ASHE Perspective

Taking ASHE for granted?

ASHE Perspective
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If you are one of the 9,500-plus members who belong to ASHE, I ask that you take a few moments to reflect on the question above. Personally, I can say I do not take my ASHE membership for granted—and my justification for this answer can be explained by the following:

Value. My membership with ASHE provides me with unlimited resources to keep me informed on current and future issues in health care.

Educational opportunities. ASHE offers important educational programs for its membership at a reasonable cost. Examples include ASHE's e-learning program on "Managing Life Safety" and its other educational offerings on "Compliance with the Joint Commission Standards in the Physical Environment," "HCC Healthcare Construction Certificate," "IC Infection Control" and "HCPM Healthcare Construction Project Management."

Personal recognition. Senior ASHE (SASHE), Fellow ASHE (FASHE), Certified Healthcare Facility Manager (CHFM) and Certified Healthcare Constructor (CHC) are some of the designations available through ASHE.

Advocacy. ASHE is always there to help fight the battle when health care is faced with burdensome and unnecessary code issues or changes that must be made to improve patient care.

Collaboration. ASHE strives to be in the loop with the major health care decision-makers, including the National Fire Protection Association; Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services; Joint Commission; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers; International Code Council; International Federation of Hospital Engineering; Occupational Safety and Health Administration; American Institute of Architects; Environmental Protection Agency; Department of Defense; Department of Veterans Affairs; and others.

Networking. ASHE offers endless opportunities for networking. Years ago, upon taking on my responsibilities as director of plant operations at a 166-bed hospital, my CEO told me that if I wanted to be successful, I must surround myself with good people. I took his advice and joined my state health care engineering chapter and ASHE. Both of these organizations have proven to be greater avenues for networking than I dreamed possible.
In closing, the points mentioned above are all bundled into your benefits of belonging to ASHE. Take advantage of your membership—it's priceless!

Terry L. Martin, CHFM, SASHE

Sidebar - ASHE insight

Resources available

ASHE offers a number of valuable resources at special prices to professionals in the industry. They include the following:

  • Guidelines for Design and Construction of Health Care Facilities. The Facility Guidelines Institute (FGI) has partnered with ASHE to publish the FGI's Guidelines for Design and Construction of Health Care Facilities. As the largest personal membership group of the American Hospital Association, ASHE represents a diverse network of professionals dedicated to their work in the health care industry, including health facility managers, engineers, architects and contractors. For information on purchasing the Guidelines in book or CD form, click here.
  • Construction DVD. ASHE has released "Today You are Health Care," the second DVD in the Healthcare Construction Television (HCTV) series. It is a tool for orienting construction workers and vendors on the complexities of working within a health care facility. Buyers also have access to supplementary materials. To preview the DVD and order a copy, click here.

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