ASHE President’s Award winner discusses career

The Smith File

CV

• Senior consultant, MSL Healthcare Partners, Barrington, Ill.
• System vice president of physical asset services, Catholic Health Initiatives, Denver.
• System director of facility management, Catholic Health Initiatives.
• Director of support services, St. Anthony Hospital, Centura Health, Denver.
• Manager of plant operations, St. Anthony Hospital, Sisters of Charity/Centura Health, Denver.
• Supervisor for carpentry shop, St. Anthony Hospital, Denver.

Affiliations

• American Society for Health Care Engineering.
• Colorado Association of Healthcare Engineers and Directors.

Education

• Bachelor of Arts from The Ohio State University, Columbus.

George “Skip” Smith, SASHE, recently received the American Society for Health Care Engineering’s (ASHE’s) President’s Award, given by the sitting ASHE president to one who goes above and beyond to optimize the health care physical environment. In this interview, Smith discusses his career and lessons learned.

How does it feel to receive the ASHE President’s Award?

Receiving this award is an honor. I know each of the previous winners and am very humbled to be added to the list. These are leaders who have had an impact on my career, and my hope is my role in health care will have the same results.

It has also caused me to reflect on the changes that have occurred over my more than 30 years in health care. When I first entered health care in 1988, there were no computers on desks, we communicated via written memos sent through interoffice mail, there were no cell phones, we carried pagers and we had sit-down meetings daily. Today, all that seems so long ago when, in fact, it wasn’t.

Those who feel they struggle with change have been swept along by the evolution of the advancements in how we do our jobs. All this has reminded me what a wonderful life this has been. I jokingly say, “If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plan.” My plan never would have brought me to this place. I am grateful.

How did you first get involved in health care facilities management?

I was one of those people who didn’t really know what I was going to do in college. I initially wanted to be a dentist. After discussing this choice with my favorite uncle, who was a dentist, I had a change of heart. I graduated from The Ohio State University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology. After graduating, I bounced around from banking to data processing to life insurance sales and then construction. 

I had been in construction for about 10 years when the construction industry in Colorado dried up. At that time, I was doing a project at a hospital and told a friend who worked for the hospital that I was looking for a change. He called me about four months later and said they wanted to open an in-house carpenter shop and needed a supervisor. That was the start of my journey in health care.

One day shortly after starting the job as carpenter supervisor, the director approached me in the hallway and asked me to meet him after work in his office. At this meeting, he said he wanted me to be the manager of plant operations. Stunned, I accepted after considerable conversation.

As I was leaving, I asked, “Why me?” He responded without even looking up, “Because you are the only one who knows how to turn on a computer.” In fact, I had been using a home-built personal computer to organize the carpenter shop. From that point on, I was hooked on health care and accepted new challenges when presented. It just shows that everything has unintended results.

How did ASHE and the Colorado Association of Healthcare Engineers and Directors (CAHED) help you transition from carpenter to plant operations?

Shortly after accepting the position as the manager of plant operations, and having no prior health care experience, I was struggling to find the rules that guided our efforts. My boss suggested I contact CAHED. I did that and began attending meetings. The education was what I needed to get started.

As I became more involved with CAHED, I then became involved in leadership roles within the chapter, which led to my connection with ASHE. As a chapter leader, opportunities to serve at the national level became more apparent and achievable. During this time, I began building my network. It was fun to meet and get to know people in the field. I found most were just like me, looking to do the right thing for those we serve. They were willing to discuss their struggles and successes, which truly catapulted my personal and professional growth. 

You later joined various ASHE committees, the ASHE Advisory Board and served as an ASHE president. How did this level of involvement affect your ASHE experience?

Being involved in ASHE in various leadership roles enhanced my ASHE experience and the role I played in the facilities I served in ways I never imagined. First, it expanded my view of health care and introduced me to individuals who were driving the field forward. Being able to have deep conversations about hurdles and opportunities gave me insights I may have never understood staying within my local areas of involvement. It also allowed me to further the evolution of my management and leadership skills. These are skills that helped me to better navigate corporate structures and lead diverse teams.

How many departments did you supervise when you became a system vice president, and what advice can you give about navigating multiple departments over a large system?

Our leadership team managed facilities management; planning, design and construction; real estate; environmental services; nutrition services; clinical engineering; and security.

Catholic Health Initiatives was in approximately 100 markets in 24 states, and our head count within physical asset services was somewhere around 2,500 full-time equivalents. With an organization this broad geographically, it is important to paint the big picture and articulate the big, audacious goals to your team. You must communicate often, which means actively listening as well. 

Three things I believe are critical to be successful are: listen to your team and customers, be open to change, and have a coach and find a mentor.

What did you learn about dealing with hospital executives and organizational changes as a senior executive?

I was very blessed in my career to have good coaches and mentors. My coaches were my parents, bosses, team members and other leaders. Everyone has a style that works. The trick is to learn which one fits you. 

The key I found to making it all work was finding the right mentor. A mentor will know your style and ability. Their role is to help you better understand the organizational structure, the personalities of the formal and informal leaders of the organization, and how to take what you do well and have those efforts recognized. At the end of my career in the system, I had one of the best mentors. He was candid, funny and always available to me. He was also the person who helped me see the benefits of advancing my team’s opportunities for success.

Now that you’re consulting part-time, have you had any new observations about the facilities management field?

As an industry, we continue to struggle to fill positions, both technical and leadership. Health care salaries are far behind other fields, such as construction. We don’t have the luxury of folks leaving the military filling positions in health care. Additionally, the baby boomers are leaving at an incredible rate. That has been somewhat slowed by the impact of inflation, but that won’t last long.

What advice would you give to health care facilities professionals who are new to the field?

Build your network. Get to know other leaders in the field and be involved so leaders know who you are and what you have to offer. Never lose sight of how your team is succeeding and what they require to continue their success. Get involved.

Michael Hrickiewicz is editor-in-chief of Health Facilities Management magazine.