Methodist VP to discuss hospital construction processes at RBI event

HOUSTON — The future of health care depends not only on medical professionals and their equipment, but also on the facilities designed to let them work at maximum efficiency. That will be the topic of the fifth in this year’s series of Rice Building Institute (RBI) fellows programs for professionals in the architecture, engineering and construction trades.

The program, in two half-day sessions Aug. 18 and 19, will be held on the Rice University campus, 6100 Main St.

RBI fellow Sidney Sanders, senior vice president of construction, facilities design and real estate at Houston’s Methodist Hospital, will discuss his role in designing and implementing integrated project delivery processes for Methodist’s $2.5 billion, systemwide construction program.

Elements to be discussed include early collaboration strategies and contractual mechanisms, competitive pricing, best uses, 4-D and 5-D information technology and off-site fabrication.

Sanders was named one of "20 Who Are Making a Difference" by Healthcare Design magazine in 2007. Before joining Methodist, he was associate vice chancellor for facilities planning and construction for the University of Texas System, where he was responsible for a $5 billion capital construction program that spanned 15 institutions.

"We have worked with most major health care systems in the United States, and we believe that Sid Sanders excels at integrating the promise of integrated project delivery with the realities of building in today’s economy," said Joe Powell, RBI’s executive director.

For details of the Fellows Program, please visit www.ricebuildinginstitute.org.