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The 2023 ASHE Annual Conference will be held in San Antonio, Texas on Aug. 7-9 and Calls for Abstracts are open! If you have a new approach, best practice, or groundbreaking insight to share, ASHE invites you to submit a speaking proposal by Friday, Sept. 30 at 11:59 pm CT. Popular topics requested by attendees include:

• Maintenance and Testing Management
• Infection Prevention
• Emergency Management and Response
• Leadership Management
• Capital Planning 
• Facility Master Planning
• Construction Management
• Sustainability
• Energy Savings

Dann M. Boyer, CHFM
2022 NEHES President
Director of Facilities Operations
Sturdy Memorial Hospital

Hello Members,

Having just returned from the 2022 NEHES Fall Conference, I wanted to provide a brief recap of the events for you. Our first day, Sunday, Sept. 18, highlights included the CHFM review course, the annual NEHES golf tournament, and a welcome reception.

Monday, Sept. 19 included our Keynote Presentation “Overcoming Adversity” given by Dan Cnossen, U.S. Navy Seal Lt. Commander and 6x Paralympic Medalist. After listening to Dan, it is impossible not come away with a new appreciation for all the blessings around us. We also presented our annual awards to:

Karri May – Chapter Leadership Award

Charles “CJ” Brown – Engineer of the Year

Dave Dagenais – President’s Award

The presentations were followed by a couple general sessions highlighted by Joe McCannon, Health Care Sector Lead, Office of Climate Change and Health Equity, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, who discussed the White House’s HHS Climate Pledge. The technical exhibits were outstanding as always, and I literally tried to thank all our exhibitors in person. If I missed you, I am sorry. We ended the night with the annual gala, which for the first time was a themed event “Back to the 80s.”

Tuesday, Sept. 20 was a full day of breakout sessions. The fact that NEHES was able to offer AIA credit hours in addition to AHA hours made this a standout day for me. This is one of my stated goals and I am honored we were able to deliver that to our Supporting Members, many of whom need these credits.

Wednesday, Sept. 21 brought a couple final general sessions culminating with “A Case Study at Maine Health: The Evolution of Sustainability Goals in the 21st Century.” All of our sessions revolved around the theme of our conference “Net Zero: Much More Than Going Green,” and by all accounts, the conference was a tremendous success.

One final takeaway from the last conference of 2022 is that things are changing in the world of energy. If we fail to get out ahead of some of these changes, we and our institutions will have enormous costs trying to catch up with the changing environment. Failure to plan is akin to planning to fail.

As always, thank you for all that you do for your patients, your organizations, and your communities.

Isaac Arey
Facilities Lead
Catholic Medical Center, Concord NH

Certifications
CHFM, 2020
CHC, Expected 2023

How has NEHES/ASHE contributed to your career?
ASHE is an invaluable resource. Sudden exposure to the regulatory environment was bracing. The connections with the regional group and national reach of the Society have made all the difference.  In particular, monographs from ASHE and the MyASHE community helped fill in gaps I didn't know were there.

What is your background healthcare facilities field?
Plant Operations and Facilities Management is my career, with seven years in healthcare.  The hospital is the smallest facility in which I've worked.  Coming from NYC, where I held various positions as a plumber, planner, BAS technician, and stationary engineer, I thought I understood the safety environment.

Tell us a Personal Tidbit.
My wife and I have four cats, so there's always a bit of fuzz following me around!.

What do you enjoy most about your job?
Diagnosing and solving thorny problems.  Root cause analysis—look past the symptom in a complex system, whether mechanical, procedural, or organizational.  Facilities, especially in healthcare, come with their own unique challenges.  Some have simple solutions that are not immediately apparent.  Find the smart people with the good ideas and run with them.

What are your plans for future growth?
Our facility has switched from TJC to DNV for CMS accreditation. I expect this will be an opportunity to improve my process skills. I plan to continue sharpening the saw by supporting our facility through this and other transitions ahead.