Preparing for the CHFM exam?

Earning the Certified Healthcare Facility Manager (CHFM) credential is a way facility professionals can advance their careers and boost earning potential. A 2015 salary survey conducted by Health Facilities Management and ASHE found that facility managers without a CHFM earn about $88,000 a year, compared with average salaries of $110,000 for those with the CFHM credential.

The CHFM program has three components: eligibility requirements that are a blend of education and experience; a 110-item exam; and a renewal requirement. The CHFM exam features questions organized into five broad domains: compliance; planning, design and construction; maintenance and operations; finance; and administration. Those preparing for the exam often are looking for resources in one or more domains. To help those looking to brush up on one or more of these areas, ASHE developed a list of useful resources.

The ASHE resource list is intended to be a starting point for those interested in studying for the CHFM exam, as well as a list of general reading for all health care facility professionals. If you are unsure which materials you should focus on, consider starting by reading about the detailed domains in the CHFM Candidate Handbook and Application or by taking the CHFM Self-Assessment Exam to find your strengths and weaknesses.

The ASHE resource list includes:

• Reading materials. ASHE has identified reading materials, including ASHE publications, codes and standards, and other publications, for each domain. ASHE members receive discounts on many publications listed, and they can download free PDF versions of monographs included in the list.
• Education programs. ASHE education programs — whether they are offered online, as in-person programs, or as hosted or custom programs delivered on-site — are available on a wide variety of topics covered by the CHFM exam. ASHE members receive discounts on most of these courses.
• On-demand recordings. ASHE on-demand recordings from conference sessions and webinars cover a variety of topics related to each of the CHFM domains. On-demand recordings are available only to ASHE members.

The value of the discounts and on-demand recordings available to ASHE members far exceeds the $150 or $200 it takes to become an ASHE member. If you are considering the CHFM credential and are not yet a member, consider joining to take advantage of these member benefits. The full CHFM resource list is available at www.ashe.org.

Deanna Martin is the membership and communications director at the American Society for Healthcare Engineering.

ASHE INSIGHTS

Important monographs available from ASHE

Following are two recently released monographs that can be accessed by ASHE members as free PDFs at the resource library.

• HCAHPS Scores, the Patient Experience, and the Affordable Care Act from the Facility Perspective. This new ASHE monograph explores how the health care physical environment and facility professionals can improve patient satisfaction scores.
• Risk Assessment of Medical Equipment. A key part of the Joint Commission’s environment of care management plans, risk assessments of medical equipment are covered in this new ASHE monograph. It presents a framework for facilities professionals to follow.

Design guidelines available to industry through ASHE

The 2014 editions of the Facility Guidelines Institute’s Guidelines for Design and Construction of Hospitals and Outpatient Facilities and the Guidelines for Design and Construction of Residential Health, Care, and Support Facilities can be purchased at www.ASHEstore.com.