Seems we were longing for the summer to come, and enjoy time with family and friends, at the beach, in the mountains, traveling to other areas, or just staying at home.  Now the summer has come and gone.  Schools are back in session and we are longing for a break in the heat.  The Halloween displays have been out since July, and even Christmas decorations are available in many stores.  Where does the time go?

 The VSHE Board is busy planning next year’s conference and are looking forward to improving on last year’s conference.  Reginald Warren and Belinda Currin have volunteered as co-chairpersons to spearhead the conference committee.  We really appreciate their interest and willingness to be involved.

The districts (Blue Ridge, Hampton Roads and Central) are making plans for an event during the next quarter.  Please be supportive and let your district chairs know of your interest and participation.

October 1 brings the opportunity to receive abstracts from various sources, concerning training sessions at the conference.  If you have key issues you’d like to hear about, please contact your District Chairperson.  The Board will be reviewing and selecting the abstracts that meet the interests of the membership.  Selections will be made in December.

Speaking of membership, VSHE has moved to an automated email system that lets you know when your membership is about to expire.  The system is working very well, and our members are renewing their membership daily! Thank you.  The VSHE Board has set a goal of 350 members in 2017.  We need your help in achieving this goal.  Do you know a healthcare facility worker who would benefit from the VSHE membership?  Reach out and ask them to become a part of the group.  How about your support vendors and contractors?  VSHE relies on the vendors and contractors, as they rely on us to support their businesses.  Encourage others to become members.

Do you have the CHFM or CHC designation?  Why not?  Many healthcare employers recognize these certifications as valuable accreditation.  At the conference, VSHE will be offering the Certified Healthcare Facility Manager (CHFM), the Certified Healthcare Construction (CHC) preparatory classes.

Do your contractors know the difference in working in a healthcare setting compared to a manufacturing environment or an office complex?  Wouldn’t it be nice to know that your contractor has been educated in working in the healthcare environment?  Do you encourage or require your contractors to have the Healthcare Construction Certification (HCC)?  This certificate will also be offered at our 2017 VSHE annual conference.

Another great opportunity to enhance your career is also being a member of the American Society of Healthcare Engineers (ASHE).  ASHE is a great resource of information concerning information, education and opportunities.  ASHE provides advocacy representation at NFPA, ASHRAE and other code setting organizations.  ASHE also provides two programs for higher certifications: SASHE and FASHE.  Are you interested in this?  Check out www.ASHE.org for more information.

So much going on, and so much to do.  I wish for each of you, and your family, an enjoyable October, November and December.  Enjoy the changing of the seasons.  Happy Halloween, Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, to all. 

~Rick Sanders CHFM, CHEP
VSHE President 2016-17

On September 21, I attended the excellent Quarterly ASHE Advocacy Liaison Webinar. The following subjects were covered:

1. CMS Emergency Management Policy, effective date 11/15/16 with an implementation date of 11/15/17. The policy has five elements:
     a) Emergency Planning and Risk Assessment,
     b) Policy and Procedure,
     c) Communications Plan,
     d) Training and Testing,
     e) Emergency Standby Power System.

This appears to be aligned with current NFPA 99 and Joint Commission Standards. Of the 68 requirements, 28% are the same as the current standards, and the other 70% will require evaluation by each Hospital/Health System. Learn more at the ASHE Website by clicking on ASHE Compliance. 

2. States Adaption of NFPA 101 & 99. Virginia has no adoption strategy. 

3. 2018 NFPA 99 & 101. First draft was published 2/16 and second draft will close 1/17. Items properly submitted to NFPA for the 2018 NFPA 99 & 101 will be voted on at the 2017 NFPA Technical Meeting June 6 & 7, 2017 in Boston. If you are an NFPA member, we urge you to attend and vote with ASHE.

4. ASHRAE 170. This Standard which is Chapter 6 of the Design Guidelines is being separated into three books covering: In-patient, Out-patient and Residential. The intent of this action is not to create a new standard, but to focus on the separate areas. 

5. Focus on Compliance. Subject for Oct/Nov will be Hazardous Material and Waste Management, EC 02 02 01.

~ Bob Reardon
 VSHE Past President

CALL FOR ABSTRACTS and WELCOME TO ALL:

While our CHFM and CHC Exam Prep Courses are an amazing benefit of attending our annual conference in May; we cannot overlook the importance of receiving invaluable insight from knowledgeable professionals in and around the industry regarding healthcare compliance, design, operations, and other relevant topics.  The Presentations that take place during our conference are excellent ways to learn about topics that are new or unusual to your daily tasks and skillset. They can also serve as a ‘refresher course’ to the knowledge that you already possess.  This professional development enhances your skills, and it benefits your employer; whether you are a health system, design firm, or construction company. 

If you have a topic or subject that you would like to present during the VSHE Annual Conference in May 2017, please feel free to respond to our Call For Abstracts in early October.  Your topic need only be relevant to the physical environment of healthcare facilities. Look for email announcements October 3. All abstracts are due back by December 2, 2016 by 5 PM. Call me, Reggie Warren (757) 534-5275 with questions, or visit our website: www.vshe.org.

As always, we appreciate your desire to make our upcoming Annual Conference in May 2017 the best that it can possibly be.

Thanks to each and every one of our members for being a part of our growing organization. This past year we set a goal to exceed 200 members. During our State Conference this past May, we proudly announced that this goal had been exceeded and we were well on our way towards 250 members. As we celebrated this milestone during our State Conference this past May, we received feedback from many of our members that they wanted to become more involved in VSHE. Contact a member of your district leadership team to share your thoughts and ideas for upcoming events.

