Healthcare Facilities Network

It has been a fun year for High Reliability so as approach the final days of the year, we wanted to take a look back at 2021 and a look ahead to 2022. We welcome a roundtable of healthcare leaders from across the county to discuss a variety of issues. Our guests are:  Carol McCormick, Director of Facilities, Plant Operations, & Maintenance for CHI Health Immanuel and CHI Health Mercy, Omaha, NEChristine Pirri, SVP, Chief People & Diversity Officer, Bassett Healthcare Network, Cooperstown, NYDr. Robert Feldbauer, VP/Chief Facilities Officer, UC Health, Cincinnati, OHRobert Hacker, Director of Facilities, Planning, Design, and Construction, Community Memorial Hospital & Ojai Valley Community Hospital, Ventura, CAMy thanks to them,  In today's episode,  we discuss:The year in review: Staffing shortages, vaccination mandates, and a return to "normal" (2:30);What about me, and other factors around compensation, and is this current model sustainable? (25:00); The issue that will not go away, the degree. Does a unique time in history demand a different approach to the degree requirement?  (32:00);Looking at technology, including "The Internet of Things" (48:00);The changing demands of patients and families (1:00:00);Predictions for 2022, and removing the "Covid excuse" (1:13:00).As always, thank you for listening. We hope you enjoy the show!  

I'm excited about this episode of High Reliability because it centers on a book and miniseries that I consider to be at the top of the book and miniseries chart: Band of Brothers. Band of Brothers is a 2001 American war drama miniseries based on historian Stephen E. Ambrose's 1992 non-fiction book of the same name. It was created by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks, who also served as executive producers. The series won Emmy and Golden Globe awards in 2001 for best miniseries. If you have not watched Band of Brothers, put it on your list.The series is a dramatized account of  E-Company, part of the 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, assigned to the United States Army's 101st Airborne Division during World War II. Over ten episodes the series details the company's World War II journey. Starting with jump training at Camp Toccoa, Georgia, in 1942, Band of Brothers follows the unit through the American airborne landings in Normandy and Operation Market Garden, then on to the Siege of Bastogne and The Battle of the Bulge, and through war's end in 1945, including taking Eagle's Nest, which was a Third Reich–era building erected atop a mountain summit and used by Hitler.Band of Brothers chronicles Easy Companies triumphs and tragedies. It shows the men in their humanity. You don't need to have seen Band of Brothers to enjoy this podcast. But if you have seen it, we will apply leadership lessons from WW II to healthcare facilities management in 2021. These leadership lessons are timeless: They are universal.I would like to thank my three guests for their time and research. Like me, they appreciate American history, warts and all, and the lessons that can be learned from history. My guests are:  Thomas Elliott: Director of Facilities, Sutter Medical Center, Sacramento, CAGeoff Schuller: Owner, GH Schuller Consulting, Mission Viejo, CA.  Steve Spaanbroek: CEO, MSL Healthcare PartnersThanks for listening. We hope you enjoy it.EndnoteIn addition to the miniseries and the many books chronicling  Easy Company and Major Dick Winters, this YouTube series, Reel History, provides excellent historical context, and when needed, a more accurate picture of the events depicted in Band of Brothers.  As Tom Hanks said," history had to fit into our television screens," meaning a 10-episode series could not completely capture all of the events from 1941-1945. Reel History with Professor Jared Frederick is a great companion piece. 

High Reliability, The Healthcare FM Podcast is brought to you by Gosselin/Martin Associates. Our show discusses the issues, challenges, and opportunities within the Facilities Management (FM) function. In this episode, we speak with Jason Tate, Director of Plant Operations at Mountain View Regional Medical Center in Las Cruces, NM.  It is an interesting and honest discussion with a next-generation healthcare facility management leader.  Jason's story is about transitioning into healthcare facilities management leadership, but it is also about growth and self-awareness, integrating philosophy into management, and ultimately, redemption. If you feel a bit down and out, skip to The Power of Redemption section (25:00) for hopefully some hope and inspiration. My thanks to Jason for an honest discussion. Topics include:About relationships, communication, and multi-generational leadership  (4:00);Utilizing the Socratic method of FM leadership (19:00);The Power of Redemption (25:00);Finding a path to hospital leadership and a true vocation (40:00);On managing conflict in 2021, and learning from Abraham Lincoln (52:00).Visit our open jobs at http://gosselin-associates.com/jobsThanks for listening!

