New technology is the name of the facility game

With health care facility managers expected to do their jobs better, faster, with fewer staff and keep costs down, too, technology takes on an even bigger part of keeping hospitals running efficiently and according to code.

Fortunately, there is an abundance of tools to meet the challenges, making these the good old days. Everything from software that measures energy consumption to smartphones and tablets that help facility managers to track equipment remotely is becoming part of the daily routines of managers' seeking maximum efficiency.

As far as Leo Gehring, CHFM, CHC, FASHE, principal of Gehring Health Facilities, is concerned, there is no option for today's facility managers.

"All facility managers are focused on benchmarking and outcomes, which hinges completely on technology. Those who don't want to use technology to its full potential do so at their own peril," Gehring says in a story titled BIM and other technologies drive building efficiencies in this issue of the newsletter.

A second story in this issue, Building analytics lead to smoother operations, further explores the technological offerings available to help facility managers keep hospitals running as efficiently as possible.

Both of these stories and others are part of the annual "Trends in Health Care" special report that appears in the December issue of Health Facilities Management.

In keeping with a theme of new technology, another feature in this issue of Infrastructure News, Smarter integration of building controls, explores the latest products on the market that can further improve facility efficiency. These systems have become more sophisticated over the years and represent another potential resource the facility manager can keep in his toolbox.

With the added pressures of reduced reimbursements, hospitals everywhere are expected to do as much, if not more, with less. Staying current on the latest technology and implementing it when and where it makes sense can help you to keep your facility under control and running optimally.