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WSSHE News and Issues
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| Issues/President Letter
2013
April 6, 2013
April 22 Deadline for ASHE Region 10 Chapter Candidate Elections
It is our pleasure to inform you that it is once again time for ASHE Region 10
to participate in the ASHE election process to determine who will represent our
GREAT Region on the ASHE Board for the next two years.
Click here for a description of the job. This should answer any questions
that you may have regarding both the position as well as the criteria to become
an ASHE Board candidate.
Most importantly, if you have any questions or are interested in the position
please contact any one of the Region 10 Election Committee Members.
Additionally, be aware that the committee's deadline to submit the Region 10
candidates to ASHE is April 22nd.
Robert Forister
robforister@sheridanhospital.org
Rick Mcguffey rmcguffey@skylakes.org
Keith Deline
keith.deline@providence.org
> Job Description
On behalf of the Committee, Thank you
Keith Deline, Committee Chair
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2012
October 16, 2012
WSSHE and ICC needs your help in Portland!
Final Action Hearings for 2015 International Building Code October 24-27
The Final Action Hearings for the 2015 International Building Code are in
Portland, OR from October 24-27. This is our last chance to have a voice in the
codes that we will be required to follow in 2015. Hot healthcare topics include:
- Support increasing the smoke compartment size from 22,500 sf to 40,000sf
in hospitals!
- Support the removal of the requirement to smoke damper every duct
penetration of a smoke barrier!
- Fight the move to require elevator lobbies, regardless of how tall your
building is!
- Fight a proposal that would require fire dampers in all smoke barrier
duct penetrations!
These changes and many more will be heard during the four day hearing.
Testimony will be limited, but your presence will speak volumes. This is also
the opportunity to speak to the code makers and help them understand the
challenges of healthcare codes compliance.
Finally, this hearing is part of the first step to the joint ASHE/ICC goal of
one single fire and life safety code. The efforts here will hopefully lead to
CMS recognition of the IBC as an alternative for NFPA 101.
In an effort to make it easier to get our voice heard WSSHE is offering a
$250 stipend to offset the costs of travel and lodging to attend this event.
If you're up for helping out please make sure to register for free to attend the
final action hearings:
http://s3.goeshow.com/icc/annual/2012/registration_info.cfm
If you plan to attend, let ASHE know you are coming and we will keep you updated
on the latest meeting developments and schedules. Use our online form found at
www.ashe.org/icc
For more information or to help with coordinating travel and room sharing to
help with reduce any costs above the $250 mark, contact your chapter Advocacy
Liaison, Kevin Kajita at kkajita@uw.edu or
206-744-3191. or ASHE Director of Codes and Standards Chad Beebe at
cbeebe.aha@gmail.com or at
312-422-3824.
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October 2, 2012
Get Involved in the ICC Code Hearings
Save Your Facility Money and Headaches from CMS or TJC Citations
Sometimes everyone has to get involved in advocacy work to accomplish an
important task.
ASHE
has been working diligently to align the codes, to improve the efficiencies of
delivering patient care, to improve the safety of hospitals, and to reduce the
number of citations and the expenses associated with compliance with outdated
standards. Unfortunately, these improvements can't be made without your
involvement.
ASHE's goal is to get 200 people to the
International Code Council (ICC) final action hearings in Portland, Ore., from
October 25-27. We need members of the health care community to testify and
support the proposed code changes made by the ICC's Ad Hoc Committee on
Healthcare, a committee formed by ASHE and the ICC last year to suggest code
improvements affecting health care. These proposed changes cannot pass simply
through work done just by the ASHE advocacy team. It is imperative that the
voting membership at the ICC hear from all of us in health care so that the
codes can be improved to streamline our efficiency and reduce the number of
unnecessary annual citations.
Among the issues that will be discussed are:
* Smoke Dampers: A proposal would exempt hospitals from
requirements for duct smoke dampers if the hospital met certain conditions, such
as being equipped with automatic, quick response sprinklers and having a fully
ducted HVAC system. Smoke dampers are not required by other model codes in this
situation and have shown a history of success without additional dampers. One
health system with 32 hospitals estimates smoke damper maintenance costs $3.2
million over the six year inspection cycle.
* Elevator Lobbies: Prior to the 2009 edition of the IBC,
hospitals were not required to provide elevator lobbies if the building was
equipped with fire sprinklers. This proposal would exempt hospitals from this
requirement because elevator lobbies serve no purpose on floors of facilities
that defend in place (meaning patients are evacuated to adjacent smoke
compartments rather than exiting the building). The addition of required
elevator lobbies would not only add unnecessary expenses to hospitals, but could
complicate the movement of patients to adjacent smoke compartments by adding
doors that bedridden patients must go through.
* Lay-in Ceiling Tiles as Smoke Barriers: Current interpretations
require ceiling systems to be monolithic, and this proposal would allow lay-in
ceiling systems designed to limit the transfer of smoke. Monolithic ceilings are
not feasible in a hospital setting because main utility and ductwork lines run
in the corridor to keep them out of patient care areas. Hospitals need many
access panels in the ceiling, which compromise the intent for monolithic
ceilings to be smoke-tight. However, lay-in tiles would provide a smoke-tight
system with no open portions or gaps in the ceiling. ASHE estimates that it
costs 56 percent less to install a lay-in ceiling compared with a monolithic
ceiling.
* Door Locking and Infant Abduction Systems: Doors are
required to unlock if the automatic sprinkler system or fire detection system is
set off, but this proposal would allow an exemption to that rule in areas where
egress control systems are used to prevent the abduction of infants and
children. This could help prevent infant or child abduction in cases where the
abductor sets off the fire alarm as a distraction and way to get doors open.
