ASHE Emerging Leaders Newsletter

This eNewsletter is designed for young and new to the field professionals. You’ll find carefully curated news, information, content and engagement opportunities that meet the unique needs of our future leaders.

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Watch the above video to hear directly from ASHE members about the mentorship, networking and education available to young professionals and those new to the field through ASHE.

I was thrilled to meet many young and new to the field professionals at the International Summit & Exhibition on Health Facility Planning, Design & Construction (PDC Summit) in San Diego this year. A special thank you to the Purdue student chapter, who partnered with ASHE to welcoming these attendees. A special thank you to the Purdue student chapter, who partnered with ASHE to welcoming these attendees. We are navigating a crucial transitional period in our field —working to fill technical positions in health care engineering while honoring those who have served us well and are moving into well-deserved retirement. This transition has highlighted the need to train and support the next generation of professionals. We see a promising future as interest in entering health care engineering grows among young professionals.

ASHE is committed to helping you at this important time in your career. We are working on numerous initiatives to provide young and new to the field professionals with the content, education and networking opportunities that will advance your careers. This eNewsletter is the first in a series to help promote specific programs geared toward meeting your unique needs. We hope you’ll continue to engage with this eNewsletter and tell others about it.

Your skills and expertise are needed now more than ever in the health care industry. Your innovative ideas and fresh technical knowledge have the power to revolutionize health care engineering and make a real difference. Join us, seize the opportunities, and know that your contributions will help shape a better future for health care engineering. Having met many of you, I have witnessed the passion and dedication each of you possesses. You have the potential to be key players in the future of health care engineering. Together, we can pave the way for the future by establishing mentorship, internship and shadowing programs for those entering our industry. You are the future of health care, and we believe in you for a brighter tomorrow. Please know ASHE is here to support you!

Skanda Skandaverl, MBA, CHFM, CHC, FASHE
ASHE President

Andrew Williams, Assistant Director, Safety
USA Health
Mobile, Alabama
ASHE member since 2019

Andrew has been working in health care facilities since 2019. He is active in his local ASHE Chapter, Gulf Coast Hospital Engineers (part of the Alabama Society of Healthcare Engineers) and is currently serving as the secretary/treasurer. Andrew is also a member of the ASHE Young Professionals/New to the Field Task Force.

What do you wish you knew when you were just starting out in the health care field?

Andrew: When I started off early on as an environment of care program manager, I wish I had the resources to learn all of The Joint Commission standards and other codes and standards. There are plenty of resources out there, but oftentimes it is difficult when starting fresh on where to actually find the resources. I also wish I had the resources come up much early on for the CHFM and CHSP certifications.

Tell us about your journey into the facilities management field. How did you get here? Where did you start? What was your degree/training in?

Andrew: I started out in health care in the dialysis industry as a biomedical technician — working in dialysis for about seven years. Then, I made the transition to biomedical engineering at a local academic medical center and worked as a biomedical technician in the hospital industry for five years.

I went back to college while I was working as a biomedical technician and graduated with my bachelor’s degree in health care management. In April 2019, I decided to make a change and applied for an environment of care program manager job in our facilities Management department. Our Biomedical Engineering department at the time was under Facilities, so I kind of knew what this role was, but I didn’t know a whole lot about it. I was given the opportunity and worked as an environment of care program manager for about a year.

There have been a lot of retirements in the Facilities Management department and our Safety program, as we all know well in this industry. My position was combined into the safety officer position, and that’s when I became the safety officer for this academic medical center.

Now, a few years later, I am the safety officer for the academic medical center and our sister children’s hospital. I am so glad I took a chance and made a change from biomedical engineering to facilities management and safety, a field I really love.

Young professionals and professionals new to the field (YP/NTFs) were fully engaged in San Diego from March 14-16. Here are some key highlights from this year’s PDC Summit:

The Purdue ASHE Student Chapter members participated in on-site support during the opening reception and YP/NTF reception. They also participated in a focus group with ASHE staff to help us understand how to best support our student chapters. THANK YOU to the Purdue ASHE Student Chapter!

The YP/NTF reception was a HUGE success as always. YP/NTFs were able to network with others who are new in their careers and also with more seasoned professionals. Members of the ASHE Advisory Board were present to help make connections and offer insights, mentorship and advice. Extra special thanks go out to Eaton for sponsoring the event. We’re looking forward to our next reception at the Health Care Facilities Innovation Conference this July. 

The ASHE Shadow a Leader Program continued this year with two participants. Alexander Sesack, senior director of facilities management at St. Barnabas Hospital Health System, and Daniel Feldman, captial construction project manager at BILH-Lahey Hospital and Medical Center, participated as this year’s PDC Shadows. They took part in the ASHE Advisory Board meeting and social events at the PDC Summit, connected with mentors to help them navigate the summit and make connections, and networked with colleagues in the field to help advance their careers. Thanks to Brittany Remec, construction project lead at Advocate Aurora Health, and Steve Strovers, system director, facilities operations – special projects at CommonSpirit Health, who served as mentors for the 2024 PDC Shadow a Leader Program. To learn more about the ASHE Shadow a Leader Program, email us! 

Register today to attend and advance your career at the 2024 ASHE Health Care Facilities Innovation Conference. You’ll experience:

• Courses to get ahead and prepare for certification
• Certified Health Care Facility Manager (CHFM) Exam Review Program
• Health Care Facility Management: Daily Operations
• Foundational sessions such as:
• ASHRAE 514 and Water Management Programs: Evaluating Physical, Chemical and Microbial Hazards
• ACHC – Control Over Compliance: An Introduction
• Networking and job search opportunities
• Opening reception
• Regional networking events
• Young and New to the Field Professionals Networking Reception
• Exhibit Hall connections

Apply for the Ilse B. Almanza Scholarship to have your travel and registration fees covered for HFIC. Application deadline is May 10.

LIVE ONLINE TRAINING
Door Inspection and Maintenance Workshop
Sept. 6

Ensure that the doors in your facility are in compliance, and gain confidence in discussing your door maintenance program when surveyors visit.

LIVE ONLINE TRAINING
Physical Environment Survey Readiness Program
Sept. 9-11

Enroll in 1, 2 or 3 day-long modules: Life Safety, Emergency Management & The Care Environment. Improve your code interpretation with insight provided by recognized experts/surveyors.

LIVE ONLINE TRAINING
Fundamentals of Health Care Facility Management
Sept. 12-13

Build a strong foundation for your career as a health care facility management professional. Stay compliant and keep patients, staff and visitors safe.

Career Opportunities

Visit the ASHE Career Center to learn more about positions available across the U.S. at all experience levels. Check out these featured positions:

• Director of Plant Operations
  Mt. Washington Pediatric Hospital
  Baltimore, MD

Thank you for reading! Please share your feedback on future content and how we can improve!