York Chan

Healthcare Facilities Deep Dives - Christmas lights in a hospital? In this video I cover the NFPA 101, 2012 requirements from 18/19.7.5.6 and 4.6.1.2 and share 2 recommendations for your hospital policy on Christmas lights. #NFPA101 #Regulatorycompliance #healthcarefacilities #lifesafety #ASHE #Christmaslights

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📢 Check out this post on how to get a complimentary registration to the 2025 TAHFM Annual Conference if you're a TAHFM member!

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Healthcare Facilities Minute - Episode 20 The future Facility Leaders of tomorrow are shaped today. Taking a break from my usual technical content to share a fun public service announcement. And check out the gag reel at the end 😁 #ASHE #NFPA101 #Facilitiesmanagement

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Already in the AHCA/NCAL Quality Award process using the Baldrige Excellence Framework? Don't forget to submit your ITA. Haven't started yet? Don't wait and start raising the bar at your LTC site. You'll look at your buildings differently and begin to evolve into a program of excellence opposed to a site of compliance. https://lnkd.in/gM9Mn3Q4

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Healthcare Facilities Deep Dives - Utility Systems labeling In this video I cover the TJC requirements for labeling utility system controls for partial or full emergency shutdown found in EC 02.05.01 EP9. #healthcarefacilities #facilitiesmanagement #lifesafety #regulatorycompliance #ASHE #JointCommission

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Did you know you can find out the safety of your local hospital(s) in just a few clicks by typing in your zipcode? If you're reading this and haven't heard of a Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade it's worth taking a few minutes to type in your zip code to see where your local hospital stands. Are they an "A" or are they a "D?" This can be really helpful if you're planning a procedure, or which direction to drive in an emergency. I'm sure you see billboards all around your area about how great your local hospital is (and trust me, I hope they are!) but these grades help you suss out which hospitals are putting their money where their mouth is based on surveys they complete (and some other government data). It's easy to type search by your zipcode, or to pick by city or hospital name. Give it a try, it's... revealing!

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🌟 Exciting News Alert! 🌟 Join me for an enlightening ACHC webinar series on "Physical Environment and Life Safety", starting May 16th! 🗓️💡 In today's ever-evolving healthcare landscape, ensuring safety and compliance is paramount. Join us as we delve into crucial topics surrounding the physical environment, offering insights, best practices, and strategies to confidently navigate regulatory requirements. #HealthcareSafety #LifeSafety #ACHC #WebinarSeries #Compliance #HealthcareDesign #SafetyFirst

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🚀 Exploring a New Career Venture: Maintenance Consulting 🛠 As I consider launching a interim senior living facilities maintenance/consulting venture, I envision providing comprehensive support to senior living facilities, filling/healing the gap between directors. This starts with thorough assessments of environmental operations, identifying areas for improvement and optimization. From there, I'll develop customized plans tailored to their specific needs and goals, implementing new protocols, systems, and vendors for enhanced efficiency, all while assuring the facility stays compliant and safe. But my support extends beyond process optimization as I will be helping facilities get physically organized and setting up future maintenance personnel for success. I'll also assist in finding the right candidates, hiring maintenance and housekeeping personnel by identifying individuals who are not only skilled, but aligned with the facility's culture and values. I'm curious to hear what you think about this idea. Do you believe it could bring significant value to senior living facilities? Your feedback is appreciated! #MaintenanceConsulting #SeniorLiving #ProcessOptimization #FacilityManagement #MaintenanceDirector #StaffRecruitment #BusinessIdeas #ConsultingServices #FeedbackWelcome

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🚨 Question of the Week: Are You Prepared for the Unexpected? 🚨 In the world of Hospital Emergency Management, being prepared is everything. Here’s this week’s challenge: What’s the most critical first step a healthcare facility should take during a sudden power outage? 🔌 💡 Share your thoughts below! 👇 Let’s spark a conversation and learn from each other. 💬 Your insights could help save lives and improve response strategies. Don’t forget to tag a colleague who might have the answer! #EmergencyPreparedness #HospitalSafety #CrisisManagement

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Think about it! After you’ve mastered your trade - and have money in your pocket. Get that secondary skill in college. You will probably focus on learning something you’ll enjoy and maybe complement your technical skills!

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Do you know what to do in the event of a suspected poisoning? The short answer is to contact Poison Control as there is no better resource available. Here is a short blurb on the subject. #PoisonControl #firstaid #poison