Anyone can register for free to attend the final action hearings
http://s3.goeshow.com/icc/annual/2012/registration_info.cfm
If you plan to attend, let ASHE know you are coming and we will keep you updated
on the latest meeting developments and schedules. Use our online form found at
www.ashe.org/icc
For more information, contact your chapter Advocacy Liaison, Kevin Kajita at
kkajita@uw.edu or 206-744-3191. or ASHE
Director of Codes and Standards Chad Beebe at
cbeebe.aha@gmail.com or at
312-422-3824.
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September 7, 2012
Proposed WSSHE By-law Changes
News from Ben Myers, BOC, President, WSSHE
The Annual Conference is just around the corner, and with that conference comes
our annual meeting. One of the items we'll be taking action on is the
proposed WSSHE bylaws [pdf]. Please take a moment to review the attachment
which includes notes and comments defining the reason for the change.
A formal vote on the acceptance of the new bylaws will take place at the Fall
conference on October 5, 2012.
A copy of the existing bylaws can be found at
http://www.wsshe.org/WSSHEBylaws.htm
A major driver for the changes was to bring WSSHE bylaws into alignment with
ASHE's bylaws.
A special Thank You goes out to Jim Mead, Gary Nevius, Russell Kent, and Ray
Tiedemann who served on the Bylaws Committee over the past year and put this
together.
Thank you for your support and involvement with WSSHE! See you in Spokane!!
Ben Myers, BOC I President, WSSHE
Director, Support Services
Samaritan Healthcare | phone 509.793.9641 | fax 509.764.3230
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September 6, 2012
Advocacy update: Underground Storage Tanks
News from Kevin Kajita CHFM
I wanted to make sure that all our membership was aware of changes concerning
Underground Storage Tanks. There are new changes to the regulations including
training to staff that is maintaining and monitoring. Please see below and if
you have further questions or concerns you can go to the following site
http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/tcp/ust-lust/tanks.html
Overview of Program
Washington State has a federally-approved state Underground Storage Tank (UST)
program. This means that state law, not federal law, applies to UST systems in
this state.
Under state law, the Department of Ecology (Ecology) currently regulates more
than 9,500 tanks at more than 3,600 facilities, including gas stations,
industries, commercial properties, and governmental entities. Ecology works to
ensure these tanks are installed, managed, and monitored in a manner that
prevents releases into the environment. To do so, Ecology conducts compliance
inspections at about 800 facilities each year (most facilities have multiple
tanks) and provides technical assistance to tank owners.
Changes to UST Regulations
On August 8, 2012, the Department of Ecology (Ecology) adopted changes to
Chapter 173-360 WAC, Underground Storage Tank Regulations. The changes will be
published in the Washington State Register on September 5, 2012, and become
effective on October 1, 2012.
The changes:
- Authorize Ecology to stop regulated substances from being delivered to
UST systems that do not comply with regulatory requirements.
- Establish an operator training program for individuals who operate and
maintain UST systems. Current operators must be trained by December 31, 2012.
- Require secondary containment and interstitial monitoring of tanks and
pipes installed or replaced after October 1, 2012.
- Require containment under dispenser systems if the dispenser, dispenser
system, or underground piping connected to the dispenser system is installed or
replaced after October 1, 2012.
To learn more about the changes and get copies of the adopted rule amendments,
click here.
NEW: Compliance with New Operator Training Requirements
Under the adopted rule amendments, operators must be trained by December 31,
2012. To learn more about operator training requirements and training
opportunities,
click here.
Thanks,
Kevin Kajita CHFM
Operations Manager
Facilities & Engineering Services
Harborview Medical Center
206-744-5408
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July 10, 2012
Letter from Ben Myers & Kevin & Kajita: Be a Voice for Change on
Healthcare Proposal
Welcome back from your 4th of July BBQs and celebrations!! Kevin Kajita, our
newly minted Advocacy Chair, is gathering a small group together to develop a
response for the recent denials by the ICC committee.
> Click for the compiled list of proposals submitted by John Williams (Chair for
Ad-Hoc Committee on Healthcare) with ICC committee action and reason highlighted
in yellow.
ASHE and the Ad-Hoc Committee on Healthcare (ACH) need your help to submit
comments on the proposals that were "denied" by August 1st.
We want our voices to be heard and to provide the best care through the
standards as possible. The immediate goal is to review these denials in a couple
of conference calls and draft a response. If you or another member is passionate
and interested in helping out please let Kevin know ASAP!
Kevin will be getting the first conference call set-up for either July 12th
or 16th with another call on July 25th to finalize our responses.
Thank You!
Ben Myers & Kevin & Kajita
> List of proposals ICC committee action and reason highlighted in yellow [pdf]
Excerpt:
Revise as follows:
710.4 Continuity. Smoke partitions shall extend from the top of the foundation
or floor below to the underside of the floor or roof sheathing, deck or slab
above or to the underside of the ceiling above where the ceiling membrane is
constructed to limit the transfer of smoke. A lay-in ceiling system that is
designed to limit the transfer of smoke shall be permitted. Hold-down clips for
such ceilings shall not be required where the ceiling tiles will resist an
uplifting force of at least one pound per square foot of tile.
> more [pdf]
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May 24, 2012
Message from Kevin Kajita, Puget Sound Chapter President &
Advocacy Liaison for WSSHE
I wanted to take a second and introduce myself. My name is Kevin Kajita and
currently I am the Operations Manager at Harborview Medical Center and the Puget
Sound Chapter President. As some of you know, Don Kilgore is retiring and is
stepping down as Advocacy Liaison for WSSHE and I have been given the chance to
fill his, or try to fill his shoes. I wanted to share my contact information and
encourage any of you that are having issues with regulatory interpretation at
any level to please reach out.
