1 - Over 200 VSHE members. The actual count is now (207).VSHE celebrated the 200^th member, Ms. Erin Nowlin, of VCU. She was recognized at the conference and received a gift card.

2 - Over 350 attendees were at the conference. Some were first-time attendees and are looking forward to next year’s conference. Believe it or not, we are now planning the 9^th annual VSHE conference for 2017.

3 - We had a great surge in attendance to the ASHE certification training courses. There were 58 attendees to the HCC course, 30 attendees to the CHC course, and 18 attendees to the CHFM course.

Our keynote speaker, Mr. Scott Burnette, CEO of Community Memorial, spoke about the financial impact on the healthcare system and the challenges that we have as healthcare engineers.

We also appreciate George Mills, Director of Engineering at The Joint Commission, who spoke about the impact on the CMS approval of the NFPA 101, (2012) and the new SAFER survey program that the Joint Commission is going to start implementing.  Click Here to View Presentation

VSHE recognized members for their personnel commitment to making healthcare engineering a better profession.

1. President’s Award went to John Christodoulides. John has been a good friend to many and a strong leader involved with VSHE from the beginning of the state chapter. John was a co-founder of the Blue Ridge District, a previous VSHE President and has been instrumental in the recent annual conferences. John recently moved to California, to be closer to family. We wish him all the best.
2. VSHE also recognized some key partners that have made a significant contribution to the healthcare engineering field in the Commonwealth of Virginia. They are:

On Thursday afternoon the golf event had 115 participants; and it was a great day for golfing.  Thanks to Robert Richards, our Hampton Roads District Chair, for orchestrating this event.

Again, I want to thank each of you for attending, and I would like to recognize the Board of Directors who worked hard throughout the year to make the conference such a success. 

As healthcare engineers, we realize the various types of issues that can occur in the warmer weather, besides the other issues of compliance, construction/renovations, and other “normal” challenges.  Please don’t hesitate to use VSHE as one of your resources to sound off, discuss alternatives, or when you need some encouragement.

~ Rick Sanders
VSHE President​

We still have a lot to accomplish. VSHE will continue to grow and reach out to more healthcare professionals in the Commonwealth. I know you will support our new VSHE President, Rick Sanders, as you have supported me.

~ Bob Reardon
 VSHE Past President

We received much feedback about the format, food, programs and exhibits. Most was positive. Next year, we plan to have evaluation forms available and online CEU Certificates.  However, there were areas suggested for improvement  that we will be incorporating as we look forward to our 9th Annual Conference.

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

Young Professionals Group

Also, if you are young and/or new to the industry, please consider participating in our Young Professionals Group. Call Dylan or Reggie to learn more.

Reginald Warren 757-534-5275 - Office reginald.warren@rivhs.com Dylan Henderson 540-981-8177 - Office ​dchenderson@carilionclinic.org​

 ~ Dylan C. Henderson
VSHE Blue Ridge District Chair

The VSHE Board met in June to de-brief 2016 and start planning the 2017 conference. I would also like to thank Bob Reardon for his years in VSHE and as the VSHE President. Rick Sanders of Southside Regional has now stepped in to fill his spot. This year we have two new members planning the conference. Reggie Warren (Riverside Health System) and Belinda Currin (Currin Design Consulting) have stepped in to replace John Christodoulides as the Conference Chair and Co-chair. This year we also welcome Scott Armstrong (Old Dominion Insulation) as the program Chair for the Central District. We welcome them all to our ranks.

In July, the ASHE conference is being held in Denver, CO. For those who will attend, I hope to see you there. If you cannot make it, hopefully we will come back with some good information for the transition to NFPA 101-2012.

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. More changes are in the works.

The annual membership drive is always in full swing. 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.

~ Joe Auricchio, BS, CHFM
President-Elect
VSHE Central District Chair
​

~ Robert Richards
VSHE Hampton Roads District 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 2015 – 2016 ran from September 1, 2015 to August 31, 2016 and are about to expire.  Please go online and renew your sponsorship www.VSHE.org for 2016 – 2017. New sponsorships run from September 1, 2016 to August 31, 2017.

Thank you to our 2015 -2016 Sponsors:

~ Lynne Manning
VSHE Communications Chair
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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.