High Reliability, The Healthcare FM Podcast is brought to you by Gosselin/Martin Associates. Our show discusses the issues, challenges, and opportunities within the Facilities Management (FM) function. We are pleased and honored to welcome Dr. Vincent W. Patton III to this episode. Dr. Patton served as Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard from 1998 until his retirement from the Coast Guard in 2002. In total, he served our country with more than 30 years of active service. His career included staff and operational assignments throughout the United States, along with joint military service assignments in Cuba and Haiti. His numerous military awards include the Distinguished Service Medal, which is the nation’s highest military peacetime recognition for the performance of duty. As the service’s top senior enlisted leader, Master Chief Patton was the principal advisor to the Commandant of the Coast Guard, his directorates, and the Secretaries of Transportation and Defense, with a primary focus on quality-of-life issues, career development, work environment, and personnel matters. He routinely addressed these specific issues before appropriate Senate and House committees in Congress, and the Commander in Chief, along with his senior enlisted counterparts of the other four armed services.Following his Coast Guard retirement, Dr. Patton was an Assistant Professor at the University of California Berkeley,  teaching Philosophy of Ethics, and he earned his Master of Theology in Applied Religious Studies and became an ordained minister.   Currently, he is a Leadership Development Coach for NewDay USA Financial LLC and he serves as chairman of the board of trustees for Northeast Maritime Institute. In this episode of High Reliability, Dr. Patton leads us through unique stories of his career paths and development, being inspired by mentors, and holding core values as guideposts throughout a distinguished career, including:The role of the Master Chief Petty Officer (4:00);Core values and leadership (14:00)On becoming Master Chief Petty Officer: A unique career path that you have to hear (19:00); Leading through human tragedy in Haiti and Cuba while balancing mission, duty, and core values during Operation Able Manner (39:00);Learning from soccer player Pele, a poignant remembrance of the late General Colin Powell,  and meeting Alex Haley (50:00);Adhering to Core Values in today’s chaotic business world, and the importance of passion for your job (1:04).Thank you to Vince for the generosity of his time. And thanks also to CJ Brown, Facilities Management Director at Women & Infant's Hospital in Providence, President of the RI NEHES Chapter,  and Coast Guard veteran, for connecting me with Vince.Visit our open jobs at http://gosselin-associates.com/jobsThanks for listening!

High Reliability, The Healthcare FM Podcast is brought to you by Gosselin/Martin Associates. Our show discusses the issues, challenges, and opportunities within the Facilities Management (FM) function. We welcome Bryan Connors to the High Reliability podcast. Bryan is the Managing Principal Consultant at Environmental Health & Engineering, located in Newton, MA. Environmental Health & Engineering offers expertise in Engineering, Environmental, and Health and Safety Consulting. EH&E works with hospitals, laboratories, universities, and industrial facilities across the country. Bryan brings some real-world examples of organizations preparing for and combatting the virus known as Covid.  In this far-ranging conversation, we also talk about becoming an industrial hygienist, the importance and limitations of air sampling,  and the role of The Interpreter in discussing science and industrial hygiene issues with hospital clients.If you have ever wanted to be like television forensics investigator Quincy (I'm dating myself!)  or watched an episode of CSI or House, this episode is for you. We discuss: "I didn't know this career existed," and what does an industrial hygienist do? (3:30);Preventing disease in the patient environment (8:00); Assess the  state of hospitals to manage the virus today,  and what are some current thoughts related to hygiene and transmission (16:00) ; A real-world hospital case study I,  infection pathway assessment and preventing virus spread (32:00);A real-world case study II,  demonstrating how tracer gas testing can investigate and identify a covid 19 pathway and outbreak  (46:00);What medical equipment stands out as the most problematic piece relative to medical infections, and what does the future hold?  (57:30).Visit our open jobs at https://www.gosselin-associates.com/jobsTo learn more about Environmental Health & Engineering, please see eheinc.com 

High Reliability, The Healthcare FM Podcast is brought to you by Gosselin/Martin Associates. Our show discusses the issues, challenges, and opportunities within the Facilities Management (FM) function. In this episode, we welcome Brandon Bardowsky to the podcast. Brandon is the Vice President of Facilities, Design, & Construction at Inspira Health, headquartered in Vineland, New Jersey. Inspira Health Network is a four-hospital system with 150+ access points in South Jersey. Brandon’s responsibilities include managing Facilities and their network Design & Construction program, including managing a $525m program to grow the network’s market presence in South Jersey. Today Brandon and I discuss managing a real estate program for a healthcare system, including: What does a VP of Real Estate do (5:30)?Navigating business deals and working with multiple constituencies (11:30);Speaking the language of finance and law in real estate management (19:30);Dealing with developers, business owners, commercial real estate teams, and physician groups (33:00);Avoiding real estate pitfalls (40:00);The most complex leases to manage (49:00).Visit our open jobs at https://www.gosselin-associates.com/jobs

