ASHE Annual Conference and Technical Exhibition preview

Nashville is home to the in-person portion of the ASHE conference.

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The ASHE Annual Conference and Technical Exhibition will be held Aug. 8-11 in Nashville, Tenn., and Sept. 15-17 virtually on the web, attracting thousands of health facilities professionals to learn about new developments, network with peers and find solutions to challenges.

Attendees are encouraged to join their peers from across the nation for four days of learning and collaboration. They can customize their conference experiences with a mix of keynote, educational sessions, networking, vendor visits and more.

The ASHE Annual Conference is an opportunity for facilities professionals to:

• Earn continuing education credits in person and/or virtually and use them toward Certified Healthcare Facility Manager (CHFM) and Certified Healthcare Constructor (CHC) renewal.
• Connect with other leaders and solution providers in health care facility management through innovative networking opportunities.
• Participate in sessions covering topics related to codes and compliance, sustainability and efficiency, infection prevention and more.
• Attend in person and add on the virtual component for only $99.

Keynote and general sessions

The opening session will include awards presentations as well as a keynote address by Adam Steltzner, leader and chief engineer of NASA’s Mars 2020 mission, titled “Into the Unknown: How Leadership, Ingenuity and Perseverance Put a Rover on Mars.”

Only Steltzner and his talented team at the Jet Propulsion Lab could follow the success of their Curiosity rover with the stunning Mars 2020 mission to land the Perseverance rover on the red planet. More than a technological achievement, the successful mission stands as an extraordinary leadership accomplishment in the midst of a global pandemic. 

In his exhilarating keynote, Steltzner will share his own innovation challenges, leadership struggles and flawless execution. Most importantly, he’ll show health facilities professionals how they can overcome daunting obstacles in times of uncertainty and change. The human spirit is boundless, and Steltzner leaves audiences unafraid to journey outside their comfort zones.

After this exciting kickoff, the conference will host a wide range of thought-provoking general sessions, including:

• “Infrastructure Renewal – A Discussion on the True Cost of Deferred Maintenance.” With the current focus on infrastructure funding, it is hard to know how to appropriately finance this important part of the physical environment. This general session discussion will help attendees better understand the impact of infrastructure and deferred maintenance to the physical environment. They will learn the principles of infrastructure, capital planning and how to develop a recommended infrastructure renewal capital plan. 
• “Inside Secrets: A Look at Compliance from a Surveyor Perspective.” This session will include a panel of facility managers and surveyors (some of whom have been both) and will discuss the inside secrets to compliance and how facility managers can be better prepared for surveys by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, The Joint Commission, DNV GL and others. The panel will discuss hot topics that surveyors typically look for and simple solutions to maintaining compliance in those areas.
• “ASHE Annual Business Meeting & Recognition Breakfast.” Join ASHE’s executive director and Advisory Board president to celebrate award winners, discuss ASHE’s most recent achievements and gain insight into the exciting plans the society has in store.
• “Major Revisions of the Draft 2022 FGI Guidelines.” The Facility Guidelines Institute’s Guidelines for Design and Construction documents are the most broadly recognized design standards for hospitals, outpatient facilities and residential long-term care settings across the country. This session will feature members of the 2022 Health Guidelines Revision Committee (HGRC) discussing expected changes in the 2022 Guidelines.
• “Just Ask ASHE – Sustainability and Decarbonization Forum.” This panel of sustainability and decarbonization in health care experts will discuss the latest developments in the global shift to environmental sustainability and how that impacts health care. Facilities professionals can take this opportunity to ask questions that are important to them, their organizations and the field to learn approaches and best practices.

The ASHE Annual Conference will also feature breakout sessions covering the business of facilities management; continuous-compliance tactics; Department of Defense/Veterans Affairs; infection prevention; planning, design and construction; sustainability and efficiency; and new ideas for facilities professionals. Additionally, leading accreditation organizations such as The Joint Commission, DNV GL and ACHC-HFAP will moderate sessions on their requirements.

Learn more

Facilities professionals should check out the “ASHE Resource” box on this page for more on this event designed to help them learn, connect and grow as they reimagine the health care physical environment. 

Frequently asked questions about the ASHE conference

The following provides answers to common questions about the American Society for Health Care Engineering (ASHE) Annual Conference and Technical Exhibition:

• How do I register? You need your own American Hospital Association (AHA)/ASHE account to register. To register, click the “Register Now” button. If you have an AHA/ASHE account, enter your credentials; if you do not have an account, click “Create An Account” and follow the instructions. Once your account is created, return to the Annual Conference website. Then, click one of the buttons to register. If you’re registering multiple people, you will need to log in with individual accounts for each person. 
• How many continuing education credits (CECs) will I earn? ASHE is still finalizing the schedule, but note that one hour equals one CEC. Also, if you register for the Virtual Conference, you’ll be able to view more sessions and earn more CECs. 
• Will American Institute of Architects (AIA) learning units (LUs), and health, safety and welfare learning units (LU|HSWs) be available? Yes, ASHE will be getting sessions approved for AIA LUs including HSWs. To ensure you receive your AIA LUs and LU|HSWs, provide your AIA member number when prompted during registration so ASHE can report your attendance to AIA. 
• How do I participate in the Virtual ASHE Annual Conference? The Virtual ASHE Annual Conference is a web-based event taking place on Sept. 15-17. It will include some top sessions from the in-person event plus additional exclusive content, interactive chatrooms and more. After completing the online registration, you will receive a confirmation email containing important information related to the event platform. 
• Will the virtual event be accessible beyond Sept. 17? Yes, you will be able to watch content at your own pace with extended on-demand access through Dec. 31, 2021. If you have not yet registered for the Sept. 15-17 dates but plan to access the conference at a later date, you still need to complete your registration to gain access to the on-demand virtual event.
• Who can I contact if I have additional questions? If you still have unanswered questions, you can contact ASHE via email at ASHEeducation@aha.org.