The Fall of Retail Makes Way for the Rise of Ambulatory Healthcare

Looking back over the past few years, the Healthcare Industry has developed a need for Outpatient facilities to deliver high-quality care to the communities they serve, develop patient integrity, and grow market share. Now with COVID-19 patients taking up acute care space within hospitals, the urgency to establish outpatient medical facilities where other patients can go is needed now more than ever. A building used for Ambulatory Care, such as a MOB (Medical Office Building), would consolidate multiple specialties and physicians into the same “one-stop-shop” location that is retained by a well-known and trusted Healthcare System in the area.

Another outcome of the coronavirus pandemic is that brick-and-mortar retail stores have been closing their doors at alarming rates. This includes both large retail “big-box” stores and small boutique style locations. Consumers are more interested in online retail shopping due to quarantine regulations and stay at home orders.

Vacant “big-box” retail stores are optimal community spaces to be transformed into high-tech ambulatory care facilities. These vacancies are usually in a prime location and can be transformed into a medical clinic in a short time frame. As we all know, the trend of transforming old retail spaces into health clinics has been on the rise for a while now. COVID-19 has just accelerated this trend by increasing the amount of vacant retail stores and increasing the demand for outpatient medical facilities. Since both increases go hand-in-hand, JPT’s Architects and Engineers are going to go over the best practices involved in designing Outpatient Healthcare facilities from existing “big-box” retail stores.