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

• On occasion, a hospital will subcontract with an architect, engineer, or contractor on a
project to also serve as the project’s manager. These individuals have a conflict of interest in
serving as a project manager.
• In some cases, a hospital employee who has full-time responsibilities is asked to pick up
project manager responsibilities under "other duties as assigned." Because of the time
required to perform quality project management, this scenario does not usually work.
Best Practice 5: Choose planning and design consultants who have a demonstrated
knowledge and understanding of California Building Code regulations and of the type of
project you need delivered
Nothing bogs down the OSHPD process more than architects and engineers who do not
understand the demanding requirements of California hospital design and how California hospital
requirements are different from other hospitals in the United States. Architects and engineers who
will be assigned to your project should be interviewed to ensure that they have demonstrated
knowledge of California hospital design and can work constructively in the OSHPD environment.
They must be licensed in California and should have had success with similar OSHPD projects.
This best practice is also pertinent to selection of equipment vendors and technology systems
providers.
Best Practice 5a: Require that the architect and/or engineer contract contain a provision
of the basic services and code-compliant drawings to ensure there are no extra charges
for backchecks; and ensure that the hospital will receive timely copies of OSHPD’s plan
review comments
Retain a design team that is knowledgeable about the workings of the OSHPD FDD procedures
and understands the CBSC.
Obtain references for architects and engineers.
• References are needed for both the architecture or engineering firm and for the individuals
who will perform the work. Interview the specific design team individuals proposed for your
project.
• Review recent similar projects the firm submitted to OSHPD to determine the quality of its
work and the firm’s ability to design to code (e.g., look at type of OSHPD comments and
number of backchecks).
• Require the design professional to perform written code reviews by qualified internal staff or
a qualified outside code consultant.
• The hospital should obtain an independent review of the architectural and/or engineering
plans prior to submitting them to OSHPD. Although this entails additional cost it can
ultimately save both time and money. It will enhance quality design, facilitate plan review,
(OSHPD Best Practices) Page 90 DRAFT FINAL, Sept. 2011