By Dan Hounsell

What lessons can healthcare facilities managers take from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic? The last year has seen nearly every aspect of hospitals and other healthcare facilities upended, so the many challenges they have faced offer opportunities to improve operations, as well as the architecture and construction of future facilities. 

For health systems wanting to build facilities post-COVID-19, there will be more design and engineering aspects to consider than ever, according to the Jacksonville Daily Record. During pandemic surges, area hospitals transformed floors into intensive care units, modified isolation rooms’ airflow and limited entry points. Now, systems are considering those aspects of flexibility when designing new facilities, said Don Crist, vice president of operations for Flagler Health+.

John Newman, facilities director for AdventHealth Palm Coast, said its future facilities would incorporate larger emergency rooms to keep patients more physically distanced to limit the spread of disease.