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Gloria J. Bazzoli, Anneliese Gerland, and Jessica May Construction Activity In U.S. Hospitals Health Affairs, May/June 2006; 25(3): 783-791. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] [Reprints & Permissions]

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NIPP Versus Nonfederal Hospital Design And Construction

James D. Blair   ( 14 July 2006 )

NIPP Versus Nonfederal Hospital Design And Construction 14 July 2006
James D. Blair, CEO Center for HealthCare Emergency Readiness (CHCER) Send comment to journal: Re: NIPP Versus Nonfederal Hospital Design And Construction drjdblair{at}comcast.net James D. Blair	The National Infrastructure Protection Plan (NIPP), one of four "national initiatives" designed to secure the Homeland and prepare for future robust all-hazards threats, completed its four-year journey to publication on June 30, 2006. The much-anticipated sector-specific designations of "Critical Infrastructure and Key Assets" will not be released for 180 days. All federal health care facilities are constructed or upgraded to meet strict all-hazards protection standards. There is little evidence that the nonfederal health care design and construction industry is following this lead. Many observers question the impact on nonfederal health care facilities if they are designated "critical infrastructures." The last decade has identified scores of known, effective "best practices in facilities protection." The article leaves little doubt that the industry is in the middle of a construction "boom." These new hospitals will be the built environment for the delivery of health care for the next 30-40 years. How will a trusting public and other stakeholders view an industry that fails to adopt known "best practices for protection" for their treatment facilities?