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Articles by Dean M. Pufahl
A time to give thanks!
The American Society for Health Care Engineering (ASHE) saw a great number of accomplishments this year, including the success of the Women’s Networking Community, rollout of the strategic plan and implementation of the Chapter Relations Committee, among others. As proud as I am of these achievements, I know they would not have been possible without the people who make up ASHE and its community.
Get energized for patient care
One of the most challenging aspects of health care facilities management is that it supports the intersection of two trends evolving at warp speed: health care and sustainability. Their rapid development requires us to construct facilities that can quickly and easily adapt to changes in technology and best practices. It is our responsibility to provide patients with the best health care possible, while also understanding that our energy usage will affect the communities we share with them.
Opening career doors
Those of us responsible for hiring staff to maintain our facilities want to be certain that those individuals can handle the job; ideally, we need people who have experience. But often, the folks who are looking for positions in our field come across job descriptions that make them scratch their heads — how am I supposed to have five years of experience when I just graduated high school or college, or am coming from another field or the military?
Collaborating with EVS
Throughout nearly four decades in health care facilities management, I have had the honor to learn from, lead and work alongside dedicated environmental services (EVS) team members. Often, I took time to work with my EVS team members as they went about their daily routines, which I viewed as an opportunity to understand their experiences. I saw firsthand how decisions made during the planning, design and construction process can impact EVS success.
Navigating a future course
The way we navigate from point A to point B today is very different from what we did just 10 years ago. Instead of depending on our memories or paper maps, we receive verbal guidance from the global positioning systems in our smartphones. Through crowdsourcing data in real time, these instructions adjust to guide us to our destination efficiently based on the current conditions of the environment.
Bringing care into communities
The word “hospital” can bring different images to mind. For those outside facility management, it’s usually a single facility: a single hospital campus in the center of town or a modern looking facility just out of town sitting in a former cornfield. Over the past decade, the health care field has worked to bring care closer to our communities.
Strategizing for success
Every day, I’m inspired by the effort American Society for Health Care Engineering (ASHE) members put into their work to make our facilities safe, effective and efficient. Your tireless efforts motivate me and the entire ASHE team to make sure that we’re providing you with the support you need to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow.
Launching into patient safety
If you attended the International Summit & Exhibition on Health Facility Planning, Design & Construction (PDC Summit) last month in Phoenix, I want to thank you for the lively discussions, exciting exchange of ideas and collaborative energy! Your commitment and creativity in improving health care facilities is a driving force advancing our field.
PDC Summit sets the stage for barrier-free collaboration
If you have ever watched children work together on a Lego project, you know how important communication can be. To build something together, children need to communicate constantly to reach a vision they can all be happy with — instead of one that ends with bickering, tears or parents cleaning up the Legos. Health care construction isn’t all that different.
Get involved in the regulatory process
You’ve probably heard the old adage “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” The idea is to act early to save yourself trouble down the road. The phrase applies to advocacy efforts, too. All of us who work in the health care physical environment understand that codes and standards are intended to keep our patients safe. But we tend to find significant challenges when codes conflict, are not necessary or when they become outdated.
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