Inside HFM

A privilege and an honor

Antonio Suarez, 2021 ASHE president, has one last message as he passes the baton to the next leader
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In my final Inside HFM column as your 2021 American Society for Health Care Engineering (ASHE) president, I want to begin with a short and sincere message to our ASHE members and Health Facilities Management readers: thank you. I have no doubt that countless lives were and will be saved due to your efforts during and after this pandemic.

I am honored to have had this opportunity to serve as your ASHE president. The deep respect I hold for you and personal relationships I share with many of you has made this honor all the more significant. 

With the invaluable support of the Advisory Board and the ASHE staff, this year I endeavored to improve ASHE’s collaboration with our affiliated chapters and advocated for programs that elevate our members and prepare and develop the next generation of health care facilities leaders.

Of particular importance are programs designed to position existing mid-level leaders to become our next senior-level leaders and strategies for attracting vocational-technical school graduates to the health care profession.

ASHE’s three-year strategic planning cycle is currently in progress. We have spotlighted these needs and revitalized our focus in supporting our members and partners in their professional journeys. 

In my first column, I wrote, “We will be using member input to help create our next strategic plan so that ASHE remains focused on meeting member needs — our constant priority.” This remains true: ASHE is here to represent and serve you, and we see your input as vital to our future successes. 

Never hesitate to share your experiences or ideas with your Advisory Board regional representative, associate member representatives or leadership. Your participation shapes the future of ASHE and our profession. 

Consider getting involved as a chapter volunteer or as an ASHE committee member, running for a leadership role, presenting at our events, publishing with us, pursuing and promoting our certificates and programs, and connecting with your peers through our community. Don’t forget, you can be that person making a difference for our profession! 

Thank you for the privilege and honor.