That being said, we have an issue that both ASHE, TJC and AAMI need your help
with. Recently CMS published S&C:12-07 in December of 2011 which restricts the
methods that we adjust or assess our maintenance frequencies and activities on
life support to manufacturer's recommendation. It also restricts adjusting
non-life support maintenance activities. For those of us who use different fact
based strategies (predictive, reliability-centered, corrective, metered
maintenance) that differ from manufacture's recommendations this could mean more
PM's and man-hours with little to no gain on equipment reliability and life
expectancy.
On June 4 of this year TJC met with CMS and agreed to do research on the above
mentioned strategies and what the impact to patient safety and equipment
reliability is.
Here is where your input is needed, please go to
https://www.research.net/s/ASHESurvey and select the Facility Equipment
Survey and fill out the survey so that when we go back to the table we have
facts to support our arguments.
Also, if you are either in charge of or have peers in charge of Clinic
Engineering please get them to fill out the AAMI survey at
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/JCQuestionnaire
I look forward to supporting you to the best of my ability. Please feel free to
call me or email with any concerns.
Kevin Kajita, CHFM
Harborview Medical Center
Operations Manager/ Chief Engineer
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May 23, 2012
ASHE Announces Region 10 2012 Emerging Leader Keith Deline
Mr. Deline has been recognized by ASHE as Region 10's 2012 Emerging Leader! The
Emerging Leader Award recognizes members who have demonstrated exemplary
leadership skills and commitment to the field of health care facility
management.
 WSSHE
has a way of growing and cultivating the best.
We've had the Emerging Leader 6 out of the last 7 years!
Art Kjos - 2006
Chad Beebe - 2007
Mike Kelly - 2008
Brad Jones - 2010
Russ Kent - 2011
Keith Deline - 2012
Congratulations Keith, and, as always, WSSHE ROCKS!
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May 3, 2012
WSSHE has once again earned the Platinum Level of Affiliation with
ASHE for 2011
This accomplishment reflects our membership's dedication to Education,
Leadership, Communication, and Advocacy for the Healthcare Engineering
profession. WSSHE has consistently performed at a higher level, maintaining a
Gold Level Affiliation from the inception of the program in 1997 to 2008 and
Platinum Level Affiliation in 2009 - 2012. There is an awards presentation for
the Chapter Leadership Award Luncheon in San Antonio on July 15.
For WSSHE to earn Platinum level there are a few requirements:
- Conduct 24 hours or more of educational programming in 2011
-Attendance at the annual Chapter Leadership Forum.
-Submit an application/nomination for the Emerging Regional Leader Award
-Chapter President & President-elect must both hold active ASHE membership.
-Joint ASHE/Chapter Membership: Maintain a minimum of 25% active members who
hold joint ASHE membership in WSSHE.
-Distribute a minimum 12 or more member communications.
A BIG "Thank You" to those outstanding WSSHE members that assisted in the
Platinum level for 2011 application:
Philip J. Kercher, Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center
Russell D. Kent, Naval Hospital Bremerton
Keith Deline, Providence St. Peter Hospital
Brad Jones, Central WA Comprehensive Mental Health
Katie Bohocky, Association Management, Inc.
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2011
August 12, 2011
Fire Door Maintenance
by the Washington State Patrol Fire Protection Bureau Inspection Section
In 2010, in the state of Washington, the most cited violation in nursing homes
was corridor doors. During the same time period, the second most documented
violation in hospitals was rated doors. The most common violations were: doors
that did not close and/or latch properly, doors purposely blocked from closing
with wedges and/or doorstops, and penetrations in the door compromising the
smoke resistance of the door.
A Fire Door Assembly is defined as any combination of a fire door, frame,
hardware and other accessories that together provide a degree of fire protection
to the opening. Fire doors are designed to stop or slow down the spread of fire,
smoke and toxic fumes from one section of a building to another. This gives the
building's occupants a chance to exit safely from one smoke compartment to
another and time for emergency responders to arrive on site.
> Read
the full article [pdf]
Washington State Patrol Fire Protection Bureau Inspection Section
P.O. Box 42600, Olympia, WA 98504-2600
Phone: 360-596-3906; Fax: 360-596-3934
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July 8, 2011
PeaceHealth Peace Island Medical Center Groundbreaking Set for
July 23, 2011
An innovative new rural healthcare facility for the San Juan Islands
Healthcare in the San Juans will take a major step forward at 1:30 p.m. on
Saturday, July 23 when the groundbreaking ceremony for PeaceHealth Peace Island
Medical Center is held at 1049 San Juan Valley Road in Friday Harbor. The San
Juan community will be joined by federal, state and local leaders in breaking
ground for this new primary care and specialty clinic, and Critical Access
Hospital.
The community will celebrate the start of construction by touring the building
site where markers will show the location of major features and medical
services. Visitors will be able to view both floor plans and external and
internal building images. There will be refreshments provided.
The grounds will be open from noon until 5 p.m. Access to the grounds and
on-site parking will be available via Franklin Drive, the entry road to the
Friday Harbor Airport.
“PeaceHealth is honored to become a part of the San Juan Island community and is
looking forward to providing the highest quality on-island hospital care and
expanded clinic and diagnostic services beginning in late 2012,” said Jim
Barnhart, Chief Administrative Officer, PeaceHealth Peace Island Medical Center.
"The Design Committee has focused on developing the new facility with an island
look and feel. We hope to see a large turnout on the 23rd joining in the
celebration and taking a look at the design and services planned for PeaceHealth
Peace Island Medical Center.”
The facility will include an expanded primary care and specialty clinic, an
enhanced diagnostic services center, a cancer care suite providing on-island
chemotherapy and cancer care services, a 24-hour emergency room and a 10-bed
Critical Access Hospital. This will replace San Juan Island’s existing clinic
(the Inter Island Medical Center) which is 38 years old. The new facility is
scheduled to open in late 2012.
