I love the month of September in the Commonwealth. We see slight changes occurring in foliage, days are becoming drier (less mowing...yay!) and the nights are clear with bright stars. Change is definitely in the air!

Cincinnati.com
The new Northern Kentucky hospital will be almost 250,000 square feet and is expected to open in 2020.

The Lane Report
St. Elizabeth Healthcare's new cancer center in Edgewood is one of a number of new cancer treatment facilities in the works in Kentucky.

September 18-20, 2018, Owensboro Convention Center
The Healthcare Coalition Conference consistently delivers top-notch educational content, hours of continuing education credits, and ongoing opportunities to discuss emerging issues and best practices with colleagues, vendors, and consultants. The conference is designed to meet the educational needs of health care engineers, professionals involved in managing safety and security in healthcare facilities, and professionals in health care supply chain and materials management.

The program is approved by ASHE for 12.25 contact hours and 1.25 CEUs. Registration is currently open.

The Kentucky Chapter of ACHE is offering 1.5 hours of ACHE credits in Owensboro on Thursday, September 20 in conjunction with the Healthcare Coalition Conference (HCC).

The Kentucky ACHE is offering a panel discussion, Aligning Evidence-Based Design and Evidenced-Based Medicine to Design a More Efficient and High Quality Patient-Centered Healthcare Delivery Model.

For ACHE, the Healthcare Coalition Conference has created a special one day rate of $175.

September 17, 2018, Owensboro, Kentucky

KSHE membership has long supported the concept of certifying contractors who wish to work in their Kentucky hospitals. The emphasis is on “Certification” because at the end of this 1-day program, there is a certification exam. Those who pass the exam will be designated “Certified Healthcare Contractor.” This certification will be valid for 3 years.

Learn more about our certification programs or email info@kshe.org for further clarification.

Health Facilities Management
ASHE's CMS State Operations Manual Appendix A Crosswalk can help members prepare for Joint Commission and other surveys by increasing their understanding of compliance with A-Tags.

Health Facilities Management
Questions this month relate to drinking fountains and headwall units.

facilitiesnet.com
There is a lot to keep up with when it comes to complying with regulations regarding emergency power supply systems, but new technological innovations might help, both in terms of compliance and cost-efficiency.

Healthcare Design
Effective hospital design can have a positive effect on the problem of patients being boarded in overcrowded emergency departments.

Healthcare Facilities Today
Trends in the design and construction of healthcare facility restrooms include a greater focus on water conservation and reducing infection risk.

KSHE is hosting its first annual statewide competition among hospitals and other healthcare facilities to save energy and protect the climate. Competitors will work off excessive energy use through improvements in energy efficiency with help from KSHE, ASHE, and the Energy to Care program. The facilities that shed the most energy consumption will be recognized as the winners. KSHE is offering prizes and recognition to members who help their buildings become top energy and water savers!

Contagion Live
As part of their environmental sustainability efforts, hospitals must consider the effect of such changes on things such as infection control and prevention, experts say.

Health Facilities Management
Some strategies that can help healthcare facilities improve in their efforts at being energy efficient include benchmarking, conducting energy audits, and exploring new opportunities.