Builders of medical facilities go 'green'

Dive Brief:

Almost half of construction firms that specialize in building healthcare facilities hope to earn LEED certification for projects they are working on this year.
Half of those told Modern Healthcare magazine they have more LEED projects in the works now than during the past two years.
The magazine’s 36th annual Healthcare Construction & Design Survey also revealed that fewer medical facility contractors were doing work in other countries last year than in the previous two years. Survey participants reported working in 32 foreign countries, most often in China, the United Kingdom, Canada, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates.

Dive Insight:

Enough of these specialized contractors are seeking green certifications that the survey included a question about it for the first time this year.

Andrew Quirk, national director of Skanska USA's Healthcare Center of Excellence, told the magazine he expects more healthcare contractors to “go green.” At least one, Kaiser Permanente, has committed to seeking LEED gold certification for all of its new buildings, the magazine said.