High Reliability, The Healthcare FM Podcast is brought to you by Gosselin/Martin Associates. Our show discusses the issues, challenges, and opportunities within the Facilities Management (FM) function. Today we welcome Thomas Elliott to the High Reliability podcast. Tom is the Director of Facilities Management at the Sutter Medical Center in Sacramento, CA. Tom is an Air Force Veteran with a varied career path, including stints overseas and in Biomedical leadership.   In between discussions of road rage and pace cars, we find time to discuss Tom's unique career path, including: Hitting the road(s), literally, and finding direction;  Transitions from military to civilian leadership, and not "chickening out" (15:00);On the importance of effective change management (29:30);Relationships are built over food and faces (41:30);Education, language barriers,  and the FM professional (54:30).A show note, Tom sounds great, me not so much. I tried out a new microphone, and subsequently, I sound a bit mumbled but understandable. Sorry for the rookie mistake on my part, it won't happen again!  Visit our open jobs at https://www.gosselin-associates.com/jobs

High Reliability, The Healthcare FM Podcast is brought to you by Gosselin/Martin Associates. Our show discusses the issues, challenges, and opportunities within the Facilities Management (FM) function. In this episode, we recap the recently held ASHE Annual Conference.We will look at finding something to love in everybody you work with, the concepts of High Reliability, why you already have the answers to the Compliance Playbook, and Boston food, 2022. Thanks for listening to the High Reliability Podcast.  Please visit Gosselin/Martin Associates'  Career Hub website at careers.gosselin-associates.com.See Gosselin/Martin jobs here. 

High Reliability, The Healthcare FM Podcast is brought to you by Gosselin/Martin Associates. Our show discusses the issues, challenges, and opportunities within the Facilities Management (FM) function. Today we welcome Jonathan Hunley to the show.  Jonathan is the System Director of Facilities Infrastructure for Bon Secours Mercy Health. Jonathan is based in Cincinnati, and he is responsible for the oversight and management of the Bon Secours Mercy Health Non-Threshold Infrastructure Program.  Jonathan has oversight for 35 hospitals in 4 states, totaling more than 15m square feet.This podcast covers three distinct areas, thus the episode title. Topics include: With projects ongoing in multiple hospitals in multiple states, Jonathan provides his perspective into the front lines of healthcare construction.  We discuss the current market and some interesting challenges, including lead times, budgets, labor, pricing, supply and commodities, and prefabrication;On long-range strategic planning and the use of data and analytics in the process, while leading change and creating process (27:00);Making infrastructure “sexy” to C-Level leadership, including ROI creation (40:00);What does Jonathan believe are the most important skills to possess in his system director role (47:00);On degrees, and Jonathan's thoughts, and mine, on the necessity for a degree in healthcare facility management, and why organizations may be doing themselves a disservice with global degree policies (53:00).Thanks for listening to the High Reliability Podcast.  Please visit Gosselin/Martin Associates'  Career Hub website at careers.gosselin-associates.com.See Gosselin/Martin jobs here. 

High Reliability, The Healthcare FM Podcast is brought to you by Gosselin/Martin Associates. Our show discusses the issues, challenges, and opportunities within the Facilities Management (FM) function.  Today, High Reliability welcomes Carol McCormick. Carol is the Director of Facilities, Plant Operations, & Maintenance for  CHI Health Immanuel and CHI Health Mercy in Omaha, NE. In total, Carol and her team are accountable for roughly 5 million square feet of space. For the first time on a High Reliability episode, we touch on violins and ax throwing, but also leadership, technical aptitude, the importance of communication, and an unlikely journey into facilities management. It's an enjoyable and far-ranging conversation,  with Carol offering enlightening stories from more than 40 years of leadership experience, including: Creighton Blue Jay basketball talk (2:30);Leadership roles, from imaging to facilities management (5:30); Shining the light for others on the importance of facilities, and helping staff communicate that importance through their actions (12:00);Advice for females looking to break into HCFM, and getting comfortable,  all of us, saying “I don’t know” (19:00);Managing a multi-generational workforce, and thoughts on the necessity of the college degree in HCFM leadership (32:00);Tips for working in a matrix-reporting structure (40:00). Thanks for listening to the High Reliability Podcast.  Please visit Gosselin/Martin Associates'  Career Hub website at careers.gosselin-associates.com.See Gosselin/Martin jobs here