June 2016 — Health Care Properties Quarterly —
Page 7
Trends
H
ealth care consumers want
it all – short drive times,
ancillaries at every site, pro-
vider continuity and 24/7
availability. The trend is
driven by the millennial generation,
accustomed to on-demand conve-
nience. This development, as well as
the Affordable Care Act, has created
new priorities for the health care
industry.
Health care systems are respond-
ing by increasingly allocating
resources to improving patient expe-
rience and to population health.
Health care real estate is an essen-
tial part both these objectives.
Improve patient experience.
Improv-
ing patient experience incorporates
pushing care to where the patient
is located, functional design, as well
as assuring convenient hours and
access. Becker’s Hospital Review’s
article titled “Market domination
is everything + 7 more thoughts on
strategy” states that focusing on the
total consumer experience is criti-
cal to market dominance. Analyzing
each area’s demographic needs of
the neighborhood and accommodat-
ing those needs with appropriate
health care services is essential to
positive consumer experience.
Pushing care to where the patient
is located.
Retail and health care
are merging – the process often is
referred to as the retailization of
health care. Retail market analysis
utilizes agglomerations and interac-
tions among stores in order to deter-
mine shopping demographics and
logistics.
Medical selection analysis includes
insurance coverage, disease preva-
lence, payer mix
and medical use
rates. While analyz-
ing these aspects
narrows area selec-
tion, retail consid-
erations such as
Americans with
Disabilities Act
access and park-
ing are equally
important. While
the retail approach
utilizes interac-
tions among stores,
health care analy-
sis includes needs assessment and
provider interaction analysis.
Medical clinics, urgent care cen-
ters and other outpatient facilities
are leasing retail space; for example,
University of Colorado Health uti-
lized a vacant Blockbuster building
in Arvada and converted it to a free-
standing emergency room.
Design.
Design is a consideration
imperative to the patient experience.
It includes variables that directly
correlate to real estate: ameni-
ties, convenience, comfort, service
and aesthetics. Design teams work
closely with owners to create facili-
ties that complement the appeal of
the surrounding retail center, while
remaining autonomous and easily
accessible. Providers are attracting
consumers with the convenience of
smaller and less expensive outpa-
tient facilities.
Convenient hours and access.
“What we are seeing is that many
consumers are going away from
Cheryle Powell
Health care
services, Colliers
International,
Denver
UCHealth utilized a vacant Blockbuster building at 9505 Ralston Road in Arvada and
converted it to a freestanding emergency room.
The facility is a growing trend of medical clinics, urgent care centers and other outpa-
tient facilities leasing retail space.
