Help Us Celebrate National Health Care Facilities and Engineering Week
In honor of Health Care Facilities and Engineering Week, we would like to say thank you to our Life Safety and Facilities Management team for their hard work and dedication. Often times, because these individuals work “behind the scenes” they don’t get the recognition they deserve.
As you are at work this week, take a moment as you walk down the hall and realize everything you see, feel, and use has a face behind it. The lighting, the floor you walk on, the door you open, the temperature, and the warm water to wash your hands is the beginning of a very long list to ensure your comfort. Did you know that they are also responsible for your safety? From fire and power outages to hurricanes and bomb threats, they have planned for and practiced how to keep you safe. Sure, we remember them when our office light goes out or when a toilet gets clogged but they are much more than a fix-it-person.
During these (and all other) times, healthcare workers are truly heroes. But what do we call those who have laid the foundation upon which those heroes are able to perform? May I suggest SUPERHEROES? To add a bed for a COVID patient it is not a matter of throwing a mattress in a room and putting someone in it. There is a list of items that are not just needed but must be planned for. Electrical needs, medical gases, temperature and ventilation, infectious control, and hazardous material are some of the obstacles dealt with.
These faces ensure that facilities will be open for our community and that a facility does not have significant downtime ensuring revenue continuation when things breakdown. They save us time and money, tend to our needs, and ensure all the things we take for granted every day.
Please, take this week to put names to these faces. Meet and thank your facilities personnel for all their hard work, time, and knowledge. Acknowledge them and bring them out from behind the scenes (or under your feet).