The building incorporates the latest environmentally sensitive and sustainable
design and construction concepts and will feature natural ventilation, a
ground-source heat pump system, carbon neutrality and extensive day lighting.
Architecture for PeaceHealth Peace Island Medical Center is by Mahlum.
Construction is by Howard S. Wright Constructors.
The groundbreaking ceremony is being synchronized with events at the annual
Friday Harbor Airport Fly-In and Open House. Starting with a pancake breakfast
and ending with a big-band hangar party, the Fly-In and Open House is an all day
nostalgic trip to a place where airplanes are for fun. There’ll be plenty of
interesting visiting airplanes to see, biplane and helicopter rides, in-hangar
displays, fly-overs and more. The Friday Harbor Airport is adjacent to the site
of PeaceHealth Peace Island Medical Center.
Further material about PeaceHealth Peace Island Medical Center is available at
www.peacehealth.org/peace-island
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June 14, 2011
Russell Kent Named ASHE Region 10 2011 Emerging Leader
Russell Kent has been recognized by ASHE as Region 10's 2011 Emerging Leader.
The Emerging Leader Award recognizes members who have demonstrated exemplary
leadership skills and commitment to the field of health care facility
management. Russell Kent is WSSHE's Past Presiden and works at the Naval
Hospital Bremerton.
WSSHE has a way of growing and cultivating the best. We've had the Emerging
Leader 5 out of the last 6 years.
Art Kjos - 2006
Chad Beebe - 2007
Mike Kelly - 2008
Brad Jones - 2010
Russ Kent - 2011
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May 31, 2011
WSSHE has once again earned the Platinum Level of Affiliation with
ASHE
This accomplishment reflects our membership's dedication to Education,
Leadership, Communication, and Advocacy for the Healthcare Engineering
profession. WSSHE has consistently performed at a higher level, maintaining a
Gold Level Affiliation from the inception of the program in 1997 to 2008 and
Platinum Level Affiliation in 2009 & 2010. There is an awards presentation
for the Chapter Leadership Forum in Seattle on July 17.
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May 17, 2011
NFPA 101: A golden opportunity to guide your own Future!
According to ASHE, five of the top ten citations on Joint Commission surveys
over the last few years have been related to life safety issues, and of these,
four are related to the NFPA 101 requirements surrounding corridor width
(cluttered corridors, corridor protrusions, etc.).
The proposed language for the 2012 version of NFPA 101 still requires an 8 foot
corridor, but would only require a 5 foot "effective width". In other words, the
new language would allow 3 feet to be used for certain other functions, and
would likely result in a significant decrease in TJC citations at our
facilities.
This and other proposed code changes will be debated and ultimately voted upon
at the upcoming NFPA conference (week of June 12, with technical meeting June 14
and 15). We now have a golden opportunity to guide our own future. In order to
vote at the session, one must be an NFPA member for at least 180 days. Please
help get the word out, and encourage eligible members to attend the conference
and vote their conscience.
> Click here for more details
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February 24, 2011
Communication Survey for WSSHE Members
It's all about communication!
The WSSHE Board of Directors invite you to take this VERY short (4 question)
survey to let us know:
1. How we are doing in communicating with our members.
2. What tools (Twitter, Facebook, etc.) you use in your daily communication.
This information will help us determine how to better serve you! Survey
closes March 11, 2011.
> Take Survey
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2010
August 27, 2010
Training on Fire Systems for Small Hospitals
Fire system training particularly important for smaller facilities that do not
have 24/7 engineers
by Chris Pashen, Facility Manager, Providence St. Joseph Care Center
I recently had a problem with our fire system going into alarm and no one could
operate the system, not even the firemen. I was called in to get the system up
and running again.
This is what I have done to make sure this does not happen again. I have written
a one-page operation manual that is now in our disaster manual. All existing
supervisors, managers and lead staff have been trained on this information. All
future supervisors, managers, and lead staff will be trained on this as part of
their orientation. I have also brought in the local fire department and trained
them on our system as well.
These are some of the things I have put in this training –
- Where the fire panels are located and how to read them. (for my facility
I have had all fire devices named for ease of finding them, i.e. smoke
detector by room 116.) This has helped tremendously for those not trained in
the maintenance field
- What smoke detectors, pull stations and heat detectors look like when
they have been triggered
- Where pull stations and fire extinguishers are located
- Where the fire sprinkler shut off valves are located
- How to post a Fire Watch in the event the fire department is unable to
reset the system
- How to use the Fire System public address system
I strongly recommend smaller health care facilities train all leadership
staff in depth on their fire systems. We all have disaster manuals that staff
are supposed to be familiar with. We also know that we put enormous amounts of
work load on our staff, and truthfully when it comes down to it, will they know
what to do in an emergency situation at 2am when all other leadership staff are
at home in bed. Hands on training and showing staff what fire devices look like
when triggered is an invaluable tool.
Chris Pashen
Facility Manager
Providence St. Joseph Care Center
Spokane, WA
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August 17, 2010
OR Extinguishers
From W. Bud McIrvin, CBET, CHFM, Manager, Biomedical & Facilities Engineering
Services, Providence Regional Medical Center Everettl
The recent TJC visit this past April at Providence Regional Medical Center in
Everett concluded with some interesting results in the Environment of Care
portion of the survey. Only one deficiency within our EOC was cited under a
Direct Finding from The Joint Commissions Executive Summary.
The Standard EC.02.03.01 Element#1. The hospital minimizes the potential for
harm from fire, smoke and other products of combustion. During the week the
Nurse surveyor in her tour of Surgery, noted ABC type extinguishers present but
no CO2 type extinguishers present or available. Discussion during the next days
opening briefing focused around Regulatory references and the lack of any
regulatory, NFPA or otherwise requiring CO2 or equivalent extinguishers to be
present in surgery areas. Surveyors were insistent on a best practice finding,
citing EOC News and Anesthesiology Journal publications of Practice Advisory.
