And branding isn't only heading to urban sites, explained panelist Peter Stojkovic, National Managing Director of Healthcare Advisory Services at Transwestern. Branding is also heading overseas.

Another important point that Stojkovic mentioned is that technology is here to stay. “We are finding that our IT budgets are always increasing. Right now, we normally budget about 30% for IT, which is servers, fiberoptics etc., and by the time that building is built, we are outdated already.”

As for vacancy in hospitals, Trabold mentioned that in 1970, the census for a hospital was 77% occupied. Today, he said, we are at 62%. “There were 1.5 million beds, now there are 900,000 beds.” Meanwhile, during that same time period, he said, the population has increased 50%.

As for what do I do with these vacant wings, he said that his company has valued dozens of floors in hospitals to bring in a third party hospice or rehab center to break even on the space.

Michael A. Noto, SVP of real estate services at Welltower, added that he is also seeing some do a strait real estate deal and offer a lease on two floors or three floors of a hospital and it has been successful. “That is one use of the vacancy or empty floors that exist.”

Keep checking GlobeSt.com for more from the RealShare Healthcare event in the coming days.

Part 2 of 2

SCOTTSDALE, AZ—In part one of this two-part article on the “Healthcare's Shifting Facility Needs” panel from the RealShare Healthcare conference here last week, panelists discussed how we can expect to see more of the trend toward efficiency and consolidation in the healthcare space. In part two, panelists note that people are also really using outpatient facilities to expand their name and they explain why simplicity is important.

“Outpatient. Outpatient. Outpatient. That is what is going on in medicine today,” said panelist John S. Trabold III, MAI, managing director of Real Estate Valuation Services at VMG Health. “And it is all about the patient experience.”

The successful ones, Trabold added, are the ones that cater to those patients, make it cheap and understandable. “Patients are overwhelmed trying to navigate today's waters so simplicity is what we have to do to cater. We can plan all day and build slick buildings and if the consumer doesn't buy into that model, you have a doomed model.”

And branding isn't only heading to urban sites, explained panelist Peter Stojkovic, National Managing Director of Healthcare Advisory Services at Transwestern. Branding is also heading overseas.

Another important point that Stojkovic mentioned is that technology is here to stay. “We are finding that our IT budgets are always increasing. Right now, we normally budget about 30% for IT, which is servers, fiberoptics etc., and by the time that building is built, we are outdated already.”

As for vacancy in hospitals, Trabold mentioned that in 1970, the census for a hospital was 77% occupied. Today, he said, we are at 62%. “There were 1.5 million beds, now there are 900,000 beds.” Meanwhile, during that same time period, he said, the population has increased 50%.

As for what do I do with these vacant wings, he said that his company has valued dozens of floors in hospitals to bring in a third party hospice or rehab center to break even on the space.

Michael A. Noto, SVP of real estate services at Welltower, added that he is also seeing some do a strait real estate deal and offer a lease on two floors or three floors of a hospital and it has been successful. “That is one use of the vacancy or empty floors that exist.”

Keep checking GlobeSt.com for more from the RealShare Healthcare event in the coming days.