Integrated healthcare facilities maintenance management model: case studies

Abstract

Purpose – Increasing demand for healthcare services world-wide creates continuous requirements to reduce expenditures on “non-core” activities, such as maintenance and operations. At the same time, owners, users, and clients of healthcare expect a high level of built-facilities performance and minimized risks. The objective of this research is to develop an integrated facilities management (FM) model for healthcare facilities. Design/methodology/approach – The paper presents a case study analysis of an Israeli acute care hospital, in which the integrated healthcare facilities management model (IHFMM) was implemented, and the findings were examined and evaluated three years later. The case studies investigated the effectiveness of the developed model in terms of maintenance and performance management. The robustness of the model was also examined by applying sensitivity analyses to its parameters. Findings – Both of the case studies show significant results in predicting FM-related aspects, such as the level of performance and the required maintenance budgets. The findings reveal a high correlation between the two phases of the case studies in terms of financial outcomes and performance predictions. Originality/value – The core of the model is based on the strength of identified effects of certain parameters, such as maintenance expenditure and actual service life, on the performance and maintenance of healthcare facilities. The proposed IHFMM addresses two core topics of FM: maintenance and performance, for strategic FM decision making.