Best Practices for Project Management, Design, and Construction of ...

Section 7: Best Practices for Hospitals in Working with OSHPD
7.0 Purpose
The purpose of this chapter is to provide hospital chief executive officers and other hospital
personnel responsible for hospital construction and renovation projects with a basic
understanding of the role of the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development’s Facilities
Development Division (OSHPD FDD) as the building official for acute care facilities and to present
"Best Practices" that can assist in ensuring that hospital projects in California are designed, plan
reviewed, and constructed in an expeditious manner.
California hospital buildings are considered by many architects and engineers as the most
complex buildings in the world to construct. Very few buildings with mechanical, plumbing and
electrical systems as complex as hospitals are expected to continue operation following a seismic
event. California hospitals are also required to meet additional fire and life safety and access
compliance requirements beyond those required by other hospitals in the United States.
By their nature, California hospital buildings take longer to design, obtain building permits, and
construct and therefore are more expensive to build than non-hospital buildings or than hospital
buildings in other states of equivalent size. This section describes OSHPD FDD role and
recommends best practice strategies that are intended to minimize delays, minimize project costs
and ensure seismically safe buildings are constructed.
Working on a hospital construction project can be either a frustrating experience or a simple one.
To make it a simple one follow these basic guidelines:
• Determine if the project will benefit from integrated project delivery.
• Determine if a pre-design meeting with OSHPD and Licensing staff is necessary. A
pre-design meeting is required by OSHPD for projects with a value of $20 million or more.
• Require your project team to communicate with OSHPD.
• Submit a geotechnical report to OSHPD at least six months prior to submitting the project.
• Ensure that your design team produces quality documents.
• Do not allow your design team to blame OSHPD for its own shortcomings.
• Resolve conflicts by using existing processes and formal appeals.
• Ensure that your contractor adheres to the approved plans.
• Avoid owner-driven Amended Construction Documents (formerly referred to as Change
Orders).
(OSHPD Best Practices) Page 86 DRAFT FINAL, Sept. 2011