ASHE members, in their own words

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Members of the American Society for Health Care Engineering (ASHE) come from a variety of professional backgrounds — from health care facilities managers, infection preventionists and risk managers to health care facilities planners and architects — at every stage of their careers. The Voices of ASHE series was launched in 2020 to give ASHE members a platform to share their individual professional experiences. In this article, the editors of Health Facilities Management caught up with some of the series’ original participants to hear their reflections on their careers and the role of innovation in the health care facilities field.

How has your professional life changed since your feature?

Danielle Gathje: My career has changed a lot since the first Voices of ASHE feature. I decided to go back to school and pursue a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of St. Thomas in May 2022. I accepted a new position and currently serve as the vice president of hospital operations, where I oversee surgical services and the emergency department, and support services indirectly reports to me. I now oversee the operations of St. John’s Hospital, with a focus on driving high-quality outcomes for our patients, efficiency and operational excellence, along with regulatory compliance and improvement.

Lotoya Beard: My professional life has changed in that my role as executive director of hospital maintenance at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital was finalized, and I am no longer serving as interim. I am excited about the journey and opportunities with this role.

Jenny Nelson: Since the last article, I took a position as the manager for planning, design and construction at a hospital in Madison, Wis. This allows me to directly interact with the hospital staff to determine the scope and function of a project. It also allows me to lead a team of dedicated construction managers running hundreds of different projects and sharing insight with them from all my previous roles. It is rewarding to see the direct impact on the hospital staff when a project is completed that makes their lives easier.

I was also nominated to be the Wisconsin Healthcare Engineering Association state board secretary starting in 2024. I am very excited to support the health care engineers throughout the state of Wisconsin for the next few years.

Joshua Brackett: Since my initial feature, I transitioned from Baptist Health in Arkansas to Banner Health, headquartered in Phoenix, where I now serve as the system regulatory director for facilities, overseeing 31 hospitals and 300 clinics across six states. This shift has expanded my perspective, emphasizing the potential within health care facilities for proactive regulatory compliance. I’ve been fortunate to illustrate that regulatory compliance can be a strategic asset, contributing to cost reduction and the optimization of workforce efforts. This experience has deepened my commitment to continuous improvement.

I’ve strived to bridge the gap between design, construction and facilities operations, emphasizing how early code considerations can reduce operational challenges. I’ve also instituted Code Chat, a weekly initiative that explores code and regulatory topics to empower others in interpreting and applying these standards. Furthermore, Legacy FM, the company I co-founded, has undergone a remarkable journey of expansion and influence. Our reach has extended to over 2,700 skilled technicians, encompassing more than 250 hospitals.

What hasn’t changed is my commitment to enhancing the patient care environment. I remain dedicated to sharing knowledge, policies and procedures to help hospitals and health care systems beyond Banner Health and Legacy FM. We are all part of the same journey, rowing in the same direction.

With innovation being a focus of the new Health Care Facilities Innovation Conference™, what are your thoughts on innovation in health care facilities management?

Lotoya Beard: I am excited about the initiative for innovation in health care facilities management. It creates space for creative thinking and collaborative efforts that allow us to go beyond what is seen at face value. It empowers health care facilities managers to leverage technology and data-driven solutions to enhance operational efficiency, patient care and sustainability in health care facilities.

Danielle Gathje: We have to innovate and constantly challenge ourselves to improve. This takes time that we must set aside to research, connect and explore what others are doing or think creatively to support others beyond our own walls, generating innovative solutions to common and challenging problems. We have to dust off the old and assess new ways to better our teams and patients today. We are all challenged every day and overloaded by the sheer volume of our to-do lists; however, when we engage our teams and each other, there are always ways that we can incrementally improve.

Joshua Brackett: We have significant room for growth when it comes to innovation in health care facilities management. It’s high time we redirect our focus toward genuine innovation, leaving behind the mindset of “we’ve always done it this way.” This approach is simply unsustainable. We have a community of passionate individuals, and together, we can and will revolutionize health care.

For instance, consider reliability-centered maintenance, an area of focus I’m deeply passionate about. While it’s considered a novel practice in health care, this concept has been around for decades in other industries. Our failure to innovate in health care facilities management has caused unnecessary delays.

