Chicago Illinois, USA, 11 July 2018: The American Society for Healthcare Engineering (ASHE) Annual Conference and Technical Exhibition will be held from July 15 to 18 in Seattle, Washington, the organisers announced through a Press communiqué. With the theme, ‘Game Plan for the Future of Healthcare Facilities’, the programme includes business topics, compliance tactics, operational strategies, patient experience, support services,  as well as planning, design and construction, the communiqué said.

According to ASHE, the conference is expected to attract nearly 4,000 healthcare facility professionals from several leading hospitals and health systems of the United States. Attendees also can earn up to 20.5 contact hours and gain valuable tools and resources to better navigate the healthcare landscape, the communiqué said.

The communiqué said the conference is expected to provide an opportunity to meet with healthcare facility professionals and plant managers, healthcare engineers and technicians, healthcare safety and security professionals, healthcare administrators, construction and architectural and design professionals,  and others with critical roles in optimising the healthcare physical environment.

According to ASHE, the meeting will also recognise healthcare facility professionals with outstanding leadership qualities. Awards expected to be granted to ASHE members during general sessions of the conference will include the Crystal Eagle Leadership Award, Excellence in Healthcare Facility Management Award, President’s Award, Regional Leader Award, Senior (SASHE) and Fellow (FASHE) recipients, and Chapter Awards.

The communiqué said that general sessions focusing on key leadership topics include:

• Lou Holtz, legendary football coach and analyst for ESPN, will present a message that transcends athletics. He will be focusing on people and the values that make relationships and organisations excel.
• ‘Recovery: The Long Road Ahead Following a Catastrophic Event’ will include several facility professionals whose healthcare facilities have been involved recently in catastrophic events.
• ‘A Safe Healthcare Environment: Suicide, Self-Harm and Ligature-Risk Assessments’ will present a panel of experts and regulatory authorities focusing on the process of risk assessment and mitigation of behavioural health patient-safety physical risks.
• ‘Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Conditions of Participation (CoP) Interpretation Guidelines Overview’ will feature a panel of subject matter experts to provide an overview of the latest guidance issued by the CMS.
• ‘Just Ask ASHE Codes and Standards Forum’ will feature ASHE’s codes and standards experts, who will discuss emerging codes and standards issues facing healthcare facilities and offer answers to specific questions.