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

Project Selection and Identification Phase
Best Practice 1: Understand and communicate clearly what you want to accomplish
Whether the project is as simple as introducing a new piece of equipment into your facility or as
complicated as replacing an entire acute care campus, all subsequent strategies for working with
OSHPD stem from how clearly and unambiguously you understand what you want to accomplish.
Develop an overall Master Facilities Plan and Program. Some hospitals are currently incurring
additional expense in meeting the seismic mandate because over the years construction and
renovation projects took place without a Master Facilities Plan. Therefore, in meeting the seismic
mandate some seismic compliant buildings and systems need to be modified or replaced while
conducting seismic retrofits of noncompliant buildings. A Master Facilities Plan can assist in
predicting when a proposed project may trigger upgrades of mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and
structural systems as well as assist in determining where additional sources of power are
required.
To assist hospitals in interpreting clinic building code requirements OSHPD developed Code
Application Notice (CAN) 1-7-2100. This CAN will assist hospitals in determining which building
authority has responsibility for a clinic project and to what code it is designed and reviewed.
OSHPD reports that some local jurisdictions and clinic owners and design professionals have
experienced confusion regarding which clinics and outpatient facilities are subject to the clinic
requirements (OSHPD 3) found in the California Building Standards Code (CBSC). This results in
a lack of consistency in application of the model code and OSHPD 3 requirements to clinic
facilities as well as uncertainty regarding the roles of the local building department and OSHPD in
the plan review, certification, and construction inspection processes.
Also, the hospital seismic mandate provides compliance options for nonconforming buildings.
Such buildings shall (a) be retrofitted; (b) be closed, demolished, or replaced; or (c) have their
acute care services removed and be converted to non-acute-care use. Over the next few years, a
number of all hospital buildings could be converted from general acute care hospitals to other
uses. Therefore, OSHPD issued CAN 2-3406A, which clarifies the CBSC for a Change of
Occupancy.
Best Practice 2: Be realistic about the preliminary budget and length of time needed to
achieve your goal
Be prepared to invest the necessary time and resources. Determine if an integrated project team
is needed for the project. It may result in higher front-end costs but more reliable overall project
costs. Project cost estimates must take into consideration needed equipment, inflation, the project
design, plan review schedule, and construction time. Being realistic will minimize delays that arise
when plans are in OSHPD review. Develop and validate current project concept budgets, with
(OSHPD Best Practices) Page 88 DRAFT FINAL, Sept. 2011