We often emphasize the wrong areas of focus, such as investing time and effort into minor compliance issues that don’t impact patient care. Just imagine if we reallocate our resources toward more productive initiatives.

Jenny Nelson: Innovation is critical for keeping up with staffing and funding challenges. However, I also believe it is one of the hardest things to do in health care facilities management. Change can be very hard for people who have been doing things one way for 20 or 30 years. They often see innovation as a challenge to the work they’ve been doing their whole lives and can be resistant to a new way of doing things or unwilling to learn new technology.

Helping people understand the “why” behind a change and how it will make their work easier or more efficient is important prior to implementing policy changes or new technology and innovation. Including them in early decisions or option creation, if possible, can also be helpful for future buy-in.

What have you learned about yourself since your Voices of ASHE feature?

Lotoya Beard: I learned that I’m passionate about teaching and mentoring. I care deeply about helping individuals develop a craft or trade they may learn and utilize in health care facilities. It’s amazing to see someone gain confidence when they realize the opportunities allotted to them in gaining a skill that serves patients directly — as a tool or in the creation of the environment of care needed for their treatments.

Joshua Brackett: One of the central themes that has emerged since my first feature is the importance of giving back. This focus on contributing to the greater good has become a primary driving force in my professional life. I am dedicated to enhancing the aspects that genuinely matter, which include the patient care experience and the overall efficiency and cost-effectiveness of health care facilities management. Additionally, I recognize the significance of fostering collaboration among different departments within a health care facility. This collaborative approach not only leads to greater efficiency but also creates a harmonious environment that ultimately benefits patient care.

Jenny Nelson: I have learned that I’m really excited about learning and trying to improve myself and the processes I am involved in. I am always looking for new and better ways to organize and manage projects so the staff can have better insight into what the end product will be and have the whole team work more cohesively. This can honestly be frustrating at times when working within a large health care organization. I have to take a step back and understand that even small steps can create opportunities for betterment and try to celebrate the small wins.

What else would you like to share about yourself or your career?

Danielle Gathje: The best thing I have done for my career is get involved with ASHE, both locally and nationally. Not only does this drive innovation, but it also creates amazing relationships with colleagues who can empathize in both the challenging times and the times of celebration. ASHE continues to be an important component of my career development. I’m grateful I had the opportunity to go back to school, and while it was a lot of work, it has given me much more perspective to continue making an impact and improving the health care environment for the patients who entrust their care to that environment and its operation.

Joshua Brackett: I consider myself incredibly fortunate to have embarked on a career journey filled with opportunities for growth, learning and giving back. ASHE has been a cornerstone of my professional development, and I owe a considerable debt of gratitude to this organization. The remarkable individuals I’ve encountered through ASHE have played a vital role in shaping my career, and their investment in my growth is something I will forever cherish.

Voices of ASHE is not just a platform for spotlighting individual achievements; it’s a reflection of the passion and innovation that courses through the veins of our field. It underscores the fact that the advancements we make in health care facilities management are the result of collective dedication, not isolated efforts. It’s a testament to the power of collaboration and mentorship, and I’m humbled to have been part of this inspiring journey. 

Meet the original Voices of ASHE

The American Society for Health Care Engineering (ASHE) members interviewed for this feature were among the first individuals to be profiled in the Voices of ASHE series in 2020. Visit the Voices of ASHE website to read their original interviews, share your own story or nominate a colleague.

• Lotoya Beard, CHFM. Executive director of hospital maintenance, The University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital, Birmingham, Ala.
• Joshua Brackett, PE, CHFM, FASHE. System regulatory director, Banner Health, Phoenix
• Danielle Gathje, MBA, CHFM, SASHE. Vice president of hospital operations, M Health Fairview | St. John’s Hospital, Maplewood, Minn.
• Jenny Nelson. Manager of planning, design and construction, UnityPoint Health | Meriter Hospital, Madison, Wis.

These responses were excerpted from interviews conducted as part of ASHE’s 2023 National Health Care Facilities and Engineering Week celebration. Visit ASHE to read the unabridged interviews.