Your feedback will help us plan ways to make our organization even stronger and more beneficial to our members. (See our website for the names/email of our District Leadership Team members: www.vshe.org)

Regards!
~ Jerry Baker
VSHE Membership Chair
​

The Blue Ridge District has been quite busy since our last update!

Early in July, we attempted our first statewide broadcast meeting titled "Transformation of a Vacant "Big Box" Into a New Model for Outpatient Care". This presentation was conducted by AECOM and Turner Long Construction and focused on Carilion Clinic's Institute for Orthopaedics and Neurosciences which was opened for patient care in January 2016. The meeting was broadcast from the institute and like with many new facilities, we experienced a few technical difficulties. The broadcast was performed and unfortunately didn't feature any sound. In typical Blue Ridge District fashion, we decided that there was too much value to the state to not attempt again! Therefore in late September, we re-broadcast the video presentation, this time with audio, across the state. A big thank you to our presenters from AECOM and Turner Long Construction! The video of the presentation with the accompanying PowerPoint is posted to the VSHE website.

On October 5th, the Blue Ridge District hosted our first Fall "mini-conference" titled "Leading the Way". The meeting was held at The Maridor in Roanoke, VA between 4-7 PM and included a member social with beverage service and heavy hors d'oeuvres. Following the social hour, Bill Koffel from Koffel & Associates provided an educational presentation devoted to the recent changes in guidelines when CMS adopted the 2012 Edition of NFPA 101 in early July, 2016. Bill fielded questions from the audience while providing an overview of the changes that organizations will experience with the newly adopted code. Following Bill's presentation, Mike Canales from Owensboro Technical College presented on the recently created Healthcare Facility Leadership Program. His presentation discussed the shift that has occurred in healthcare related to codes & compliance, patient safety, risk assessments, technology advances and industry trends & delivery. Mike talked about the profound demand on the healthcare facilities profession as a result of these shifts and how professional development programs are responding to these changes. Both Bill and Mike's presentations will also be available to download from the VSHE website within the next few weeks. The meeting was attended by approximately 40 members and was a terrific success. We are hoping to build on this success and provide an annual program hosted by the Blue Ridge District that will be open to all VSHE members to attend. I'd like to personally thank all of the meeting sponsor organizations for their monetary support of this meeting. Without your sponsorships, it would have been very challenging for us to have provided such a great program for our members.

As we work to round out the calendar year of 2016, it is my continued desire for VSHE as a whole to provide outstanding content on current events, shifting trends and advocacy for our members. In the Blue Ridge District specifically, I plan to continue our push to build our healthcare membership and provide access to the great affiliate member resources that we have in western Virginia.

As always, your encouragement and constructive feedback help us grow as leaders, and assist in directing us toward the goals and expectations of our Members. Please continue to provide us with this valuable feedback so that we can continue to grow and develop into an organization that will better serve you. 

Best wishes for health and happiness to you and your families,

 ~ Dylan C. Henderson
VSHE Blue Ridge District 2016-2017 Chair

VSHE is on the move! We are seeing good membership and sponsor numbers. This just goes to show that we have good people and good training. Keep up the good work.

The next VSHE annual conference will be held May 8-11, 2017 in Williamsburg. Conference registration will open in January.

The next Central District meeting will take place on November 17 at 2-4 pm. This meeting will take place at the Trane office in Richmond. You will see emails and invitations soon. This meeting will be consist of leadership and the new CMS rule for Emergency Preparedness.

As you know, I am mentioning leadership more and more as part of the Central District updates and meetings. The leadership portion will show a video from TEDtalks. This 13 minute video discusses how leaders need to and can lead in times of change.

Also, the VSHE website has been updated to reflect more accurate information. The VSHE Board is working to make this site a resource of reliable information for our group.

As I tell people, “we are not just mechanics anymore”. We as a group design, build and maintain millions of dollars of equipment and infrastructure. The ‘old Plant Ops guy’ has crawled out of the boiler room and now controls big equipment by typing data into a computer. Reach out to your comrades in our field and encourage them to join us in our quest to better the healthcare environment. 

If you or someone you know would like to help plan, organize or be involved with any of the VSHE events, feel free to contact me for information. I am also open to suggestions on topics for quarterly meetings.

Respectfully,

~ Joe Auricchio, BS, CHFM
VSHE Central District Chair
(804) 828-6308

~ Robert Richards
VSHE Hampton Roads District Chair
​

Our new VSHE website launched this week! We are excited to introduce our new, improved "easy to navigate" website. Please email me your feedback!

~Brandon Galbreath
VSHE IT Chair

You and your staff are important members of your health care team – your department keeps your facility operational, safe, and efficient. Because of all you do, there is power; running water; and a clean, comfortable, and safe healing environment for all who walk through your doors. What you may think is ordinary is truly extraordinary. Without you and your staff’s efforts, the doors of your facility would not be open.

ANNUAL SPONSORSHIPS

Our VSHE Annual Sponsorships for 2016 - 2017 have exceeded our 2015 sponsors. Thank you! Please go online HERE and renew your sponsorship for 2016 – 2017. New annual sponsorships run from September 1, 2016 to August 31, 2017.

Our Annual Sponsors for 2016 - 2017 are:

~ Lynne Manning
VSHE Communications Chair

More than 3,200 professionals gather on-site each year to get vital information on health care compliance, codes and standards updates, emerging trends, and best practices for efficiency, sustainability, emergency preparedness, and other pressing topics in the field. Attend the ASHE Annual Conference and Technical Exhibition to connect with colleagues in the field and "reach new heights" in your role as a health care facility management professional.