Swinerton, a leading national general contractor with a regional office in Atlanta, announces the addition of Rashad Morton to its regional healthcare team in response to the striking increase in demand for construction and renovation of medical facilities. Morton is now Project Executive adding nearly three decades of expertise to the firm’s construction teams. This construction professional has been involved in more than one million square feet of healthcare construction including hospitals, medical offices and medical centers for national healthcare systems in various markets throughout the United States.

“At Swinerton, we have a passion for building spaces that have the power to heal people,” says Chris Morris, Director of National Healthcare. “In his new role, Rashad is pivotal in delivering world-class medical facilities to the communities we serve. As a leader, he builds for one purpose – the patient.”

Based on the FMI analytics, Swinerton expects healthcare construction spending to top $2.2 billion in Atlanta from 2024 to 2026. FMI also indicates that within the next few years, the growth in healthcare construction spending in Atlanta will spike eight percent, accounting for nine percent of total construction spending in the city.

As Project Executive, Rashad Morton is tasked with capturing market share in healthcare by forging new relationships within the industry, generating brand awareness and winning projects for Swinerton’s Atlanta division. Morton joined Swinerton in 2017 as Senior Project Manager in Los Angeles and recently relocated to Atlanta. Prior to Swinerton, he served in various roles during a 13-year tenure at McCarthy Building Companies, beginning as project engineer and rising through the ranks to senior project manager.

“Rashad is really known for his consistency and systematic approach to any project – but he also knows when to be flexible and creative,” explains Derek Mosiman, Vice President and Division Manager for Swinerton’s Atlanta division. “He is also quite adept at determining when to implement skill and tried-and-true methods and when to utilize a more improvisational approach to tackle challenges.” For instance, at a construction site in South Los Angeles, Morton provided career opportunities for local residents in an economically disadvantaged neighborhood encouraging community engagement, while building connections and a sense of pride in the neighborhood.

“With more than $5 billion in healthcare construction as part of our national expertise, our teams are adept at navigating the opportunities and challenges that come with emerging new products and systems as well as evolving legislation that impacts medical structures,” adds Mosiman. For instance, newly introduced prefabricated and modular systems prepared offsite in a controlled environment are adding an unprecedented level of quality control with less risk. Mass timber in a healthcare environment is not only offering sustainability and biophilic benefits to the environment, but has also been proven to meet the vibration criteria and acoustic requirements of medical facilities.

Mosiman adds, “Swinerton also continues to monitor the concept of flexible patient rooms within a hospital ecosystem, advanced medical imaging and diagnostic technologies, as well as behavioral health facilities across the United States.”

Further, governments are modifying Certificate of Need (CON) laws that previously hindered the delivery of medical facilities. In nearby South Carolina, CON documentation is now only required for nursing homes and the Medical University of South Carolina, while North Carolina eliminated the CON requirement for certain medical equipment, psychiatric facilities and chemical dependency treatment facilities. “These revisions will allow Swinerton to deliver mental health facilities on an accelerated timeline and meet the growing need for behavioral health beds,” explains Chris Morris.