by Brianna Crandall — August 17, 2018 — Academic medical centers are facing unprecedented change in the industries they straddle — health care and higher education, points out global financial and professional services firm JLL. Health-care organizations continue to face sweeping changes within the shifting industry, while higher education institutions face enrollment pressures and declining state funding. The end goal for both, however, remains remarkably similar: to provide the best possible environments for world-class patient care and student learning, as demonstrated by two recent JLL contract awards with an academic medical center and a group of health-care facilities.
Rush University Medical Center (RUMC) in Chicago
To thrive despite industry turbulence, Chicago’s Rush University Medical Center (RUMC) has partnered with JLL for integrated facilities management (FM) services, including life safety and facilities compliance. JLL will manage approximately 5 million square feet in 21 buildings encompassing clinical space, nursing facilities, administrative offices, warehouses and parking areas.
Chad Pinnell, managing director, JLL Healthcare Solutions, stated:
We’re excited to partner with RUMC in its pursuit of creating a world-class academic health-care system and supporting its Anchor Mission strategy of improving the physical and economic health of its West Side community. RUMC’s current facility management staff will join JLL, allowing RUMC to benefit from continuity of service combined with our leading practices and deep bench of health-care facilities experts.
JLL’s Healthcare Solutions team, led by Richard Taylor, includes George Mills, former director of engineering at The Joint Commission and one of the foremost experts in hospital operations. In addition, JLL has retained former Kindred Healthcare executive Anthony Disser, M.S., B.S.N., R.N., as advisor, Healthcare Solutions, to bridge the gap between operations and patient care. The Healthcare Solutions team will work closely with JLL’s Higher Education team, which has partnered with more than 200 colleges and universities around the globe.
Through the FM partnership, JLL plans to help RUMC improve efficiency through leading practices and health-care facilities management technologies, while reducing costs by as much as $40 million. With its experience in collaborating with unions, JLL anticipates a smooth transition for RUMC’s FM professionals who join the JLL team.
Energy efficiency will be a particular area of focus for the partnership. As part of its work with RUMC, JLL will gather energy usage and cost data from other healthcare systems in metropolitan Chicago to create a benchmarking tool. Through benchmarking, RUMC will be better positioned to pursue energy-saving strategies.
In addition, JLL will help advance RUMC’s Anchor Mission strategy by seeking suppliers among nearby West Side businesses. JLL will provide education and training to help local businesses grow and boost neighborhood economic vitality. JLL is also sponsoring local health education programs to support community well-being.
Michael E. LaMont, vice president, Facilities Management, RUMC, remarked:
We are impressed by the quality of JLL’s team and platform, and its understanding of both the health-care and higher education environments. Also critical, JLL has best-in-class training programs in health-care safety and compliance, and will provide career development opportunities to our transitioning employees. We are confident that JLL’s efforts will align with our tripartite mission of research, teaching and patient care.
LifeCare Health Partners: 19 health-care facilities in nine states
In a separate contract, with health-care facilities and infrastructures aging and the potential disruption to patient care and compliance risk, LifeCare Health Partners decided to engage JLL in a full-scale, integrated facilities management agreement.
The five-year agreement includes maintenance, security, oversight of Environmental Services (EVS), physical plant, capital planning and data-driven technology services. JLL will provide services to 19 freestanding and “hospital-in-hospital” facilities that serve chronically ill and medically complex patients in nine states.
Michael Marsh, managing director, South Central Region, JLL Healthcare Solutions, commented:
Not only does our partnership highlight LifeCare’s dedication to improving the patient and family experience, but it also demonstrates a commitment to enhancing the work environment for medical personnel. We are devoted to advancing the system’s mission of improving the quality of life for patients and maximizing their potential for healing and recovery from the moment they arrive.
This FM partnership is expected to provide LifeCare with greater efficiency and an improved ability to enhance comfort and trust among patients and visitors. For any health-care provider, the physical environment of care affects patient well-being and the ability of the caregiver team to deliver the best possible patient outcomes.
Frank Battafarano, president and chief operating officer of LifeCare Health Partners, pointed out:
Through this partnership, we are adopting a strategic, holistic approach to facilities management that will help us reduce operating costs and compliance risks while improving the patient experience. We will rely on JLL’s team of health-care experts, which includes former Joint Commission leaders who possess deep health-care operational experience and understand the critical role of the physical environment in improving patient outcomes.
JLL Healthcare works to enhance the patient experience, improve clinical outcomes, and drive financial performance through real estate and facilities solutions. The group provides dedicated support to manage real estate needs, facilities, guidance on portfolio and location strategy, financing support for purchase or development and assists with transactions for the health-care system campus. As a provider of health-care FM services with 540 hospital clients, JLL Healthcare’s team of 1,500 dedicated professionals supports 343 million square feet of health-care facilities.
JLL’s Higher Education practice partners with public and private universities, as well as university health systems, to help fulfill their missions through the stewardship of real estate. The group taps the unrealized potential of real estate to produce cost savings, improve financial strength, manage risk, and improve the overall student experience. JLL has worked for more than 200 colleges and universities throughout the world and provides a broad range of services that encompasses: brokerage, project and development management, sustainability solutions, public/private partnerships, facilities management, and master planning.
