Here's to a Great 2014!

ISHE wishes you the best for 2014! We'll be announcing the 2014 calendar soon, so keep an eye on your mailbox and the website. We will be bringing you more educational opportunities that will help your healthcare facility and your career.

With all of the changes and challenges you face, it's nice to know you can always count on your fellow ISHE members to be there for you. Have a great year!

ISHE 2014 Board Announced

ISHE's 2014 Board of Directors are ready for a groundbreaking year. If you have any suggestions for events, meetings, or programming, don't hesitate to contact ISHE's leadership team:

• PRESIDENT
  Ricky Ray
  Supervisor of Plant Operations
  Witham Health Services
  Email: rray@witham.org

• VICE PRESIDENT
  John Ward
  Manager Plant Operations
  Ball Memorial Hospital
  Email: jrward@clarianball.org

• SECRETARY
  Matt Royal
  IU Health Arnett
  Email: mroyal@iuhealth.org

• TREASURER
  Wayne Fairburn
  Manager, Plant Operations
  St. Vincent Hospital & Health Services
  Email: dwfairbu@stvincent.org

• NORTHERN DISTRICT CHAIRMAN
  Roger Bradley
  Director, Operations and Facilities Administration
  IU Health Arnett
  Email: rbradle2@iuhealth.org

• NORTHERN DISTRICT VICE CHAIRMAN
  Dan Rees
  Lutheran Health Network
  Director Facility Services
  Email: drees@lhn.net

• SOUTHERN DISTRICT CHAIRMAN
  Rusty Rozelle
  Plant Engineer, EOC Manager, & Hospital Safety Officer
  Bloomington Hospital
  Email: JRozelle1@iuhealth.org

• SOUTHERN DISTRICT VICE CHAIRMAN
  Vic Detienne
  St. Vincent Fishers Hospital
  Facility Services Supervisor
  Email: vcdetien@stvincent.org

• IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT
  Scott Burcroff
  Facilities Leader
  Wabash County Hospital
  Email: sburcroff@wchospital.com

• ASSOCIATE BOARD MEMBER
  Dan Hall
  President
  CM Buck & Associates
  Email: dhall@cmbuck.com

• ASSOCIATE BOARD MEMBER
  John Wilczynski
  KJWW Engineering
  Email: johnw@kjww.com

• LIAISON
  Ron Shake
  Director of Facilities
  Sullivan County Community Hospital
  Email: ron.shake@schosp.com

Do You Have a Project You Would Like to Share?

Do you have an Indiana healthcare facility project, large or small, that you would be willing to share with your fellow ISHE members? The more we learn from each other, the easier we make it for everyone. Associate and regular members alike are welcome to share their stories. Contact Dave Stevens at dstevens@stevens-stevens.com and he'll help with the editing and layout - it's easy.

Remember to Document Properly Before Using CMS Categorical Waivers

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) now offers many categorical waivers for health care facilities. But some hospitals have neglected steps of the categorical waiver process and are running into trouble with life safety surveyors. To use the categorical waivers - a full list of which is available in an ASHE article and chart - ASHE recommends that health care facilities take the following steps after checking to ensure their state accepts the categorical waivers:

• Ensure full compliance with the appropriate code reference mentioned in the waiver.
• Document the decision to use the waiver.
• -- ASHE recommends creating a letter stating which categorical waivers your facility will use. Get your safety committee and CEO to sign off on the letter.
• -- The Joint Commission would like to see all Life Safety Code waiver information under the basic building information in the electronic statement of conditions. Reference or attach the letter outlining the categorical waivers being used. Including the waiver information in the electronic statement of conditions allows surveyors to know your decision to use the waivers even before they get on site.
• -- Think carefully about which waivers you want to use. Only use the categorical waivers that apply. For example, if you are using the waiver on suite size for your emergency room but not for your intensive care unit, record that decision and specify which suites are affected. This will show you've done your homework and will save surveyors time because they will know ahead of time which suites will fall under the waiver.
• -- When the survey team arrives, notify them of your decision to use the categorical waivers by telling surveyors orally as well as giving them the letter showing the decision to use the waivers.

  Learn more at the ASHE website.

   

2014 Calendar
Coming Soon!