The US is home to more than 6,000 hospitals. Hospitals are one of many different types of medical facilities. The total number of healthcare facilities in the country is much higher.

This is important because when medical officials need offices, they turn to specialized construction companies. These companies, known as healthcare construction companies, have built their business around medical facilities. They know how to make space for advanced machines and how to provide enough power to keep them working. 

This raises some interesting questions, though. How do they do this, and what other challenges do they face that most construction companies don't? We'll talk more about that here.

Patient Rights

Patient rights are a major consideration when designing and building a healthcare facility. Each facility will have its own specific needs that must be met. An optometrist, for instance, might need braille on certain signs or handrails to help guide people. 

All medical facilities are required to follow ADA accessibility standards. This means that every room and floor needs to be wheelchair-accessible. It also means ramps and elevators to accommodate wheelchairs, gurneys, and anybody with diminished energy.

Health Resources

Medicine is a very resource-intensive field. A typical day in a dentist's office will require a power source, as well as a gas hookup for Nitrous Oxide and Oxygen. Medical facility construction designs need to take this into account.

These resources need to be protected against the elements and backed up in case of power failure or other disasters. Lives often depend on the resources in medical facilities, so those resources can't fail.

Sanitary Conditions

A clean environment is important for any construction job, but medical environments especially. Medical environments should be sterile, which means that they can be cleaned and disinfected with ease.

Certain materials, such as wood, shouldn't be used in medical offices because wood is porous. Cloth is also porous and should be avoided as well. The ideal building materials are stone, metal, and plastics. 

This even applies to the waiting room. Germs and other contaminants are everywhere, so you need to be prepared from the minute patients walk in. 

Prioritize Privacy

Privacy is one of our fundamental rights when it comes to healthcare, so you should prioritize it when designing a medical facility. Make sure procedure and testing areas don't have any windows that the public or other patients can see into. 

In some areas, such as dentist's offices, privacy might be less of a concern. You should still create more private options in case patients want them.

Healthcare Construction Companies

When you need hospital construction experts or other skilled professionals to build a medical facility, turn to healthcare construction companies. We've discussed some of the factors these contractors consider when working on a project, but there's always more to learn.

You can find out more by reading through our blog. If you're looking for someone to help you build a medical facility, talk to us at Arminco Inc. We are an industry leader that's been in the business for almost twenty years. Check out our portfolio to see what we can do.