Achieving Conviction in Capital Planning: Part 3 Bridging the Gaps from Strategy to Implementation

In the third episode of this Constructing With Care, short series, host Leslie Tullio from DPR Construction is once again joined by Curtis Skolnik of CommonSpirit Health and Jonathan Bykowski of Array Advisors. Throughout Episode 21 the team explores how healthcare organizations can execute with confidence, from lean construction and technology integration to data-driven decision-making. The conversation dives into the challenges of bridging gaps between strategy, operations, and clinical realities, the role of AI in modeling patient care, mitigating bias in decision-making, and the power of Lean and Six Sigma processes to streamline implementation. Key Topics 01:20 – Emerging Technologies & Process Enablement Curtis and Jonathan discuss promising technologies and the potential for AI to optimize planning and operational decisions, including modeling patient flow and bed utilization. 02:18 – Bridging Strategy, Data, and Clinical Operations The discussion highlights the disconnects between hospital strategy teams, clinical operations, and patient care realities. AI is seen as a tool to bridge these "chasms," helping identify opportunities like step-down care vs. ICU placement. 04:14 – Entrepreneurial Opportunities in Chasm Bridging The panel identifies gaps in healthcare data utilization and how new ventures could address them. 05:23 – Managing Data Overload Conversation on balancing the abundance of data with actionable insights, ensuring decision-makers aren't overwhelmed. 06:39 – Future-State Planning & Flexibility Jonathan emphasizes that long-term plans need built-in flexibility—"back roads maps"—to accommodate changing inputs and dynamic healthcare environments. 10:42 – Human Complexity in Implementation The panel explores how humans and bias affect project execution and the importance of structuring implementation to account for these complexities. 13:26 – Advocating for Equitable Participation Jonathan shares strategies for ensuring all voices are heard in planning sessions, emphasizing equity over equality to combat power dynamics and bias. 17:08 – Lean Six Sigma for Implementation The conversation pivots to Lean and Six Sigma principles, demonstrating how a systems-based approach improves project execution and reduces downstream inefficiencies. 21:13 – Lean Philosophy & Process Accountability The episode closes by reinforcing that errors and inefficiencies are always a reflection of the process, not individuals, and that continuous improvement depends on fixing the system rather than assigning blame. Quote Jonathan Bykowski, Array Advisors "We need to stop chasing perfect data and start trusting the patterns we see in real-time."