If one hasnt experienced it in the past, one does not realize the monumental effort, knowledge, and experience that is required to appropriately plan a new healthcare facility. It is a process that lasts many years and one that involves a team of experts working together in their specific trades to achieve the goal of delivering a multi-million dollar building on time and on budget.
As many of us know, there are a countless number of healthcare-related facility construction projects going on today not only here in South Florida, but also throughout the country. There are countless numbers of projects that many of us dont even know about because they are in the process of being strategically planned and have yet to reach the point of sticking a shovel in the ground. In the process of learning about the planning of these facilities and the trades involved, Mitchell Associates stands out as a unique medical equipment planning and consulting firm that has been working in our industry since 1977. Mitchell has been working in South Florida and across the country with hospitals and other healthcare organizations for nearly 30 years, specifically dedicated to the analysis, planning, procurement and relocation of medical equipment.
“Medical equipment planning is a trade that many times is undervalued, yet it typically involves the 2nd largest project cost of many hospital facility projects,” says its Vice President, Ben Riestra. “Many healthcare organizations today are realizing that an experienced and qualified medical equipment planner like Mitchell Associates is an integral member of a project development team. Our responsibilities on a project begin during the earliest stages of budgeting and programming, and continue through post-occupancy.”
Over the years, Mitchell Associates has completed more than 700 healthcare facility projects and planned more than $3 billion worth of medical equipment. Their success comes from having a true understanding of the healthcare delivery operations coupled with their knowledge about new and emerging technologies. “Our planners are former clinical professionals that have worked on the floors of hospitals.” mentions Ben Riestra. “Our experience is real. During the planning effort we meet with the clinical end-users multiple times and make certain the specified clinical equipment for their project meets the unique clinical operational needs of each organization. Additionally, we provide them with the tools to make an informed decision on technology that is flexible and appropriate for the future. Information on technology trends, patient safety, and procurement strategies are but a few examples of issues that are discussed during a project.”
By successfully providing the owners with accurate budgets at the earliest stage of planning, providing the architect, engineer, and construction manger with every detail and specification to meet their project needs, and making sure the clinical end users and administration are in line with the planned equipment, Mitchell Associates has become one of the premier medical equipment planning and consulting firm in the country.
If one hasnt experienced it in the past, one does not realize the monumental effort, knowledge, and experience that is required to appropriately plan a new healthcare facility. It is a process that lasts many years and one that involves a team of experts working together in their specific trades to achieve the goal of delivering a multi-million dollar building on time and on budget. 
