Inside HFM

Staying ahead of the changes

Navigating health care mergers and acquisitions from the facility perspective
|

It seems as if every week brings news of another health care merger or acquisition. These shifts affect facility leaders in a variety of ways.

Architects, engineers and contractors work to connect different spaces and create a consistent experience for patients, visitors and employees. Health facility managers work to align building systems and processes to support cohesive and effective operations.

Some of the most important changes associated with mergers and acquisitions are often related to organizational culture.

The cover story in this edition of ASHE’s Health Facilities Management tackles this subject. It provides tips for organizations that are acquiring others, as well as for those in organizations being acquired.

I hope you find this article useful in your professional career regardless of whether your employer is undergoing major organizational change. You never know when you may be part of a merger or acquisition, so having knowledge of this process beforehand could make a huge difference for you and your team.

I also encourage you to take advantage of the range of career resources that ASHE offers to members. For example, an ASHE monograph, “Succession Planning: Preparing for the Future of Your Facility and Your Career,” offers steps to develop a personal career path. Another monograph, “Promoting the Value of the Facility Department to the C-Suite,” provides guidance on how to highlight the value that your department brings to the organization. As always, ASHE members can download PDFs of these monographs for free.

Too often, facility managers and others involved in the health care physical environment work as behind-the-scenes heroes. These ASHE monographs can help you to create a career path and understand how to step into the spotlight — skills that can be especially valuable during mergers and acquisitions.

The health care field is changing rapidly, and doing our best to stay ahead of these changes is key to sustainable growth.

Bradley R. Taylor, MBA, CHFM, ASHE President