Strategic Master Facility Planning

Stroudwater’s strategic master facility planning practice is focused on identifying the right solution-balancing the hospital’s strategic needs for investment with its financial constraints. Our thought leadership in the research of facility replacements provides unique insights into the best practices and success factors.

With the increasing need for healthcare investment coupled with increased capital constraints, facility projects can get stuck. A facility plan that redefines or repositions an organization in the marketplace versus incremental renovation projects os particularly susceptible to inaction. Stroudwater is skilled at working in these situations to get past ‘stop’.

Stroudwater’s strategic master facility planning approach is both analytical and participative. We utilize the most current and robust databases for current and future utilization estimates. We examine all the key strategic drivers of the facility project. We test and validate operating assumptions. We then define facility needs and identify options based on the driving forces and opportunities. Stroudwater involves the internal and external stakeholders to build consensus around the preferred facility option, under the direction of the executive management and the board of trustees. Physicians, managers, and others are included in the process. Stroudwater collaborates with architectural, accounting, and other advisors to complement their focused perspectives.

Facility planning has been a focus of our company since its founding in 1985. Stroudwater consultants have developed over $2 billion of healthcare facilities. These projects have ranged from targeted expansions to large academic medical centers, to community hospitals, and small, rural facilities. With our expertise in physician operations, we also have done dozens of medical office buildings, ambulatory surgical centers, and freestanding diagnostic centers.

Stroudwater consultants believe that significant facility investments need to be enablers of strategy, operations, finance, and clinical services in order to optimize their value. Our consulting talent is deeply experienced in academic, community, small hospital, and ambulatory operations. This uniquely positions Stroudwater to assist healthcare systems in facility planning with both urban and rural member facilities, and in both inpatient and ambulatory settings.

We are known for tackling the most complex and challenging projects, and framing decisions in a meaningful and understandable way. Because we are committed to seeing projects executed, versus endless analysis, we leverage our expertise and offer concrete recommendations for action.

Stroudwater’s advanced analytics and processes are transparent. We offer new perspectives to persistent challenges. We consider problems from multiple perspectives (strategic, financial, and operational) and ground our recommendations in analysis, stakeholder opinions, and our experience of what works.

Stroudwater has studied and published the results of facility replacement projects for the past four years. In addition, Stroudwater has also worked closely to educate potential funding sources on the economics of hospitals. We have consulted with the Federal Department of Housing and Urban Development as it improved the process for funding projects through its FHA 242 insurance program. And, with the USDA, Stroudwater authored the healthcare manual used to educate field staff and has led training workshops for USDA staff from across the county.