Mitch Hoefer
Mitch Hoefer is the founder and CEO of Hoefer Wysocki Architects, a nationally recognized healthcare design firm based in the Kansas City Metro area. He has 33 years of experience supervising multiple medical facility design and construction projects for both private and government sectors and has led design teams for several national healthcare projects. He has earned numerous awards for his architectural designs and has been published in several professional journals.
Do you see any new trends surfacing in healthcare in 2017?
Because of the pressure on reimbursement, healthcare systems are looking for more cost effective ways to deliver healthcare. A continuing trend we are seeing is the distributed care model which supports services outside of the traditional hospital environment. Clinics, outpatient facilities, ambulatory facilities, satellite emergency departments and micro-hospitals are some of the responses to this trend.
Hospitals are planning for a future where only the highest acuity patients are being admitted. Clinics and outpatient facilities are becoming more prevalent. In the future, a virtual care center could bring healthcare to remote locations closer to home and even in the home.
What challenges are you facing as we approach 2017?
The unpredictability of the healthcare industry due to concerns over Obamacare and its effect on the economy.
What is your outlook for the healthcare economy for 2017 through the next few years in your opinion?
Many indications are the healthcare construction industry could grow from $41 billion in 2017 to more than $55 billion a year industry in 2020.
Anything you or your firm is looking forward to?
We are excited that the healthcare industry continues to create high quality inpatient and outpatient environments. The approach to patient-focused care requires great design creativity in order to integrate all of the technology and services within a non-institutional, hospitality-oriented environment.