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Fall prevention alarms are commonly used as a prevention strategy despite limited evidence of effectiveness. Most falls in facilities occur in rooms and are related to ambulating from a bed, chair, or toilet without adequate assistance (Shorr 2012). As many as an estimated 90–99% of facilities use fall prevention alarms (Turner 2023). Alarming devices have long been a point of contention for residents/clients, families, staff, and regulators of facilities. This comes from beliefs on whether they are effective means of allowing staff to know that a resident/client is in an unsafe situation (Melinski 2019) Perceptions against the use of alarming devices persist as they are seen as annoying, costly, and a waste of time to the staff involved (Mileski 2019) In the home those with a personal alarm will experience positive outcomes in terms of feeling safer, more secure and being more active around their home. (Miguel 2017). Though there is no correlation to reduction of time spent on floor, number and length of hospital admissions, confidence in doing activities without falling, social isolation, or overall personal wellbeing (Miguel 2019) "The use of bed and bedside chair pressure sensors did not significantly reduce bedside falls, time to first bedside fall or prove cost effective." (Sahota 2014) There are several possible explanations for why bed and bedside chair pressure sensors do not appear to reduce falls. Potentially, although the sensors alert, caregivers are unable to respond to alarms sufficiently quickly to avert falls. (Sahota 2014) The impact of “alarm fatigue” can additionally not be overlooked (Shorr 2012) Falls Prevention alarms may hold a key to helping caregivers reduce falls. However in their current form are simply not advanced enough to act as a standalone intervention to prevent falls and they likely never will be. (Melinski 2019) "Alarms alone are relatively useless" (Melinski 2019) as an isolated intervention. In fact, there is no single thing that can be done which reduces fall rates (Melinski 2019). Fall rates which are reduced in any facility, are reduced by a multi-faceted approach to safety and by a focus of staff on keeping residents safe. For alarms to be effective, they must be part of a larger organisational change process including a much more comprehensive care plan for people who are at risk. When used as one piece of a comprehensive falls prevention plan, falls alarms could potentially be an effective element in contribution to falls safety. Albeit no body of evidence currently exists to conclusively determine this. #OccupationalTherapists will continue to prescribe falls alarms, when appropriate, as part of a larger #FallsPrevention safety program, and monitor recent literature for evidence advances on the most effective prevention strategies and #AssistiveTechnology.

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🚀 Boosting Hospital Safety and Transparency! 🚀 As a Patient Safety Director, I cannot emphasize enough the value of participating in The Leapfrog Survey. The survey results allow hospitals to showcase their strengths or identify areas for improvement to ensure better patient care. Four Changes: 1). Personalized Support: When staff download the survey, a pop-up offers to schedule a one-on-one introductory call with Leapfrog staff. 2). Expert Help Desk: The help desk team can assist with technical issues, data verification, and documentation requests. 3). Intensive Training: They now offer "boot camp" sessions for survey coordinators and healthcare leaders to deepen their understanding of Leapfrog's rating programs. 4). Follow-Up Webinars: These sessions explain how survey metrics are used to calculate the Hospital Safety Grade. Let's strive for excellence in healthcare and ensure transparency and safety for our patients. 🏥💪 #PatientSafety #HealthcareQuality #LeapfrogGroup #HospitalSurvey #HealthInnovation #SafetyFirst

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The Certified Healthcare Facility Manager (CHFM) exam modules, developed by the American Society for Healthcare Engineering (ASHE), cover various essential topics for healthcare facility managers: Compliance & Administration: This module focuses on regulatory compliance, risk management, financial management, and healthcare laws and regulations, ensuring that managers understand the legal and administrative aspects of healthcare facility management. Planning, Design & Construction: Addressing topics like facility planning, design principles, construction management, and project management, this module equips managers with the knowledge needed to oversee construction and renovation projects in healthcare facilities. Maintenance & Operations: Covering maintenance strategies, equipment management, safety systems, environmental services, and emergency preparedness, this module ensures managers can effectively maintain and operate healthcare facilities to ensure patient safety and regulatory compliance. Finance: This module delves into healthcare finance, budgeting, capital planning, financial analysis, and reimbursement methods, providing managers with the financial acumen necessary to manage healthcare facility budgets and resources effectively. Administration: Focusing on leadership, communication, human resources management, and organizational behavior, this module helps managers develop the interpersonal and managerial skills needed to lead teams and navigate the complexities of healthcare administration. Integrating a Pre-Construction Risk Assessment checklist into the Planning, Design & Construction module ensures that managers consider safety, infection control, regulatory compliance, and other critical factors from the project's inception, aligning with ASHE's emphasis on comprehensive healthcare facility management. The Joint Commission International requires that the Pre-Construction Risk Assessment checklist are met. This checklist isn't just a piece of paper; it's our trusty guide, helping us navigate the treacherous terrain of construction in the healthcare industry. From ensuring compliance with regulations to safeguarding patient care, each item on the checklist is a vital clue in our quest for success. As we tick off each box—safety protocols, infection control measures, regulatory compliance—we're not just checking boxes. We're protecting our team, our patients, and our projects from harm. This PCRA tool was so valuable in my recent project and my team acquired a new approach to healthcare project.

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This weekend, an OR fire was swiftly controlled by fire sprinklers—how prepared is your facility for emergencies? Does your staff know how to respond to this emergency scenario? Many facilities don’t drill for a fire sprinkler activation. Is your inspection, testing, and maintenance of your fire sprinkler system up to date and ready to perform as designed?

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Healthcare Facilities Minute - Episode 21 4 steps for Facilities Regulatory Readiness. Your Documents, your Bench, Rounding, & be a Learning org.

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Much to learn in this space.

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It is Aug 8th, Have You Updated Your Facility Assessment? Take a look at these highlights... 1.     Redesignation of provisions at 483.70 to standalone section at 483.71 2.     Requirement for active involvement and participation of the Governing Body, the Medical Director, The facility Administrator and Director of Nursing as well as direct care staff. The facility must also solicit input from residents, resident representatives and family members. 3.     Facility assessment to inform staff decisions and to ensure that there are sufficient staff with the appropriate competencies and skill sets necessary to care for the residents’ needs. 4.    Facility assessment to include evaluation of resident needs/acuity based on evidence based, data-driven methods. 5.     Develop and maintain a plan to maximize recruitment and retention of direct care staff. 6.     Facility assessment to inform contingency planning for events that have the potential to affect resident care. 7. QAPI data collection and monitoring systems to be based on facility assessment. Take a look at QSO Memo 24-13-NH 6/18/24 and CFR 483.71 🙂

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