There are currently about 600 medical office projects under way across the country. More than 15 percent of those projects include orthopedics. Why do so many projects include this specialty? There are several reasons I can think of. First off, we have an aging population. The older we get, the more medical care we will need and the wear and tear of time on our joints is certainly a part of that. We are seeing increases in the number of joint replacement surgeries performed. Data from the CDC already shows a steady increase in total visits to an orthopedic surgeon, as well as an increase in visits per population. In fact, according the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, joint replacement surgeries are expected to increase by 170%-190% by 2030 and by almost 400% by 2060. We will certainly need space for this demand. However, it isn’t just patient demand driving these build decisions. Orthopedics is one of the specialties most impacted by advances in medicine and medical technology. More and more surgeries are able to be done on a outpatient basis or with only a 24 hour stay. This explains the need for more orthopedic surgery centers. The same procedure can sometimes cost 2 to 3 times more if performed at a hospital rather than an outpatient surgery center. So regardless of whether you’re a hospital looking to move this specialty off campus or a private practice looking to establish your own location, ground is being broken to accommodate. Stay tuned to follow this and more trends at Revista!
