Dive Brief:

• Developer Ambrose Property Group has proposed that a $1 billion hospital complex be built in Carmel, Indiana, although the company is not offering any details on which healthcare system will anchor the project, according to The Indianapolis Star.
• Even though Ambrose officials have declined to comment about the project, according to plans filed with the city, it will encompass 30 acres. On 15 acres, the company wants to construct five buildings, two parking garages and a rooftop helicopter pad. On the other 15 acres, Ambrose's plan includes four buildings and two more parking garages.  
• According to a purchase-inquiry letter Ambrose and a development partner sent to nearby property owners, 13 parcels would have to make way for the hospital complex. The letter also said that Ambrose expects the Carmel Plan Commission to review the project proposal in April.      

Dive Insight:

There are other hospital projects underway in Indiana. In the southern part of the state, the Department of Veterans Affairs plans to build a $925 million, 104-bed hospital in Louisville, Kentucky. There is no scheduled construction start date, but the VA anticipates the design will be ready for review sometime this year. The current Louisville VA hospital, the Robley Rex VA Medical Center, was built in the 1950s.

Hospital systems around the country are upgrading their facilities and building new ones to keep pace with technology and to adjust to modern healthcare delivery methods. While big inpatient hospitals with emergency services aren't going anywhere, healthcare systems are experimenting with smaller "micro-hospitals" to extend their reach in areas that are not in close proximity to a major medical center.  

The trend toward smaller facilities is also in response to millennials' increasing demand for more convenient healthcare alternatives, getting as close to on-demand services as they can. James Crispino, director of health and wellness at Gensler, told Construction Dive in December that a reduction in the average hospital stay has also made mini-hospitals a more viable option, leaving more serious cases for inpatient facilities.

The convenience factor especially comes into play with outpatient facilities, and their popularity has been a boon for the construction industry. In fact, in Modern Healthcare’s annual Construction & Design Survey last year, researchers found that healthcare contractors were predicting strong growth in outpatient and retail clinics.