Next month we will gather in Anaheim, Calif., for our 42nd Annual Conference & Technical Exhibition, which is profiled in this issue of HFM. This means many who consider themselves members of the hospital/health care engineering profession have gathered together at this national conference since 1963. Why has this conference continued to grow throughout the years?
One reason is that we are a society of individuals who are serious about education. At our 25th conference in Grand Rapids, Mich., I apologized to a speaker who had proctored a room of 15 individuals who had chosen her lecture on the accuracy of infusion devices over a concurrent update on the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO). As I explained that the small turnout was because of the insurmountable popularity of the other program, I realized she was looking at me with a puzzled expression. When I finally gave her a chance to respond, she told me that she was happy with the turnout and that it was what she had expected--not because of the competing JCAHO update but because education was usually secondary to leisure activities at the other conferences she attended. At the upcoming conference, you will be attending classes with many peers who have the same intensity to learn as you do.
Another reason is the networking that occurs. The weight of the burdens we each carry as responsible individuals is lifted as we meet with others who share the same burdens in their daily lives. We find the affirmation we need to know the job we are doing is right, and we also pick up on ideas for doing it better, more easily or even differently. The subject areas of the conference are designed to touch every aspect of our profession to provide a base from which this networking will be generated.
We also attend to remain current in the area of regulation and to make our voices heard about what's right and wrong with the current and future direction of codes and standards. We are unique in this area in that our society not only provides us with what is current, but with the opportunity to meet many of the individuals who are our advocates in the development of these regulations. They are eager to hear from us and listen to our concerns.
Finally, a note of thanks to the committee of our peers for their excellent work in developing this year's content and especially to Bill McCully, who chaired the committee; and Kate Wickham, Ilse Almanza and the rest of the ASHE staff for their efforts in pulling it all together.
I am looking forward to seeing and meeting you next month in Anaheim.
W. Thomas Schipper, CCE, FASHE
Senior Consultant, Environment of Care
Kaiser Permanente,
Walnut Center/Parsons East
Pasadena, Calif.
Update
Resources you need at special prices
ASHE makes important educational resources available to those in the health care industry. To order any of the following, call the American Hospital Association's order services department at (800) 242-2626 or log on to www.ahaonlinestore.com:
Emergency Management Handbook. This book provides information on developing a response to an emergency, after assessing vulnerability. Catalog number: 055231, price: $85 for ASHE members, $125 for nonmembers.
Waste Management Issues for Health Care Facilities. This book covers the issues related to managing waste in a health care setting. It can be used to prepare a system for your facility. Catalog number: 055232, price: $85 for ASHE members, $125 for nonmembers.
The 2002 edition of the ASHE Fire, Electrical & Life Safety Compendium enables managers to find the requirements that impact the construction and operation of health care facilities and the people who work in them. Catalog number: 055882, price: $65 for ASHE members, $85 for nonmembers.
Preparing for the Certified Healthcare Facility Manager Exam ... A Compendium of Resources is used when preparing to take the exam. Order number: 055354, price: $75 for ASHE members, $95 for nonmembers (plus shipping).
ASHE offers career help
Career Flash, a weekly e-newsletter by ASHE, contains important information on job opportunities, and is sent to all ASHE members who have provided the society with an e-mail address. For information on ad placement, go to www.ashe.org.
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