ASHE Perspective

The challenge of change

ASHE Perspective
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This is an exciting time for all of us who work in health care. As health care reform becomes a reality, we will need to change our current way of doing things both in our professional and personal lives.

I am always up to meet the challenge of change and I know that many of you feel the same way. Our positions and our roles within our facilities are constantly evolving and we need to be ready to respond to this evolution. At times, we even need to look for ways to reinvent ourselves and our departments. This is not always an easy task, but I know that as ASHE members and health facilities management professionals we have the resources and the support of a national organization to guide us and to be our strength.

Next month, ASHE, in conjunction with the American Institute of Architects Academy of Architecture for Health, will hold its annual International Summit & Exhibition on Health Facility Planning, Design and Construction™ (PDC) in San Diego. Designed to meet the needs of all individuals who work in or with the health care physical environment, this meeting attracts professionals from a variety of disciplines and gives all of us a chance to come together in one place at one time to listen and learn, to network and share, and to see the latest in products and services designed to help us meet the needs of our health facilities, patients and communities.

By coming together in this collegial atmosphere, we realize that we are not alone and that we need the support and input of one another to create safe and functioning patient care environments. This is an important meeting and I encourage you to be a part of this event. Information on the PDC Summit can be found at www.ashe.org/pdc.

The PDC Summit is only one of the many educational programs that ASHE offers. Another is the 2010 Guidelines Workshops. Designed and presented by the Facility Guidelines Institute (FGI) and ASHE, these two-day programs are packed with information on the rationale behind the major changes and additions to the 2010 Guidelines for Design and Construction of Health Care Facilities, providing a detailed understanding of the numerous differences between the 2006 and 2010 editions.

Please take a few minutes to visit the ASHE Web site at www.ashe.org to see the resources that are available to you—at any time, day or night. And, if you would like to contact me for any reason, please feel free to e-mail me at Terry.Martin@mcsaeldo.com.

Terry L. Martin, CHFM, SASHE
Director of Engineering
Medical Center of South Arkansas
El Dorado, Ark.

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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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