Higher-acuity procedures are moving out of hospitals and into ambulatory settings, and many existing outpatient buildings were not designed for the load. A hospital-based outpatient complex in Sacramento that opened in July 2025 illustrates the shift: it spans nearly 500 feet and includes 14 operating rooms, 59 recovery bays, 14 extended-stay rooms, pharmacy services, hyperbaric chambers and about 100,000 square feet of specialty clinics — capabilities that resemble a hospital despite its ambulatory operating model.
According to DPR Construction, the author of the sponsored Healthcare Dive article, the trend creates construction challenges. Conventional medical offices may lack the floor-to-floor height, electrical capacity, structural loading, medical gas systems, ventilation and equipment pathways needed for advanced imaging, robotics, hybrid procedures, infusion and extended recovery. Utility interconnection timelines and long lead times for transformers and switchgear can also affect site viability. The article argues that bringing builders in early can help test whether the clinical program fits the capital plan, flag long-lead equipment and shape the schedule before decisions become expensive to change.
The recommended strategy is to build core infrastructure for long-term capacity while shelling out additional procedure rooms or clinical space for later activation, letting capital investment follow demand. Builders can also use mock-ups and virtual coordination to validate patient and staff circulation, equipment routes and infection control before design is locked in. "Builders can support owners' objectives by understanding their unique patient demographics and experience plans," said Supina Mapon, healthcare strategist at DPR Construction. The article concludes that the strongest facilities may be those with enough infrastructure and flexibility to accommodate the next clinical model, rather than the most advanced technology on opening day.