become a focus, said Taylor Johnson, project executive at Clark Construction Group.

To break down this accessibility barrier, companies like Clark Construction are working with healthcare groups and developers to implement innovative construction and therapeutic design strategies that will enhance the patient experience.

"Behavioral healthcare is a major priority for our clients right now, and they’re working hard to ensure that the necessary funding to build new or renovate older healthcare facilities is available," he said. 

Johnson will be speaking at Bisnow's Pacific Northwest Healthcare Conference on Oct. 15. Register here.

Bisnow spoke with Johnson to learn more about the trends taking over the market, how Clark Construction is working to provide users with a more seamless experience and what attendees will be most excited to hear about at this event.

Bisnow: What market trends are you noticing in the Pacific Northwest’s healthcare sector? 

Johnson: There’s an increased commitment by public and private organizations to address the critical need for behavioral healthcare in the Pacific Northwest. A lot of our clients are continuing to prioritize behavioral healthcare. They’re continuing to try to address demand while increasing their ability to deliver these critical services. 

Bisnow: What construction strategies is Clark deploying to ensure accessibility? 

Johnson: For Clark, it's about delivering certainty — whether on the product or on the approach and process. 

Our clients addressing accessibility needs are healthcare providers who are on the front lines. On the other side of the equation, it’s important for stakeholders to have certainty of when the project's going to be delivered, including what the overall cost is and ensuring the schedule is timely. 

It all boils down to how we can ensure that we are good stewards of the healthcare campus or the area where we're building these critical projects while they continue to deliver these services. Making sure that our construction process is as unobtrusive as possible is vital. 

Bisnow: What healthcare projects is the Clark team working on?

Johnson: I'm leading a state-funded, state-controlled project at Western State Hospital in Lakewood, Washington. It's an alternative delivery, meaning it is not a standard design-bid-build project. They brought the builder onto the project early to help inform the construction process and plan early during the design to streamline constructibility. 

The old buildings on campus are being demolished to make way for a new 350-bed hospital for forensic patients. As the project’s contractor, we were tasked with coming up with ways to repurpose the demolition debris. Sustainability is very important to us, and we decided to create an on-site crushing operation, recycling the old building materials to build new roads, sidewalks and landscaping materials. 

Bisnow: What do you think will be trending topics of discussion at this event?

Johnson: Pushing standards in design and construction as well as how to be more sustainable and cost-effective will be something that folks will want to hear about. I believe people will also be thinking about how we can be better builders. How we can improve our processes and deliver a better product at the end of the day. 

Bisnow: What obstacles is the Pacific Northwest’s healthcare industry witnessing this year, and how is the industry prepared to handle these challenges?

Johnson: We don’t necessarily see anything as an obstacle, but rather as an opportunity to continue to try to push the envelope on standards and continue to be better day by day, delivering these services faster and as efficiently as possible. If we hold ourselves and our construction projects to higher standards, our owners and clients can expect those higher standards, which they can then translate into their services.

This article was produced in collaboration between Clark Construction and Studio B. Bisnow news staff was not involved in the production of this content.

Studio B is Bisnow’s in-house content and design studio. To learn more about how Studio B can help your team, reach out to studio@bisnow.com.