Legal Affairs: CMS publishes final rule regarding obligation to report and refund overpayments, see page 3
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The Leading Source for Healthcare Business News
Special Report: Construction Report
INSIDE
▼
JLABS @ TMC to help
catalyze early stage
research
see page 4
INDEX
▼
Financial Perspectives.......2
Legal Affairs......................3
Technology....................4
Integrative Medicine........6
Hospital Headlines...........8
THA...............................9
Moving On Up...............10
March 2016 • Volume 12, Issue 11 • $3.50
Collaborative care in today’s healthcare
industry
BY DAVID MCLEMORE, AIA, ACHA,
LEED AP, Executive Vice President,
Kirksey Architecture, Healthcare
Team Leader
Since the passage of the Affordable Care
Act, there has been much speculation and
discussion as to how the new law would
change the way that healthcare is practiced
moving forward. The healthcare industry
is evolving year to year, in conjunction
with the modifications and updates that are
ongoing with the details of the law. Several
facets to this evolution seem to be emerging.
Consolidation of healthcare systems is one
clear result, as we have seen happen right
here in Houston when St. Luke’s merged
with Catholic Healthcare Initiative, to
name just one of several. Another facet is
the ongoing expansion into the suburban
areas of our city at large, as all the major
institutions work to grow and strengthen
physician networks to serve the larger
number of insured families and individuals
covered under the law. This expansion is
not just happening in the acute care services,
a.k.a. hospitals, but it is also happening with
outpatient and clinical services, and the
pace seems to be picking up as evidence by
the rapid expansions seen in multi-specialty
care such as Kelsey-Seybold.
While outpatient clinical services continue
to grow in and around the Loop, and
especially outside to the Beltway and
beyond, the ways that buildings are being
studied and designed for construction in
these growth areas are not necessarily the
same as they were looked at pre-ACA.
Doing More with Less
Clinical teams and doctors are having to
identify strategies to do more with less in
the outpatient setting as the nation seeks
to control and even reduce the cost of care.
While this trend is not something new, the
trend in outpatient environments is far more
fluid than with the inpatient setting, as laws
and regulations dictate much, much more of
Please see CONSTRUCTION page 11
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Breaking Ground: Houston Methodist Sugar Land opens new patient pavilion
Integrative Pain
Management
Book Review
see page 6
. . . . . . . . . . . .
Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital
employees recently celebrated the opening
of the hospital’s new six-story patient tower.
A ribbon-cutting and blessing ceremony
were held to mark the launch of the new
Brazos Pavilion, which will house 104
patient care beds, bringing the hospital’s
total bed count to 347.
Lowell Stanton, CFO; Sue Chiang, Board Vice Chairman; Chris Siebenaler,
CEO; Sally Shen, Associate CNO; William Schwer, Board Chairman; Lonnie
Meadows, Board Member
Brazos Pavilion’s 20-bed intensive care
unit recently opened, and build-out for an
additional 56 medical/surgical beds will be
completed in May. An additional 28 beds
Please see BREAKING GROUND page 13
PRSRT STD
US POSTAGE
PAID
HOUSTON TX
PERMIT NO 13187