Although there was agreement in the understanding of OR Fires and issues with
extinguisher types, there is no standard, regulation, code or requirement that
exists for ABC type extinguisher alternatives in surgical areas, the observation
was considered a final Direct finding. The appropriate appeals were filed with
the TJC, but were denied.
With a required 45 day official response, our action plan obviously included the
addition of an ABC type alternative in the OR environment to comply. Risk
assessments were discussed and the plan was to replace all extinguishers in the
Surgical suite with a CO2 equivalent to prevent OR staff confusion and
abbreviate training with various fire types.
Two weeks prior to our 45 day deadline, a letter from The Joint Commission,
signed by VP Ann Blouin, was received by our Compliance Officer. The letter
described the issue and her justification in reversing the finding. It went on
to infer that surveyors' beliefs or readings on the topic should not guide the
writing of findings, rather from actual standards.
Is there a bottom line? A moral to the story? An EOC Direct finding was reversed
and taken off our summary. More importantly: did the system work here? Are the
patients more safe? The frequency of OR Fires are rare. However, from the few
known, we have learned ofsome issues with usingthe standard ABC type
extinguisher. Groups like AORN and others with the expertise, much like our
ASHE/WSSHE group, have strongly recommended the change, perhaps a standard (yet)to
be. Lower risk to be sure, "minimizing the potential for harm", we now have a
bunch of bright metal Dupont FE-36 extinguishers in the OR. Hey, one less thing
to worry about.
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July 14, 2010
Chad Beebe Takes his Talents to a National Stage
Chad Beebe has announced his intention to resign his position of Manager for DOH
Construction Review Services. Effective August 2, 2010, Chad has accepted the
position of Associate Director of Advocacy for the American Society for Health
Care Engineering of the American Hospital Association.
Chad's new role will include working closely with ASHE's Dale Woodin and Doug
Erickson for the development of national standards in the construction and
maintenance of physical environments for health care facilities. WSSHE is
pleased to learn that Chad will maintain his residence in Washington State and
is committed to continue to work very closely with WSSHE as he advances codes
and standards for our benefit on a national stage. We look forward to seeing
Chad at the Region 10 Conference in Spokane in September to wish him well in his
new position.
Chad has served as the DOH Construction Review Services Manager for the past ten
years. Over this period of time he has implemented a strategic vision for CRS
that has resulted in a more timely, professional review process while adopting
consensus national standards, lowering fees and reducing duplicative review
efforts.
Chad has been recognized as the first Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) to
receive ASHE's Regional Leadership Award and has received the Business
Examiner's "40 - Under" Leadership Award.
Chad writes: "My passion has always stayed the same - to reduce healthcare cost
related to compliance with governmental regulations and ensure that lives saved
by science and skill are not lost by an error in the environment."
WSSHE members will certainly miss Chad's leadership and vision as Manager of DOH
Construction Review Services. We wish him all the best in his new role with ASHE
and look forward to the opportunity to work together to influence codes and
standards on a national level.
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April 22, 2010
ASHE region 10 energy efficiency commitment (E2C)
Improving the Energy Wellness of our Region
ASHE and its
Region 10 affiliated chapters are coming together to kick off a cost-saving
energy efficiency campaign!
This effort is supported by the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance’s
BetterBricks initiative, local utilities, and the EPA’s ENERGYSTAR® program.
The goal is for Region 10 healthcare facilities to benchmark their energy
performance using ENERGYSTAR’s Portfolio Manager – or update their existing
scores – and collectively reduce energy consumption by 10%.
We are committed to provide the support you’ll need for success.
Please open the pdf flyer below for full details:
>> ASHE
region 10 energy efficiency commitment (E2C) [pdf]
Website:
http://asheregion10e2c.betterbricks.com
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2009
December 11, 2009
Letter from your Board of Directors: Renew!
[Excerpt] "As we approach 2010, I want to take a moment to invite you to
renew (or begin) your membership with the Washington State Society for
Healthcare Engineering.
Through good economic times and bad, WSSHE continues to offer top quality
education and networking opportunities, at an extremely competitive price. The
very definition of value!"
>> Read
the full Membership Renewal Letter from the WSSHE Board of Directors [pdf]
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November 18, 2009
Rule Development for Chapters 246-314 and 246-320 WAC
All proposal forms for "Rule Development for chapters 246-314 and 246-320
WAC" must be received by end of business December 1, 2009. Only proposals
received by December 1, 2009 will be discussed and considered at this meeting.
In order to maintain a process that is quick, efficient and fair to all
interested parties, your proposed amendments must be submitted by the cut-off
date. There will not be an opportunity to propose additional changes after that
date, you will however have an opportunity to discuss all of the proposed
amendments and discuss them at our meeting on December 14th. You will also have
an opportunity to formally make comments on any of the recommended actions that
are made at the December 14th meeting.
An all day public rules meeting will be held in Tumwater, WA, December 14,
2009. Interested parties are encouraged to attend this meeting and comment
on the proposals posted on the website. Again, only proposals received by
December 1, 2009 will be discussed and considered at this meeting.
Further details about the meeting will be sent out in a membership e-mail
notice. If you have any questions, please contact rules coordinator John Hilger
at 360-236-2929 or
john.hilger@doh.wa.gov
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November 3, 2009
Memo: Waiver to Allow Hospitals to Use the NFPA 6-Year Damper Testing Interval
TO: State Survey Agency Directors, State Fire Authorities
FROM: Director of the Center for Medicaid and State Operations/Survey and
Certification Group
http://www.cms.hhs.gov
[summary]
"Option for Damper Testing Interval: This memorandum permits hospitals to apply
the NFPA 6-year testing interval for fire and smoke dampers in hospital heating
and ventilating systems, so long as the hospital’s testing system conforms to
the testing requirements under the 2007 edition of NFPA 80 and NFPA 105.
