Zig Wu is a facilities planning consultant with Jacobs and has been working with the facility planning and development team of a healthcare system based in Orange County, California since 2011. He is a graduate of Cornell University’s Masters of Science program in Facility Planning and Management and is the recipient of the inaugural IFMA Foundation International Student of the Year award. Zig completed his undergraduate studies in Human Sciences at the University of Oxford.

Zig is passionate about the field of facilities management and its value to healthcare organizations in optimizing settings for patient care. He aspires to improve healthcare environments by studying completed facilities and their impact on the occupants, particularly patients and healthcare workers and researching best practices on healthcare design around the country. His recent projects include working with architects to develop innovative clinic plans and operating models for outpatient facilities, designed to reduce the cost of healthcare and improve overall population health. He recently published a paper in the Journal of Healthcare Management on the applications of hospitality innovations in hospital environments. As a trained Lean expert, Zig has also worked with clinical departments to improve operational processes before resorting to costly facility renovations. For example, he implemented a “Fast Track” flow process in an Emergency Department to improve patient wait times without having to expand the facility.

Zig also has an interest in utilizing workplace strategy to improve staff satisfaction and productivity, while lowering cost—he developed telecommuting programs and collaborative workplaces for clinical as well as administrative departments in his client organization. A firm believer in the value of possessing current facilities and real estate data, Zig implemented a computer-aided facilities management system for his client, enabling them to strategically plan and manage their real estate assets.

Originally from Singapore, Zig previously worked in the Strategy and Infrastructure Planning department of the Singapore Ministry of Health. He oversaw the completion of one of Singapore’s newest public hospitals that embraced sustainability and innovative care.  He was also responsible for developing care delivery models for Singapore’s rapidly aging population and facilities to support the country’s healthcare needs and senior residents. His Cornell University Masters Thesis evaluated the sustainable design of the same Singapore hospital that he helped to plan and the impact that it had on occupants, as well as the organizational culture and strategies responsible for its success.

Zig is starting a new role at Jacobs where he will be focusing on helping other clients manage their master-planning efforts and align real estate strategy, as well as optimizing their facilities through research and analysis.