More than 1,300 healthcare real estate professionals gathered in Minneapolis on May 1-3 for BOMA International’s 2019 Medical Office Buildings + Healthcare Real Estate Conference. The conference featured more than 20 education sessions covering a wide range of issues with an overarching view of the disruptive forces rapidly changing healthcare delivery and affecting real estate strategy.
Among the topics explored were how to design new patient experiences within facilities; new strategies for recruiting physician tenants; how reimbursement models and reform are impacting leases and portfolio valuation; how investor groups are changing their capital strategies to meet the demands and challenges of the current healthcare real estate market; and how to develop the next generation of healthcare real estate leaders.
Held in Minnesota for the first time, the conference keynote sessions highlighted some prominent healthcare real estate projects within the region. These included Mayo Clinic’s Destination Medical Center in Rochester, where they have embarked upon the largest public-private economic development initiative in Minnesota’s history, and Twin Cities Orthopedics’ unique partnership with the Minnesota Vikings on the NFL team’s new training and practice facility at the Viking Lakes campus in Eagan.
The most talked-about session was a sobering keynote on the opioid epidemic. This crisis affects millions of people across the U.S. and has overwhelmed many hospital emergency departments, clinics and physician practices. Attendees learned how one rural health system, CHI St. Gabriel’s Health in Little Falls, Minnesota, developed a ground-breaking program to combat the opioid crisis in their community. The program has received national recognition for its success and can serve as a model for other communities grappling with addiction and overdoses.
Mary Beth Kuzmanovich, senior vice president of Leasing at Lillibridge Healthcare Services, received the 2019 BOMA Co-Chairs’ Award for Outstanding Achievement for her contributions to healthcare real estate. The award was presented by conference Co-Chairs Chris Bodnar, vice chairman with CBRE, and Courtney Nelson, the system director of Real Estate Transactions with CommonSpirit Health.
BOMA International’s Medical Office Buildings + Healthcare Real Estate Conference is the largest annual event in the U.S. dedicated to healthcare real estate and offers unmatched education, networking, and business development opportunities. Mark your calendar for the 2020 BOMA Medical Office Buildings & Healthcare Real Estate Conference, which will be held April 29-May 1, 2020 in San Diego. Registration will open October 1. Visit mob.boma.org to learn more.