Facilities & Construction Track

Rapidly changing hospital priorities, patient expectations, and rising construction costs have deeply impacted all stakeholders in healthcare facilities and construction. As hospitals reevaluate their priorities and needs to provide better patient care, construction plans and projects will need to be modified to meet these new expectations. In this track, we will explore how to navigate healthcare construction post-pandemic and discuss strategies for building facilities for the future.

Healthcare Construction Post-Pandemic 

Friday, March 18, 2022 | 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM

Moderator: Michael Gerhardt

Panelists: Walter JonesBob KramerBarbara Wagner

The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the shift to designing flexible spaces, constructing more outpatient care facilities, and expediting the building process. What do these trends mean for healthcare leaders and construction projects post-pandemic? A panel of healthcare construction stakeholders will share insights into the trends impacting healthcare construction in 2022 and offer strategies to realign projects with changing priorities and expectations. They will also discuss approaches to overcome healthcare construction challenges, accounting for the rising costs and issues concerning raw materials, mitigating supply shortages, and restarting stalled projects.

Learning Objectives:

  1. Discuss the impact of the pandemic on healthcare facilities.
  2. Examine trends impacting the healthcare construction industry in 2022.
  3. Develop strategies to realign construction projects with the changes in hospital priorities and patient expectations.
  4. Identify ways to overcome the post-pandemic challenges within healthcare construction.

About the Panelists

Walter Jones
Full Name
Title
Senior Vice President of Campus Transformation
Organization
The MetroHealth System
Speaker Bio
Mr. Jones was recruited to The MetroHealth System in October 2014, and is responsible for the departments of Planning, Design and Construction, Space Management, Sustainability, and Real Estate. He came to MetroHealth following 11 years as Senior Vice President of Facilities Planning and Development for Parkland Health and Hospital System where his duties included the development and construction of Parkland’s $1.3 billion, 865-bed hospital and medical campus. While at MetroHealth, Walter provided the strategic vision and leadership for the planning, design and construction of the $800 million transformation of the main campus.

He is an architect by training and experience, receiving his undergraduate degree from Princeton University and his Master’s Degree in Architecture from Clemson University. He is LEED certified in sustainability design by the US Green Building Council and EDAC certified by the Center for Health Design in the principles of evidence-based design.
Bob Kramer
Full Name
Title
Vice President, Project Executive
Organization
Skanska
Speaker Bio
Bob Kramer is a Vice President, Project Executive for Skanska with 18 years of experience in the construction industry. Throughout his career, Bob has worked for healthcare clients across the Southeast on a wide range of project types. He is currently overseeing construction on the Lee Health, Gulf Coast Medical Center Expansion and Renovation project in Fort Myers, FL. Bob graduated from Purdue University with a B.S. in Construction Engineering and Management.
Barbara Wagner
Full Name
Title
Executive Vice President, National Healthcare Sector
Organization
Clark Construction Group
Speaker Bio
Barbara Wagner is a senior vice president with Clark Construction Group, one of the largest general contractors in the country, with over $5 billion in annual revenue. Ms. Wagner holds a bachelor's degree in architecture from the Catholic University of America, a master's degree in civil engineering and construction management from the University of Maryland, and has over 34 years of experience in construction. Ms. Wagner began her construction career on the East Coast, managing public and private construction projects in the Washington, DC, and Boston markets. Since 2002, Ms. Wagner has lived in Los Angeles, where she leads the Clark's National Healthcare Center of Excellence. For the past 17 years, healthcare clients throughout California and across the country have relied on her expertise for the successful planning and execution of their renovation, expansion, and new construction projects. Her professional licenses and accreditations include a contractor and engineer's license in the state of California, DBIA designation and LEED accreditation.