How to Plan Hospital Construction

Building a hospital is a huge undertaking. These large, multifaceted buildings often encompass patient care facilities, surgeries and office spaces. The specifications a hospital needs to meet depend on departments they have, which can include emergency rooms, rehabilitation facilities, in-patient and out-patient units and more. Most hospitals need to provide parking for patients and their families -- parking facilities are often close to the same square footage as the hospital itself. All of these factors affect the design of the hospital and need to be considered when planning. The construction of a hospital can take years to complete.

Instructions

• 1

  Put together a team to manage the planning stage. Include civil and structural engineers, urban planners, landscape specialists, financial specialists, community members and, most importantly, doctors, nurses and other staff who have experience working in hospitals. People who have experience planning a hospital and those who have worked in a hospital before will provide valuable information to you about what works best in a patient-care setting. Involve members of the community on some level, as they will be the ones using the hospital after it's built. This planning team is the foundation of the project -- members should work together from the start and throughout the process. Planning alone, from the initial stage to the day you break ground, can take one year or more to complete.

• 2

  Write down goals and objectives for this project. Make sure to detail why you are embarking on this project, what you hope to accomplish, the budget you have and the roles and responsibilities of each member of the team. Make sure all team members know what they need to do to make this a success. Put together a timeline for the project, including when it will be completed. Outline clear milestones and who is responsible for what.

• 3

  Research locations to find a suitable one for the hospital. Find a site near a main road, for easy access by emergency vehicles and patients. Adhere to accessibility requirements, as set by the Americans with Disability Act and the Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards. Hospitals often expand, so find a site that would allow for further expansion in the future. To start, look online at real estate agency websites to find large pieces of land near where you want to build. Then meet with the real estate agents in person and visit each potential site. Write down the pros and cons of each site, taking into consideration the goals and objectives you previously wrote down. Hold a team meeting and decide on a site.

• 4

  Hire an architect to design the plans. Have the planning team provide the architect with a list of departments and sketched flow diagrams to clearly show the flow of the hospital. Consider the size of the site, proximity to roads and exits, and the departments that must be included. Tell the architect what departments need to be near each other. Make sure the architect adheres to building and fire codes when designing. Compare the plans to your goals and objectives.

• 5

  Meet with the architect to determine the general contractors you want to bid on this project. Have the architect solicit bids. Consider experience and price when deciding on a general contractor.