Our Process

At Westage, we communicate.

The moment a Westage project commences, vital dialog begins.  We ask the right questions and ensure that the proper client stakeholders are at the table, thus saving precious time, energy and money.  We focus on operational imperatives and code compliance as we oversee the programming of space for our clients in their new facilities.

Westage’s goal is to create right-sized buildings—projects that are physically and financially realistic for the client.  We ensure that the facilities we develop are in line with the client’s strategic plan, as well as with their facility’s master plan. Westage can also bring professional consultants to the table to help the client surmount internal challenges.

At Westage, we work hand-in-hand with our clients in navigating the complexities of space allocations, adjacencies, and patient flow requirements in order to provide the best possible facility design.

Westage keeps its fingers on the pulse of the capital markets and this translates into the best possible value for its clients. The right developer strives to keep occupancy costs low and Westage is the right developer.

By accessing its robust lines of credit, Westage has the ability to quickly gain control of sites. It can also rapidly obtain letters of credit as securitization for things like bonding requirements.

Westage has the experience, reputation, and credit history necessary to secure construction financing with ease. Westage has access to mini perm loans that transform into long-term, fixed-rate financing.

It recognizes that needs shift in today’s rapidly changing regulatory and reimbursement environment. Therefore, Westage has the ability to finance additional tenant improvements for those who qualify, as well as mid-term renovations for those tenants with emergent needs.

Westage also works with hospital counsel and financing departments to mitigate the impact of any on-campus development as it relates to the hospital’s bond covenants and ratings.

Westage’s financing expertise definitely accrues to the benefit of its tenants.

“Design is not just what it looks like and feels like.  Design is how it works”  – Steve Jobs

For Westage, design is born out of the needs of its clients, and ultimately, the needs of their patients.  Westage specializes in the design of expertly detailed healthcare facilities that are not only built to last, but are built to evolve over time.

Westage is proficient in all elements of healthcare real estate design:

Site Design—It’s all about access. From the parking lot to the examination room, Westage designs all of its facilities to be easily accessible. Westage also specializes in parking solutions that provide appropriate design, circulation, and controls for the public and staff.

Architectural Design—Westage is adept at ensuring that all of its facilities meet the highest standards set forth by the Departments of Health, the National Fire Protection Association, the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare (JCAHO), and the Americans with Disabilities Act, to name but a few of the authorities and codes which impact healthcare facilities. Westage designs all of its facilities to meet or surpass the relevant codes.

To Westage, patient and visitor satisfaction is the key metric. Thus, we make patient circulation a top priority. With the capability to analyze the operational and patient-flow requirements of prospective tenants, Westage creates common areas and tenant spaces that allow patients to navigate their buildings with ease, while facilitating patient throughput for physicians. Westage augments its attention to patient circulation with the installation of appropriate way finding and correctly placed vertical transportation systems.

Structural Design—Westage designs its facilities with appropriate floor-to-floor heights, column spacing, and floor load capacities in order to meet the needs of today’s healthcare tenants and to allow for future flexibility. Such attention to detail allows us to accommodate heavy imaging equipment and vibration sensitive uses. This foresight in planning provides huge cost savings for tenants now and in the future as tenant’s needs may change.

Mechanical Design—Westage is experienced in all areas of mechanical design and ensures that its facilities meet the highest air quality standards. Its designs take into account the air change, filtration, and pressurization requirements of our healthcare clients. In addition, Westage is continually analyzing new green technologies to make its mechanical systems more efficient.

Electrical Design—Westage facilities are designed with appropriately sized electrical services and proper metering. Thus, we can accommodate power-intensive imaging equipment, while at the same time ensuring that tenants do not pay more than their fair share of utility costs.

At Westage, building is our business.

We maintain a dedicated staff, focused on construction management for new development, tenant improvements, capital repairs and renovations.  Our professionals meet strict budget and schedule parameters while ensuring appropriate project sequencing and staging requirements.  Westage-controlled improvements are planned so as to minimize potential disruptions to the clients’ ongoing operations.

Westage can deliver projects, utilizing the following methodologies:

• Design/Build
• Design-Bid-Build
• Construction Manager (CM) at Risk with a Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP)
• Agency CM with Multiple Prime Contractors
• Integrated Project Delivery (IPD)
• IPD-Lite (IDP without multi-party agreements)

In particular, we have mastered a Design/Build project delivery methodology that allows for the acceleration of development schedules in order to get much-needed clinical programs to market faster. Design/Build allows the Core & Shell costs of a building and the costs of the general physician office space to be calculated very early in the overall schedule. This allows rental rates to be locked in at an early date—a huge advantage to the client’s budgeting feasibility and project approval process. In other words, faster project approval and speed to market with less financial risk.

Any development firm can construct a building, but not every firm can create state-of-the-art healthcare facilities that improve the quality of life in the communities it serves.

Westage understands the delicate relationship between hospitals, physician practices, employees, patients, and the real estate where these parties’ interests coalesce.  We understand the importance of tenant mixes and referral patterns.

From the moment a project is conceived, our seasoned professionals set their sights on leasing opportunities and bring a personal approach to each and every potential tenant they approach.  Because we know that every tenant is different, we offer, with great pride, financial flexibility based on each client’s individual needs.

Westage gains an in-depth understanding of the markets it works in and then cooperates with local and national real estate brokers to make things happen.  We analyze and monitor healthcare-specific market factors and drivers to guarantee that occupancy objectives are successfully realized.  To expedite the leasing process, we offer customized sets of legal documents that are interrelated and healthcare-specific.

At Westage, we have the ability to attract physicians to our new developments—and to maintain such relationships long after the “For Lease” signs are gone.  To that end, Westage provides complete property management services in the buildings that we develop.

Satisfaction. That’s our goal at Westage — to provide our clients with an experience that makes them want to remain in our facilities indefinitely.

Westage has both an overall satisfaction rate and occupancy rate of 97%. This speaks volumes about how we take care of our tenants. There are no greater testaments to our success as a healthcare real estate developer than our clients’ ongoing satisfaction and desire to renew their leases. Our tenants are happy and stay with us.

At Westage, we make Property Management our top priority. We have the internal capabilities and expertise to provide property management services that foster long-term relationships and create economic value. Services provided include:

• Vendor administration
• Building oversight
• Repairs and maintenance supervision
• Financial services (collections, accounting, budgeting and reporting)
• Health and safety compliance
• Real estate tax analysis/appeal support
• 24/7 Emergency service

We maintain each of our owned properties and have exclusive insight to the needs and critical issues of our clients and are dedicated to providing our clientele with a full range of services in a timely and efficient manner.