Thought Leaders: Jones Lang LaSalle sees hospital’s move to aggressive ambulatory care unit strategies accelerating

Focused effort leads to broader outreach and improved efficiencies

CHICAGO, March 4, 2013— Healthcare reform and ongoing financial and operational pressures are having significant influence on how hospitals and healthcare systems define and execute ambulatory care unit (ACU) strategies.  The cumulative effect of these influencers is a further and accelerated modification of the hub and spoke model that promotes broader outreach and greater efficiencies than can be achieved by thinking of the hospital as the hub or center of the delivery system.

“The old notion of the hospital as the one-stop shop for all health needs is evolving in a dramatic fashion to the point where the hospital is but one component of an integrated delivery system designed around the patients’ needs,” said Richard Taylor, Managing Director, Jones Lang LaSalle’s Healthcare Solutions group. “Increasingly, more and more revenue will be derived from procedures that take place outside of the hospital’s central campus.”

In a special report “The spoke before the hub:  turning the healthcare delivery model upside down,” Jones Lang LaSalle outlines the key drivers of the increasing emphasis on ACUs, including:

• Cost benefits—the impact of ACUs on improving hospital ROI is indisputable. ACUs can be established in locations that are far less costly to operate than the central hospital facility.
• Population Management—ACUs enable a system to more easily expand community outreach programs, getting to those people who most need healthcare services.
• Technology—state-of-the-art technologies mean non-invasive procedures and chronic disease treatment can be conducted outside of the hospital setting, on a lower cost basis.
• Coordinated Care—ACUs help patients better address their needs in an integrated fashion.
• Increasing Competition—ACUs provide hospitals with a better means for competing with other area hospitals. It is far easier to open or relocate an ACU than build a new hospital.

The report says that as ambulatory care plays an increasingly central role in the new delivery model, health systems need to take a fresh look at their facility strategies, from site location to design to operations, as a way to enhance care delivery, attract physicians and manage costs.

“Forward-thinking health systems recognize that achieving superior ambulatory performance in a manner that improves health, patient experience and cost is vital to future success,” said Taylor.

As the hospitals and healthcare systems evaluate and design the right ambulatory care strategy, JLL outlines five steps that will help ensure hospitals and their ACU operations can remain relevant in the face of shifting customer expectations and increased pressures on reimbursement:

• Understand the full picture of your service line capabilities—know the service offerings and the impact these services have so a comprehensive strategy can be developed.
• Analyze and rate your current service delivery—determine the effectiveness and efficiencies of the current system so that appropriate changes can be implemented as a comprehensive plan is developed.
• Determine your market position—know the existing and targeted demographics and understand how each will change, and what it means for competitive forces.
• Identify physician alignment—understand how a new or revised ACU plan will impact staffing needs as it relates to existing physicians and the need to recruit additional staff.
• Build financial models—focus on developing payment methodologies that support a healthcare system that is focus on delivering value versus volume.

Jones Lang LaSalle’s Healthcare Solutions group works with hospitals and healthcare systems throughout the nation, delivering comprehensive inpatient and ambulatory facility management, strategic consulting, real estate capital advisory, program management, development, property management, transaction services, lease administration and energy/sustainability advisory services. Through its work, the Healthcare Solutions group connects healthcare business strategies to real estate solutions, driving efficiencies and enhancing quality.  For more news, videos and research resources on Jones Lang LaSalle, please visit the firm’s U.S. media center Web page. Bookmark it here:  http://www.us.am.joneslanglasalle.com/UnitedStates/EN-US/Pages/News.aspx

For information specific to healthcare, please go to:  www.us.am.joneslanglasalle.com/healthcare.

For more news, videos and research resources on Jones Lang LaSalle, please visit the firm’s U.S. media center Web page.  Bookmark it here:  http://www.us.am.joneslanglasalle.com/UnitedStates/EN-US/Pages/News.aspx

About Jones Lang LaSalle

Jones Lang LaSalle (NYSE:JLL) is a professional services and investment management firm offering specialized real estate services to clients seeking increased value by owning, occupying and investing in real estate. With annual revenue of $3.9 billion, Jones Lang LaSalle operates in 70 countries from more than 1,000 locations worldwide. On behalf of its clients, the firm provides management and real estate outsourcing services to a property portfolio of 2.6 billion square feet. Its investment management business, LaSalle Investment Management, has $47.0 billion of real estate assets under management. For further information, visit www.jll.com.