Blue Ridge District

As the calendar turns another page, we are moving from 2018 to 2019. VSHE members have seen many changes this year. Joint Commission started surveying under the Safer Matrix and several VSHE members moved from one company to another. With much excitement, VSHE moved the annual conference from Williamsburg to Roanoke. Not every change was a positive one, but VSHE members move on and continue to design, build, and maintain Virginia’s hospitals and clinics.

In October, we once again had a good day of information sharing and networking in Fredericksburg VA at our 2^nd Annual Fall Safety Seminar. Thank you to all the Sponsors who supported our event. The sessions are posted on the VSHE website for review.

Several new events are coming up quickly. There are district meetings, and the annual conference will be here before we know it. See the calendar on the website for upcoming events.

Our VSHE Secretary, Geoff Pierce, has announced he is leaving the VSHE Board after the May 2019 conference. If you or someone you know wants to be involved at this Board level, please reach out to one of the Board members for details.

Becoming a better organization does not happen because one person does a lot. It happens because a lot of people do a little. If you have any ideas or want to get involved, reach out to a Board member to see how to get involved. We hope that you will use the Virginia Society of Healthcare Engineers as a forum for the exchange of innovative ideas, practical solutions to problems, and as a resource for current developments in the healthcare industry.

Respectfully,
Joe Auricchio, BS, CHFM
VSHE President 2018-2019

2018 Fall Annual Conference: SUMMARY

The 2nd annual fall conference was a success according to attendee evaluations, and the interactive discussions during each presentation, and the greatly-appreciated sponsorships provided by Tremco, Perkins+Will, UV Resources, CMTA, Lokring, ECS and Starc Wall Systems.

98% of the evaluations stated that they wanted the Fall Safety Seminar to be continued. This fall seminar is a valuable supplemental learning tool and networking opportunity, which provides up to 7 CEUs across various subjects with brief yet informative 50-minute educational presentations. It was also requested to be held at different locations around the state every 2 years.

The top ranked presentations of the 2018 conference according to the evaluations were NFPA 101 Life Safety Code changes, Moisture intrusion & mold remediation, and Protection of Patients via proper containment of infectious pathogens during construction. Topics requested for the 2019 Fall Safety Seminar were ICRA training, NFPA 1010 LSC updates, FGI 2018 Changes, Renovations within patient occupied areas, Code violations and the lessons learned, and Augmented Reality (to help clinicians visualize what they will be getting while in design).

Thank you again to each of our sponsors and we look forward to seeing all of you at the 2019 Fall Safety conference which will be in Richmond October 24, 2019. Our theme for October 2019 will focus on Infection Control, Life Safety, Security within the patient’s Environment of Care.

Happy New Year fellow VSHE members. I hope each of you had a wonderful Christmas and New Year!

As we roll into 2019, the Board of Directors has a vision to make membership VALUE one of our primary goals. Recently we hit our goal of exceeding 300 members. However, it has occurred to me that quality should never be a compromise for quantity. In other words, VSHE members should have confidence in the fact that their engagement, support, and participation help them achieve success. So, be on the lookout for more details on how VSHE will be adding value to the members throughout 2019.

As always, if you are reading this and have ideas or feedback, please reach out to me at your convenience.

Jerry Baker
VSHE Membership Chair 2018-2019

What a year 2018 has been!  Many of us had the opportunity for accreditation surveys, others are planning for theirs in 2019, and some get to wait until 2020. 

The economy has been kind, and many organizations are remodeling, or even expanding.   Code compliance, and keeping up with codes and changes, is an ongoing process.  ASHE has been instrumental in the advocacy program and has a presence on several committees that deal with FGI, NFPA, ASHRAE, and IBC.  If you would like to see what the ASHE Advocacy program has been involved with, and even ways that they have benefited healthcare engineering, please go to the ASHE website and look under the Advocacy Banner.

ASHE wants to work with the local chapters to help us create a functional advocacy program within our states.  Recently, I joined 30 other state advocacy representatives, for a two-day program. We discussed creating a standard advocacy program, that would also be used to support the ASHE Advocacy program.  I am excited that the program is becoming focused and purposeful.

I have also contacted the Commonwealth of Virginia, Code Enforcement offices, and am working with them, to educate them about VSHE and ASHE, and how we can benefit them, as a partner in code review teams.   I am hopeful that we will have some opportunities in 2019 to build on a quality relationship.

ASHE education programs are available for ASHE members.  If you don’t have time to attend some formal programs, there are many on the website.  Please use the ASHE website as one of your helpful management tools.

Another great tool is the “My ASHE” Community Board.  Many topics are discussed and questions from our peers, create discussions to help us all.  ASHE experts usually provide their input, as well as many seasoned leaders.  This is a good place to ask “the hard or unanswered” questions.

Rick Sanders
ASHE Advocacy Chair 2018-2019

The Benefits of ASHE Membership

Effective January 1^st, 2019, we have a new address:
Virginia Society of Healthcare Engineers
5007-C Victory Blvd. #274
Yorktown, VA 23693

Lynne Manning
VSHE Communications Chair 2018-2019