Categorical Waiver: Hospitals may operate under the damper testing cycle of the
NFPA 2007 edition without special application to CMS."
>> Read the Memo
in full [pdf]
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November 1, 2009
Important notice to those who supervise or maintain clinical or biomedical
engineering at a facility
KSTW-TV Seattle-Tacoma will increase their digital operating power which may
cause telemetry interference..
[excerpt]
"All full power television stations are required by law to begin providing DTV
services, and have been given second television channels for that purpose. We
are notifying you of our intention to begin DTV maximization (power increase)
operations because patients within your facility may use biomedical telemtry
devices that operate in he television broadcast band, and may be affected when
we begin our maximization DTV service.,,"
>> Read Notice
about increased power of digital television operations
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September 14, 2009
Stephen Grose, CHFM, Elected as ASHE’s Region 10 Representative
ASHE election results are in
and WSSHE Member and Advocacy Chair Stephen Grose is our new Region 10
Representative and will assume office in January 2010.
Letter from Stephen Grose:
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 Dear
friends from ASHE Region 10 and fellow WSSHE members,
Thanks largely to your active support I am able to announce that I have
won the regional elections for ASHE’s Region 10 Representative. Although
it’s a bit early to step into the role, I want you to know that plans
around the work ahead are beginning to develop.
Please let me know if you are interested in joining a committee focused
on developing solutions around issues facing our region, a list of
regional committee needs will be out soon. I look forward to engaging
any and all of you that are interested in getting involved, there is a
lot of wonderful work ahead, your support and involvement is needed and
appreciated.
In closing I want to thank the entire WSSHE board, Art Kjos, Lucy
Stockton, Dick Molar, and Mike Severns for going well beyond what one
person could expect for support. This election is not mine but rather
ours and please know how privileged I am to call you all friend. As a
final note I want to thank my very talented collogue Russell Harbaugh
from St. Luke’s Regional Medical Center in Boise Idaho. Russell was an
excellent candidate who ran a wonderful campaign and I look forward to
ensuring Russell is an important part of the next two years. Once again
thank you for electing me and I look forward to working with you all
very closely.
Fraternally yours,
Stephen Grose, CHFM
ASHE Region 10 Representative |
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September 9, 2009
"Fire Sprinklers Save Lives", an important announcement from the Office of
the Washington State Fire Marshal
From The Office of the State Fire Marshal:
On August 28, 2009, at approximately 3:13 a.m. a fire occurred at Regency at the
Park Nursing Home in College Place, Washington. The fire occurred under a roof
extension from the main building that formed a patio area in the enclosed
courtyard of the facility. The origin of the fire was in a plastic trash can
which was adjacent to a supporting column for the roof.
The fire was initially reported to 911 dispatchers by nursing home staff. Within
seconds the sprinkler head went off and the alarm system was activated. Due to
the quick action of the staff, the fire department was on its way.
A single sprinkler head activated and contained the fire until the arrival of
College Place Fire Department who then completed extinguishment with the use of
a portable fire extinguisher. There was minimal damage thanks to the sprinkler
head containing the fire. The administrator for the facility advised that repair
cost to the post was less than $100.00. The probable cause was discarded smoking
materials. The facility is a non-smoking facility and has a smoking policy that
permits smoking only in designated areas outside the building.
State Fire Marshal Michael Matlick reports “Smoking is the leading cause of fire
deaths in Washington State. Fires can double in size in just minutes. Had this
fire gone undetected or if the area had not been protected by a sprinkler system
it may have spread causing a greater potential for loss of life and much more
damage to the building. Fortunately, the quick action of the staff and the
activation of the fire sprinkler and alarm systems notified emergency responders
without delay.”
For additional fire safety tips visit the Washington State Patrol – Office of
the State Fire Marshal web page at
www.wsp.wa.gov or contact
your local fire department.
>> Read full "Fire Sprinklers
Save Lives" announcement
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September 9, 2009
Proposed Bylaw Change: Retired Membership Category
From: WSSHE Board
To: WSSHE Members
Subject: PROPOSED BYLAW CHANGE: RETIRED MEMBERSHIP CATEGORY
As set forth by Article VII of the WSSHE bylaws (which may be viewed at
WSSHE.org Bylaws), this flash serves as advance
notification of a proposed revision to the bylaws, as follows:
Replace the existing Article II, Section 5 verbiage with the following (new or
modified text highlighted):
Section 5. Retired Members
Retired membership in the Society shall be available to those individuals who
have retired from positions which qualify for either Full or Associate
membership. Retired members may vote and serve on committees, but may not hold
office.
Section 6. Dues
The Board of Directors shall establish annual dues for Full members, Associate
members, and Retired Members
of the Society. Dues shall be payable by January 1 of each year except for
Honorary members who will not be required to pay dues. Dues will be requested
Dec. 1 for the following year.
Rationale: Currently, WSSHE bylaws do not provide a membership category which
allows retired members to continue their participation. However, retired members
are a valued part of our community, and are encouraged to participate. This
bylaw change will provide a clear mechanism for retired individuals to continue
their membership in the Society.
At the WSSHE general membership meeting on October 16th in Yakima, full members
will have the opportunity to vote on this important change.
If you have any questions or suggestions in regards to this matter, please
contact Russell Kent at
russell.kent@med.navy.mil
>> Read the current WSSHE bylaws
>> Read
'Flash' about the proposed bylaw change
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July 29, 2009
Vote for our own WSSHE Nominee Stephen Grose!
