There is no other sector of Construction where choosing a Qualified Contractor is more important than in Healthcare. Many of the Public Hospitals feel that they must make work available to all; this is a dangerous road to travel.
Healthcare construction, especially within the confines of fully operational Hospital, can be very risky business. The Contractor must be keenly aware of their surroundings, what effect their work will have on others, especially when it involves the shut-down of utilities. There is an immeasurable amount of communication that must take place prior to the start of any project within a Hospital. It is extremely important to involve all parties that will be affected, even in the slightest of ways. For example, when renovating a Radiology Department, aside from the obvious Administration Personnel, an experienced Contractor will coordinate with Facilities, Nursing Director, Radiology Director and possibly any other adjacent departments, so that any re-routing of patients will be fully coordinated, prior to the start of the Project.
An experienced and qualified Contractor will have a schedule defined in detail of what will be taking place over the upcoming weeks, so that no one is surprised by any modification to the normal routines. Lack of preparation is the main cause of unnecessary disruption, and the failure to notify all involved during any sort of utility shut-down could put patient lives at risk.
The most effective way to control the selection of qualified contractors at your facility is to put into place the proper screening and selection process. The most effective ones I have taken part in, is where the need for the qualified contractors is advertised, requesting their experience in writing, specifically as it relates to Healthcare work. From there the most qualified contractors are interviewed and a list of four to six contractors is created before a specific project is planned. This list is most times revisited every 2 to 3 years. This process usually works best for the smaller projects, $3million and under. For the larger projects this same process is used, but for a specific upcoming project and on a one-time basis.
The idea of getting as many bids as possible from any contractor who is interested is not the best practice when it comes to the highly sophisticated construction that is Healthcare. The collateral damage that can be caused by utilizing inexperienced Contractors is immeasurable. The decision to save a few dollars upfront will never seem rational once the damage has occurred.
