Combine uncertainty and pent-up demand and you get a sense of the current uneasy state of the healthcare construction industry.
Healthcare providers have been cautious with their construction dollars, but demand continues to climb and some projects—such as switching from semi-private to all private rooms—cannot wait.
The weak economic recovery continues to dampen healthcare construction projects. Out of the 151 companies participating in this year's Modern Healthcare Construction & Design Survey, 47% reported working on a project that stopped or was stalled for at least three months in 2013. Of those, 58% said the stalled project restarted again last year.
Reasons cited for these work stoppages included loss of market demand, healthcare reform and lack of confidence because of the weak economic recovery.