4 Ways to Avoid Compliance Catastrophes on Healthcare Projects

Healthcare construction projects face intense compliance demands. They must balance traditional inspection needs with specialized regulations, such as those for compressed air, gas and clinical cleanliness dictated by PCRA/ICRA.

Meeting these standards involves numerous stakeholders, and even minor oversights can lead to budget overruns, schedule delays and compliance infractions. These issues often result in conflict and blame.

Following these four steps can help project owners understand and proactively manage healthcare compliance needs.

1. Connect and centralize data.

Centralizing all communication and documentation on a single construction management platform strengthens collaboration and reduces confusion. It enhances alignment and helps create a solid schedule that maintains quality.

Alignment without integration is a recipe for disaster. Assuming project teams use the same management systems can lead to costly oversights.

It’s important to discuss overall project expectations — which include plans to stay compliant. Sharing that information builds transparency, trust and credibility.

Centralized data prevents time-consuming data entry from getting in the way of workflow and jeopardizing compliance schedules.

2. Address risks in real-time.

Risks during construction can impede patient care goals. Identifying stakeholders early and using project history for an audit trail saves money by reducing infighting and blame.

QUOTE: Mistakes can cause finger-pointing between stakeholders, often with the owner mediating. On top of that, GCs may propose optimistic schedules, but these are often missing the full context of the scope of the project, resulting in delays. (Grant Honetschlager)

Tools that identify and solve overlap in compliance and inspection timelines can replace the need for extensive manual scheduling.

3. Drive alignment through prioritization.

Determining what needs attention first can be challenging and compete for an owner's attention. Without a system, prioritizing inspections and compliance requirements can lead to failures.

Personal diligence can’t be the only factor combating inefficiency; a digital platform can amplify priorities and allow alignment and synchronization of moving parts from beginning to end.

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4. Invest in continuous training and education

Keeping team members informed about shifting compliance standards and best practices now helps avoid problems later. Encouraging an environment where compliance is a shared responsibility improves the project.

Providing continuous education keeps the entire team aligned with current standards and reduces the risk of compliance issues from outdated knowledge or practices.

Improve workflow, improve compliance.

By focusing on alignment, integration, history, prioritization and continuous education, healthcare construction projects can significantly improve workflow.

This approach helps make sure the budget is solid, the scope is stable and all timelines are met. Most importantly, it results in a high-quality healthcare facility ready to serve its community.

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