In the coming years, hospitals and health systems across California and the nation will confront a profound recalibration of capital investment strategies driven not by design ambition, but by tightening fiscal constraints from reductions in federal Medicaid and Medicare support—especially those embedded in recent “OBBBA” and California legislation. These dual constraints—federal retrenchment plus state cost ceilings—create a “squeeze” scenario where hospital systems must triage capital investments. This presentation offers a data‑rich exploration of what cuts are coming and how these cuts trickle downward to influence facility expansion, renewal and modernization decisions.

Healthcare energy infrastructure is at an inflection point. Legacy, owner-funded systems built through slow, capital-intensive delivery models are giving way to Energy as a Service (EaaS) – a turnkey approach that delivers heating, cooling, water, and power as a guaranteed service while transferring construction, performance, and lifecycle risk to experienced providers. In this session, panelists will share insights to help healthcare leaders:

• Rethink ownership of non-core assets: Why systems are moving away from asset-heavy energy infrastructure – and what that shift means for capital allocation, balance sheets, and strategic priorities.
• Accelerate delivery without compromise: How next-generation EaaS compresses timelines without compromising uptime, resilience, or patient care.
• Reallocate risk: Which risks healthcare organizations should no longer carry – and how EaaS reshapes long-term accountability.
• Decide with intent: When EaaS creates a strategic advantage versus when traditional delivery still makes sense for new construction, retrofits, or portfolio-wide deployment.

This Innovation Lunch brings together healthcare leaders to explore how energy-as-a-service is being applied in hospital settings to deliver resilient, high-performing energy systems that support continuous patient care. The focus is on how these systems are designed, integrated, and operated across complex, always-on campuses. Bernards will lead a practical discussion on the operational realities of delivering EaaS in hospitals, including the integration of central utility plants, microgrids, backup generation, and advanced controls into a coordinated energy platform. The conversation will examine redundancy planning, lifecycle performance, real-time monitoring, and alignment with clinical and regulatory requirements.

Attendees will leave with a clearer understanding of how EaaS can reduce operational burden, enhance resilience, and support the evolving needs of hospital campuses—while keeping energy infrastructure reliable, adaptable, and largely invisible to those delivering care.

We’re thrilled to bring together this powerful mix of voices to discuss the pending enforcement of AB 2975 and proactive strategies to improve healthcare facility security and staff safety.

As the Design Impact Sponsor, GDG Healthcare Architects will lead a compelling conversation on how hospitals can strengthen safety without compromising the comfort and compassion that define quality care. Joined by hospital executives, the FBI, and fellow design professionals, GDG will guide an exploration of how thoughtful planning and architecture can seamlessly integrate security into environments that remain open, welcoming, and restorative. 

Through real-world case studies shared by the panelists, the session will illustrate the growing and evolving need for security in healthcare environments. These examples will highlight practical lessons learned, emerging risks, and design-driven solutions that protect patients and staff while advancing operational performance and the overall experience of care—demonstrating design’s true impact on delivering healthcare infrastructure that works.

Join us at this special networking event for all conference delegates.

Complete the form here to secure your spot!

Artificial intelligence is transforming how healthcare facilities are planned, built, and managed. This session will demonstrate how project managers, administrators, architects, and engineers can apply AI to improve planning, coordination, safety, and long-term facility performance. Attendees will explore proven tools for design optimization including automated documentation, immersive collaboration, predictive analytics, AI Agents, AI Quality Control, and how these innovations can enhance efficiency and outcomes. The session will highlight the importance of structuring and connecting project data to create a continuous digital thread linking design, construction, and operations. By harnessing AI and integrated data, healthcare organizations can make smarter decisions, streamline processes, and unlock new opportunities to improve the built environment throughout the facility life cycle.

Senate Bill 1953 requires all SPC-2 hospital buildings in California to be upgraded to SPC-4D or removing from general acute care by January 1, 2030, creating technical, logistical, and operational challenges. Hospital owners must balance seismic compliance with maintaining patient care, managing construction costs, and sequencing work within active medical environments.

This presentation outlines the overall SPC-4D upgrade requirements and demonstrates how early collaboration among the facility, HCAI, the design team, and the construction team—combined with advanced analytical tools—is essential for developing retrofit solutions that minimize operational disruptions while ensuring safety and compliance. Comprehensive material testing, detailed condition assessments, targeted field investigations, and coordinated planning provide the critical data needed to identify optimal retrofit strategies and reduce the required scope of work.

The reference project is an 11-story hospital tower constructed in the 1970s, serving as a central component of the campus’s operations. A panel representing the owner, HCAI, the construction manager, and the structural engineers will discuss the collaborative process and resulting solutions. The team will share lessons learned that significantly reduced the extent of retrofit work while maintaining SPC-4D performance, lowering construction costs, improving constructability, and minimizing disruption to ongoing hospital operations.

With passage of Proposition 1 and Behavioral Health Capital Improvement Program (BHCIP) Grant Funding, the State of California is positioned to make transformational changes in Behavioral Health care models.  San Diego County Behavioral Health Services has been at the forefront of this transformation and will share its journey, new initiatives and upcoming projects.