On Wednesday, May 3
rd, CREW Boston hosted three healthcare real estate industry leaders to discuss the functions, challenges, and future opportunities at three of Boston’s premiere medical institutions - Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and Boston Medical Center Health system.
Moderated by Sarah McGillicuddy with BR+A Consulting Engineers, our panelists included Wendy Gettleman, Vice President of Facilities Management & Real Estate of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Sonal V. Gandhi, Vice President of Real Estate, Planning and Construction at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and Nancy Hanright, Senior Director of Real Estate and Capital Planning for Boston Medical Center.
Each panelist touched on the functions of their respective institutions, sharing with members and guests the mission of each institution, the patient population, and real estate portfolio. Further, discussion centered around patient access, decision making within a large institution, leased vs owned assets, challenges, and managing sustainability goals. Panelists discussed the benefits of virtual care and virtual work, especially for land locked, urban campuses – not only does virtual care let healthcare institutions meet their patents where they physically are, but it also allows institutions to reanalyze their space planning and reutilize the space that was previously used by these groups. In addition to virtual care, panelists discussed the challenges to build sustainable, yet resilient campuses and how to adapt to the changing needs of their patient populations – whether this be by expanding their patient care to suburban markets, or by providing more supportive services. Throughout the conversation, panelists continued to highlight the importance of always prioritizing patient care throughout every decision-making process. Audience members were keen to listen-in about what these three healthcare real estate industry leaders noted they valued the most in their relationships with stakeholders – collaboration, creativity, and communication.
The panelists’ passion for healthcare was evident throughout the conversation and we are so grateful to them for sharing more about the prestigious medical institutions they help lead every day.
