From Emergency Response to Programmed Replacement

Most hospitals first discover their sanitary stack piping issues the hard way: through an emergency call. A pipe bursts. Black water leaks into patient areas. Staff scramble to contain the mess while infection prevention teams rush to isolate the affected space. GHP is often called in at this stage to assess the damage, direct cleanup, and get the facility back online.

But when the same facility calls again just a few months later — and then again after that — it becomes clear that the real issue isn’t the latest emergency. It’s the entire system.

The Cost of Staying Reactive

Emergency responses are necessary, but they’re also expensive and disruptive. Each event pulls resources away from patient care, forces rooms or kitchens offline, and erodes trust with staff and patients. Over time, the cumulative cost of repeat emergencies can exceed what it would have taken to address the root cause in the first place.

For facilities trying to manage budgets, this cycle is frustrating. Leaders want predictability — not just in costs, but in operations. That’s where a programmatic approach makes all the difference.

Turning Emergencies Into Programs

Instead of waiting for the next call, GHP helps facilities step back and look at the system as a whole. We start with a comprehensive assessment of all sanitary stackspiping, mapping conditions, and identifying failure patterns. From there, we prioritize replacements based on risk and clinical impact. High-risk risers areas that affect kitchens or critical patient towers care may be addressed first, while lower-priority areas can be scheduled later.

The key is phasing. By spreading replacements across multiple projects and multiple years, facilities can manage capital spending without overwhelming operations. Each phase becomes a planned, budgeted project — not a frantic emergency.

Case in Point: Centennial Medical CenterLarge Regional Hospital

At Centennial Medical Centera large regional hospital, repeated emergencies signaled a systemic issue. GHP conducted a facility-wide assessment and developed a phased replacement program that spanned several years. By breaking the work into manageable projects, the hospital was able to fund replacements over time, reduce incidents dramatically, and keep patient care uninterrupted.

What had been an ongoing crisis became a predictable program — one that improved operations, financial planning, and staff confidence.

Why This Works

The difference lies in treating sanitary stack piping replacements as a strategic program rather than a series of reactive fixes. When hospitals shift their mindset, they not only reduce emergencies but also gain visibility into their infrastructure, control costs more effectively, and ensure smoother operations for staff and patients alike.

At GHP, we bring the expertise to make that shift possible — integrating architecture, construction services, and environmental oversight so facilities don’t have to coordinate multiple vendors on their own.

The Takeaway

Emergencies will always happen. But when they start repeating, they point to a bigger problem — and a bigger opportunity. With the right partner, hospitals can turn reactive spending into proactive investment, protecting both their infrastructure and the people who rely on it.

CTA: Discover how a phased replacement program can reduce emergencies and protect your budget.