‘Back to the basics with innovation’

As I pen my first column as 2025 president of the American Society for Health Care Engineering (ASHE), I am reminded of a quote by the noted industrialist Henry Ford: “If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said ‘faster horses.’”

For today’s facilities professional, strategic thinking and innovating change are often last on the to-do list. There are few rewards for innovating new processes but many risks in failing to master the simple yet time-consuming tasks mandated by regulatory authorities. But I believe this historical focus on old norms doesn’t always add value to a health care facility’s bottom line or improve patient care quality or safety — it’s “just always been done this way.”

If we are true to ASHE’s mission of optimizing health care facilities, we require different approaches. That’s why I’m adopting “Back to the basics with innovation” as my tagline for 2025. Membership growth, integrated capital renewal, energy management outcomes and advocacy remain key areas. Bundling tools for effectively managing the physical environment, such as reliability-centered maintenance and critical inventory integration — sharing a common database for building controls and (standardized) capital renewal forecasting — has the potential to unlock yet another level of operational effectiveness. We need new generations of innovators to join ASHE, challenge past norms and question the “why” behind the “old way” of facilities management. I am fully aligned with ASHE’s focus on growing future leaders with the newly introduced ASHE Core Competency Framework, MECH Certification and partnerships with technical schools for workforce development.

In summary, are we still searching for that “faster horse” (or, perhaps, drone or automated robot) to handle the mundane tasks while we focus on the bigger picture — faster, more reliable and more cost-effective operations?

I am honored to serve as ASHE’s 62nd president and look forward to continued member growth and innovation as we work to optimize health care facilities together. I want to hear your innovation success stories, so don’t hesitate to reach out and share!