Dann M. Boyer, CHFM
Director of Facilities Operations
Sturdy Memorial Hospital
2021 NEHES President-Elect

July is here, and with it, the process of putting the pandemic in the rearview mirror, hopefully for good. The last year has certainly been a trying time not only for those of us in healthcare, but for the world in its entirety. It will be great to breathe without the constraints of a mask and enjoy a friendly smile.

As we begin to look forward, we can be sure that the pandemic will cause lasting changes in healthcare engineering, and healthcare as a whole. Would it shock anyone if there are new requirements that entire nursing units can be turned into a negative pressure unit, or the operating room of the future requiring an ante room outside for isolation purposes?

The purpose of Healthcare Engineering is to improve human health and well-being through engineering approaches, according to healthcare-engineering.org (accessed 6/8/2021). Within this purpose, we must be educated in many aspects of the facility. We must be adaptable and ready for change. Often we are tasked with delivering Kobe beef on a ramen budget. Somehow, we continue to get it done and deliver results that keep our patients, visitors, and staff calm, comfortable, and most importantly safe.