ASHE's 2009 Online Election Opens Saturday, August 1
Cast Your Vote for the 2010 President-Elect of the American Society for
Healthcare Engineering and Select Regional Directors.
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Please make sure to cast your vote for WSSHE nominee Stephen Grose for ASHE
Region 10 Representative |
Read their candidate information on www.ashe.org
Voting opens Saturday, August 1, 2009 and closes at 11:59 p.m. (CDT) Thursday,
September 3, 2009
>> Go to ASHE.org
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May 19, 2009
Annual Conference & Tradeshow Information 2009
Dear WSSHE Friends and Valued Vendors,
The Washington State Society of Healthcare Engineers (WSSHE) would like to
invite you to participate in our annual conference and technical exhibition in
October of 2009. Our State President this year is Bradford P. Jones of
Central Washington Comprehensive Mental Health, Yakima, Washington.
The Annual Conference “The Health Care Gauntlet: Reducing Cost While Improving
Care” will be held Wednesday, October 14, through Friday, October 16, 2009, with
the evening of Tuesday, October 13 planned for the President’s Reception (7 p.m.
– 10 p.m.)...
>> Read Complete Announcement
>> More conference details on our 'past events' page
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May 19, 2009
Survey Results of the Semi-Annual Conference
Did you attend the WSSHE 2009 Semi-Annual Conference in Chelan, WA in
April? Curious of the opinions of your fellow attendees? How satisfied
were you with the speakers? What kinds of sessions would you like to see
included at future conferences? Check out the answers!
>> Launch Survey Results Be sure to click on "View" button on the
results page to see further comments.
>> pdf version
[does not have 'view comments'
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May 4, 2009
"Letter to the Boss": A Thank You for the Semi-Annual Conference
Did you find the WSSHE 2009 Semi-Annual Conference in Chelan, WA a big
benefit? Use this template to tell your boss. It is designed to be edited to
suit the individual user.
"Thank you for supporting my attendance at the Washington State Society for
Healthcare Engineering (WSSHE) Semi-Annual Conference in Chelan ..."
>> Launch "Letter to the Boss"
>> See forms, brochures and info from the Conference
in Past Calendar
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April 24, 2009
Seattle TV Channel 21 Features Facilities Electricity Use Tracker 'Seattle
MeterWatch'
Jim Mead, WSSHE member, Sec./Treas. of the Puget Sound Chapter and
Operations Supervisor, Facilities Engineering at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research
Center shared a
Seattle TV Channel 21 video program on featuring the energy savings work
they're doing at Fred Hutchinson.
Robert Cowan, director of Facilities Engineering, discusses energy expenditures
and the Seattle
MeterWatch program used to track electricity use and cut costs - a 10%
reduction in the Engineering budget.
Seattle
MeterWatch is a free, online service that helps large Seattle City Light
customers track hourly and daily electricity use patterns and estimated costs.
Jim Mead says, "Even though other utilities may not have a similar program,
which, by the way is free of charge, but I am confident that this "Smart meter"
revolution is coming soon to all utilities. This short video illustrates just
how powerful it can be even in facilities that already are ahead of the curve in
conservation programs."
>> Watch the Seattle Channel video
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April 24, 2009
Training for Utility System Reliability
From Doug Sowers, Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center:
In keeping with our theme for the Semi-annual; here are a few thoughts on Staff
Training to support your utility systems. As engineers we tend to focus on
equipment; it’s condition, preventative maintenance issues, and performance
capabilities. We write PM’s, Policies and Procedures and even Action Plans.
However we tend to give less attention to the human element. Unfortunately, all
our preplanning has little value when that emergency occurs, if our staff cannot
carry out these plans.
The answer of course, is Training. Now I’m sure you all have some training in
place, but here is a couple of ideas you may not be using.
• Consider training your staff in the use and interpretation of your
One-line Electrical drawings.
• Write a quiz on the drawings, given annually, causing them to practice
their training.
• When training, require each staff member to perform the task. Simulate
a real event. You are only as prepared as the ability of your weakest staff
member.
• Train everyone!! When the emergency occurs that “Key person” might not
be there.
• Train on the ancillary equipment. That generator is not going to run if
the fuel system fails.
Of course the list goes on, you get the idea. If you have questions or some
ideas of you own to share feel free to contact me.
Doug Sowers
Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center
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2008
October 30, 2008
Fire Safety Evaluation System
With the adoption of the 2000 edition of the Life Safety Code CMS retained the
authority to apply the Fire Safety Evaluation System (FSES) as an alternative
approach to meeting the requirements of the LSC. The FSES alternative approach
is used by qualified individuals trained and experienced in the proper
application and limitations of the FSES. This approach is not to be used if
patient/resident safety is compromised in any way. The link below is to an excel
spreadsheet on the Construction Review Services website and is a calculator for
determining if your deficiency qualifies as an alternate approach for meeting
the requirements of the Life Safety Code.
Posting approved October 29 by WSSHE President Brad Jones
>> view Fire Safety Evaluation System for Healthcare Occupancies [xls]
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October 10, 2008
Guidelines for Design and
Construction of Health Care Facilities
Comment Period Open for Health Care Design and Construction Guidelines
>>
more [pdf]
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September 25, 2008
2008 Annual Conference Attendee
List
Many colleagues attended the September 16 – 19, 2008 "Meeting the Challenge of
Change" Annual Conference and Technical Tradeshow at the Wenatchee Convention
Center in Wenatchee, WA
>>
view the attendee list [pdf]
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July 8, 2008
News from DOH and WSHA: Department of
Health Allows Hospitals to Build Semi-Private Rooms
The Department of Health recently announced that it will adopt construction
standards that clearly allow hospitals to build semi-private rooms. The new
construction standards go into effect on July 21, 2008. More information is
available at:
http://doh.wa.gov/hsqa/fsl/crs/chapter246-320.htm
or by contacting Chad Beebe at
chad.beebe@doh.wa.gov or (360) 236-2944.
