With a constant drive for operational efficiencies and reduction of costs under an outcome-based healthcare environment, there are increasing pressures to ensure that sustainability initiatives are not only cost-effective and provide a return on investment, but socially and environmentally responsible.
An effective sustainability program within a healthcare environment is the hub of the wheel that can produce several outcomes, such as workforce engagement, that are key drivers for higher reimbursements within the healthcare mission. It’s also the prioritization of these potential outcomes that can drive the creation of the desired operating vision. This is a challenging balance within an organization that has competing yet synergistic missions of healthcare, research and education.
In order to determine the effectiveness of the sustainable design components for Oregon Health & Science University’s Center for Health & Healing, OHSU performed a post-occupancy evaluation in 2009 in collaboration with Portland State University, Heerwagen & Associates, Interface Engineering, CBRE and Gerding Edlen Development to study the perception of how the building was performing for its users. The study results were used to validate and provide lessons learned to further improve building performance and occupant/user satisfaction that could correlate to lower operating expense and higher labor productivity – key focus points for better outcomes.
Occupancy Research
In conducting the post-occupancy analysis, the following areas were evaluated from a user perspective: work performance, environmental conditions and identification with sustainable certification (e.g., LEED).
Results of the survey, found that:
- Approximately 40 percent reported work performance improved while 52 percent reported it remained the same compared with their previous work location. In addition, employees working at the facility continued to report lower absenteeism at the time of the report.
- Approximately 63 percent felt that their primary workspace was conducive to their health and well-being. Factors that should be considered for contributing to their well-being include noise, privacy and adjustability.
- Approximately 86 percent of occupants were familiar with and identify positively with a facility with LEED certification.
Surveys also are deployed to occupants annually, as well as via the Computerized Maintenance Management System, or CMMS, throughout the year, to identify areas of success and improvement. The high level of engagement is apparent within a busy healthcare environment as survey participation over the past nine years by department response rate is above 64 percent versus the industry standard of 20 percent.
In addition to occupant engagement, the right tools must be incorporated to deploy an effective program. A detailed “playbook” that defines program roles and responsibilities among team members will ensure consistent implementation and outcomes. The playbook serves as an invaluable training guide for new hire on-boarding, as well as a blueprint for future growth.
From an operating cost perspective, the facility has been able to maintain the same level of operating expenses since 2006, mainly due to the aggressive sustainability program that has resulted in lower energy and waste expense. This is a remarkable achievement with constantly increasing energy rates and higher occupancy rate within the facility.
Strategic Communications
The post-occupancy evaluation results indicate there is a high level of occupant engagement with their environment, associated sustainable systems and operational programs. In addition to providing training via the playbook, a key driver for ensuring highly engaged occupants is to create consistent and various communication paths to a broad audience for ongoing buy-in and satisfaction. The web portal (www.southwaterfrontcampus.com) serves as a centralized intranet that provides resources such as the tenant handbook, access to the CMMS and other general tools and announcements.
Building-wide, tenant meetings are held quarterly to provide general updates to department managers and service line contacts for the campus. This collaborative approach ensures there is a strong foundation for the program delivery as well as OHSU’s contribution to setting a high-performance standard and results. A quarterly newsletter is distributed to tenants in the weeks following the tenant meeting, providing highlights on all information discussed. It is the combination of collaborative meetings coupled with follow-up visual information via several communication paths that has contributed to a high level of occupant engagement.
In addition, an annual sustainability report is distributed to OHSU and building occupants, providing a visual synopsis of how the platform and LEED framework contribute to the overall program results and return on investment to reinforce dedication to the sustainable strategies implemented under the operating vision.
The results show a correlation between the sustainable design components and operational program, with a high level of occupant engagement and satisfaction. Performance was effectively managed through strategic communication conduits to ensure occupants contributed to the overall success of the program and reduction of operating expenses – resulting in better outcomes.
