Features

EDAC hits 1,000-certified Evidence-Based Designers
The Center for Health Design’s Evidence-Based Design Accreditation and Certification (EDAC) has hit a momentous milestone. Now, 1,000 industry professionals, including interior designers, architects, physicians, nurses, healthcare executives, and product manufacturers, have become EDAC certified. In 2009, there were just 100 certifications.

Healthcare facilities managers point out bottlenecks to attaining sustainability
There are three important – and interrelated – perceptions that create bottlenecks in developing more cost- and energy-efficient healthcare facilities. According to a survey of 20 major North American metropolitan areas.

Top 10 patient-care technologies for 2012
If you’re wondering what technologies will likely cross your facility’s threshold over the coming year, ECRI Institute, an independent nonprofit that researches the best approaches to improving patient care, has developed a list of the top 10 health technology issues for every healthcare facilities’ managers’  ‘watch’ list.

More young workers enter Facility Management Profession
as average annual compensation nears US$100,000
HOUSTON—The facility management professional of 2012, on average, is college educated, manages more than 1 million square feet of space and multiple employees, has experienced a growth in job responsibilities over the past two years, and is enjoying a base salary increase of 8 percent from 2007 levels, according to the results of an International Facility Management Association (IFMA) salary and demographics survey.

Preventing fatigue among healthcare workers
Given the well-documented link between healthcare worker fatigue and adverse events, The Joint Commission has issued a “Sentinel Event Alert: Health Care Worker Fatigue and Patient Safety.” The document urges greater attention to preventing fatigue among health care workers and suggests specific actions for health care organizations to mitigate the risks.

Real-time location systems are gaining traction in the healthcare market
According to a study by KLAS, an independent healthcare research firm, approximately10% to 15% of the healthcare market is currently using a real-time location system (RTLS) solution. Some providers may initially view RTLS as a specialty investment that is only helpful at certain types of organizations.

Who loses employer-based insurance? Employer-based health insurance is down across all major demographic groups in 2011 compared with 2008. However, it has decreased the most among blacks (6.5 percentage points), those aged 27 to 35 (6.2 points), and those with an annual income between $36,000 and $89,999 (6.1 points).

Bedbugs become super bugs
Canadian scientists have just reported that bedbugs carrying Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), a bacterial infection often referred to as a “superbug” that is highly resistant to many antibiotics, and Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE), a less dangerous form of antibiotic-resistant bacteria superbug, were found in a Vancouver, Canada, hospital.

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Case Studies

Seismic Certification and the Consulting Engineer 4 Critical Factors at Issue: Minimizing Liability, Good Specs’, QA and Certified Equipment - by Bhavesh Patel
Building code standards for seismic certification require that critical mechanical, electrical and plumbing equipment must endure higher ground acceleration levels, or risk being red tagged during inspection, or worse. They also are being more broadly applied than before

Overcoming Hurdles Produces Power Reliability for Prentice Women’s Hospital in Chicago
Ensuring power reliability for Northwestern Memorial Hospital’s new Prentice Women’s Hospital in Chicago was as demanding a project as Randy Ehret, senior vice president of Environmental Systems Design, had ever faced. Configuring electrical infrastructure, such as emergency power, is never easy in the heart of a major metropolitan center. Getting the job done was at the same time a 100-yard dash and a 26-mile marathon.