SCOTTSDALE—The healthcare industry is changing, and it will havesignificant impacts on the real estate side of the business.Efficiency, flexibility and costs were the major topics ofconversation for the 350-plus healthcare professionals andhealthcare real estate experts who gathered at the Four SeasonsResort here today for the fifth annual RealShare MedicalOffice Buildings conference.

The upswing of on-demand healthcare and urgent care services hasonly just begun, maintained John Shufeldt. To theaudience, he added, “It’s a great time to be sitting in the chairsyou’re in now." Shufeldt, CEO of MeMD and asuccessful medical professional and entrepreneur, sat down for afrank keynote discussion with Real Estate Forumeditor-in-chief Sule Aygoren Carranza to open the event.

Now that the election is over with, Shufeldt noted, “the futureis now certain: healthcare now needs to be consumer-centric.” Hepointed out the major trends driving the industry right now,namely, the increased demand for services coupled with downwardpressure on costs. “We’re now bringing care out to the community;you may start to see smaller, less-costly facilities that are moreaccessible” to the public.