Building a surgery center takes a lot of planning, budgeting, and maneuvering around government red tape.  You want to get it right the first time, so don’t try to do this on your own.  Save time and money by hiring a medical contractor who specializes in ASC construction.

Building a Surgery Center

Here are some tips to help you choose the best medical office space, set a reasonable budget for construction, and begin building a productive surgery center.

3 Reasons to begin ASC Construction Now

The planning stage

As a rule of thumb, your medical office should include a procedure (surgery) room, reception area, doctor’s office, nursing and physician staff room, storage facility, and patient areas for prep and recovery.  This is an area where your medical contractor can really help; together with a great construction crew, a qualified contractor can help you design the perfect layout for your ASC, from conception to completion. Your medical space planner should be familiar with state health department regulations, ASC safety codes, and other government compliance issues that are needed prior to inspection.

Budgeting

Construction can cost anywhere between $150 and $300 per square foot.  Also, larger floor spaces result in more overhead expenditures per year, so plan carefully when choosing the site for your ASC. Beware of commercial properties that have zoning restrictions, unsafe safety conditions, or remote locations. Again, this is another situation where an experienced contractor who is familiar with ASC restrictions can help you pick a property that is cost-effective and practical, taking into account health laws, zoning, and municipal compliance rules that apply to medical offices and surgery centers.  Don’t assume that any structure previously used by a medical practice is still up to code. You may need to renovate or make a few construction fixes, so get your contractor involved.

Build it

You may decide that you’re better off building a surgery center from the ground up, as opposed to buying an ASC and making necessary repairs and design.  Building through a medical contractor gives you greater control of your entire medical space layout.
  • You can strategically plan patient areas to improve satisfaction, comfort, and productivity.
  • Take full control of construction design accents, such as the reception feature wall, custom nursing stations, infection-free building surfaces, and other architectural options.
  • You can rest assured that all building elements are constructed with complete adherence to federal ASC regulations, including waste management, room layout, entryway safety, fire coding, and environmental concerns.
 Medical Construction- Going Modular or Prefab

Choose partners

When starting up a new surgery center, consider taking in a partner to cut down on capital. Take the money you save and use it to help grow your medical practice. Choose a successful surgeon that has a good standing in the medical community, and also has a good bedside manner. If you aren’t able to find a physician with whom you’re comfortable sharing a medical practice, then that’s okay. Don’t commit to a risky partnership as a last resort- getter to go it alone and budget accordingly.

Purchase surgical equipment

You don’t have to buy fancy new medical devices if it will kill your budget. Better to spend your money on good construction and buy second-hand ASC equipment.  There are many reputable companies that sell reliable refurbished medical supplies under warranty, such as MRI machines and other diagnostic imaging equipment, in addition to medical office and surgery center devices.