In March, the department proposed different language that would have required
hospitals to build private patient rooms in hospitals unless they receive
approval from the department for semi-private rooms. While WSHA agreed that
private patient rooms are the best practice in patient care, this rule would not
have worked in the real world of financing, building, and operating hospitals.
The department received comments from WSHA and hospitals throughout the state.
The proposed rule would have limited the ability of hospitals to meet their
community needs during emergencies or times of high patient volume, limited the
ability of public and non-profit hospitals to receive financing, and limited the
number of patients beds available to the community because of building space
restrictions.
WSHA appreciates the department's willingness to listen to hospital concerns and
adopt the original agreed-upon language. Thanks also to all hospita ls that
submitted comments to the department and testified at the rules hearing. WSHA
also appreciates the expertise provided by the Washington State Society for
Healthcare Engineering.
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May 13, 2008
Open letter to WSSHE members
Re: Pete Peterson Scholarship Fund (PPSF)
Fellow WSSHE members,
I have been asked to write this document to clarify what the
Pete
Peterson Scholarship Fund [PPSF] is and its relationship to the Washington
State Society for Healthcare Engineering (WSSHE). During the past several years,
there have been many questions raised concerning the reasons for the formation
of the PPSF, how it is run and what influence WSSHE has over it. In 2004,
several members of the Puget Sound Chapter of WSSHE (PS), myself included,
thought it would be a good idea to hold a golf tournament strictly as a social
event. The success of the event prompted the idea of creating a fund that would
allow Full Members to attend the two WSSHE “state” conferences.
>> read
more
Regards, James Mead, Secretary, PPSF
Posting approved May 13 by WSSHE President Tom Pitts
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March 25, 2008
Gov. Chris Gregoire signs SB 6710 20080325-6564
T
Senate Bill (SB) 6710 ensures coordination between fire/life safety surveys by the fire marshal and the Washington State Department of Health’s licensing surveys and creates
a reasonable set of surveying standards.
>> read more
>>
click to enlarge
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March 27, 2008
Attention: Retraction of USP 797 revision information
Dear WSSHE Membership,
On March 11th of this year WSSHE sent to your attention an emergency information
release titled "USP 797: New requirements for Pharmacy Clean Rooms". We
proceeded to state- Please be aware that USP 797 will become effective June 1,
2008 in Washington State. Knowing the sensitivity towards this issue and the
advocacy efforts to advise against adoption of this standard by many of us at
the local and national level for no less than the last 24 months, the WSSHE
advocacy committee was able request a special meeting with Brenda Suiter, Vice
President for the Washington State Hospital Association, Steven Saxe, Director -
Facility and Services Licensing, and Grant Chester, Supervisor with the
Washington State Board of Pharmacy.
In this meeting all four organizations were able to clarify their positions with
regard to USP 797 and following are updates from the meeting with the state,
communications with ASHE, and information from your advocacy committee:
• Washington State will not be enforcing the environmental
controls chapter from USP 797 unless mandated by the federal government. If
mandated we (WSSHE, WSHA, DOH, and State Board of Pharmacy) will work
collaboratively towards a model that meets the needs of Washington State
hospitals and the communities we all serve.
• ASHE has informed us that The Joint Commission, CMS, and the FDA will not be
surveying to the revised USP 797. We will advise you if this status changes.
• If you are planning a major renovation or new construction you should plan for
future integration of the standards. We are not saying that USP 797 is a dead
revision, only that there is enough debate taking place with regard to how it
was developed that WSSHE feels comfortable in advising our membership to ‘hold
off ’ but ‘be prepared’. Our reasons for not supporting this revision are sound
and we will be posting a position paper for your review on the WSSHE website
this week.
• We have been successful asking the State agencies to listen, support, and
address our concerns with regards to enforcement of the environmental controls
chapter but they can only support us to the point of time when the Feds mandate
enforcement. At this time WSSHE will be offering any and all advocacy support
that ASHE may need to keep this issue resolution active at the national level.
If asked, and I assume we will, be prepared to engage your administrator about
this revision. We will need your support and the support of your organization if
we are to ensure a permanent moratorium on this issue.
I want to thank you in advance for your support and encourage you to reach out
to us with any questions you may have. See you in Chelan.
Regards,
Stephen J. Grose, CHFM
Advocacy Committee Chair
Washington State Society for Healthcare Engineering
925 Seneca Street
Seattle Washington 98101
206-288-9225
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Tacoma General and Mary Bridge Hospitals earn ENERGY STAR Award
Tacoma General and the
Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital have earned the
ENERGY STAR designation for their commitment to energy efficiency. The ENERGY STAR is presented for superior energy performance for the most efficient buildings in the nation
“This ENERGY STAR recognizes our approach to energy management design and systems operation”, said Ray Tiedemann Engineering Manager for the Central region of
MultiCare.
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Beebe Receives ASHE Award
Washington State Department of Health Manager Chad E. Beebe, AIA to receive
prestigious award from the American Society of Healthcare Engineers (ASHE). This
prominent award recognizes 10 exceptional individuals, one from each ASHE
Region, for their exemplary leadership skills and their commitment to the field
of healthcare facilities management through their local and/or national
involvement with ASHE. Chad Beebe, a licensed Architect and Certified Fire
Protection Specialist is actively involved nationally with the National Fire
Protection Association as secretary of the Healthcare Section Codes and
Standards Review Committee, NFPA 99 - Technical Correlating Committee and NFPA
101A – Technical Committee on Alternative Approaches to Life Safety. Chad is an
active Steering Committee member with the Health Guidelines Revision Committee
which produces The Guidelines for Design and Construction of Health Care
Facilities.
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