Over the past few months, leaders have shared what’s sitting on their desks right now: master facility planning across multiple campuses, full hospital replacement projects, new outpatient expansions, sustainability strategies that have to stand up financially, seismic and infrastructure upgrades that can’t be deferred, and AI moving into facilities and capital workflows in very real ways.
This isn’t theoretical. It’s active capital responsibility inside multi-facility systems.
Large-Scale Capital Is Still Moving — But Differently
Large-scale projects are advancing — replacement hospitals, new campuses, system expansions — but the math behind them has changed. Approvals carry more scrutiny. Teams are reworking phasing midstream. Flexibility is being weighed against cost discipline in ways that feel more urgent than they did even a few years ago.
Greenfield development is being approached with more caution and more creativity. New campuses are being structured to adapt over time, with teams trying to protect future flexibility without locking themselves into rigid footprints.
AI Is Moving Into Facilities Planning and Design
AI is no longer a curiosity. It’s entering facilities planning, safety infrastructure, and capital workflows. The real question isn’t whether it matters. It’s when it moves from pilot to governance — and whether it reduces friction or introduces new complexity inside already stretched teams.
Designing for Safety From Day One
Security is no longer downstream. Violence prevention, integrated response systems, and hardened infrastructure are shaping design decisions earlier in the process. Construction, facilities, and safety leadership are intersecting differently than they used to.
Sustainability Under Financial Pressure
Net zero and resilience remain part of the mandate — especially inside existing hospitals. Energy performance, electrification, and backup systems are being evaluated through a tighter financial lens. The expectation hasn’t disappeared. The bar for justification has risen.
These are not isolated themes. They are overlapping pressures inside the same portfolio.
That’s the backdrop heading into HealthSpaces, taking place June 7–9, 2026 at Château Élan in Braselton, Georgia.
HealthSpaces is built for working through those kinds of decisions with peers who carry the same level of responsibility. The conversations are small, direct, and candid — the kind that only happen when the right people are in the room.
Leaders from Stanford Health Care, Penn Medicine, UCHealth, Harris Health, Michigan Medicine, AdventHealth, Lee Health, UC Davis Health, and University of Miami Health System will be part of that discussion, bringing perspective from portfolios actively navigating these pressures.
If you’re responsible for capital planning, construction, facilities, engineering, or real estate at the director level or above, you can request your invitation to join us here.