From the September 2017 issue of HealthCare Business News magazine
Technology is a tool that has allowed cross-functional collaboration to occur at great distances. Realistically, this new reality is at the same time unavoidable and efficient because whether in Houston or Tokyo, the most experienced team available anywhere must be assembled to create this type of project. Technology enables this global team to be successful. However, technology alone is not enough and some good, old-fashioned, face-to-face conversation is critical. QA/QC planning within these work sessions allows for professional peripheral vision to identify and account for subtle scope gaps between disciplines that otherwise might go unnoticed during design phases.
During construction, the owner, the design team and the construction team continue to work closely together. Because of the fluid aspects of the process described above, quality control is elusive unless monitored and managed continuously during construction. Changes as a result of new equipment development must be accommodated and can only be done successfully by the trusted collaboration established during preconstruction and continued throughout the construction phase.
As a planning tool, lean principles applied to both design and construction phases can play a significant role in delivery of a proton therapy project on time and on budget. Preplanning, pull scheduling and look-ahead tracking can help the team stay on task with critical issues throughout. High-performing, cross-functional teams do not happen by accident and all participants must sincerely participate to be successful. True collaboration is the goal.
Technology, while instrumental for coordination and collaboration as a collaborative tool, must be implemented in conjunction with practical construction knowledge and site awareness. Construction experience in the field must be leveraged in the early design phases of a proton project in order to allow for proper sequencing of field activities. Knowing what to put where and when is only part of the equation. Understanding the long-term ramifications and inter-connected aspects of each component piece of the proton puzzle is imperative for proper operational success. An experienced team is the best insurance an owner can invest in.
With only two dozen or so proton centers operating in the U.S., the need for additional access to proton treatment centers is increasing. Because of the capital investment required to plan, build and operate this type of facility, a comprehensive understanding of the equipment requirements and construction nuances is prudent. The complexities and challenges of installing a massive magnet-packed particle accelerator, fixed beam and isocentric gantry treatment rooms, and the necessary associated supporting infrastructure, including miles of conduit embedded in concrete, all within tolerances measured at unprecedented minimum standards, requires a disciplined approach by all team members.
