ASHE forms task force to evaluate financial impact of sustainability standards

The American Society for Health Care Engineering (ASHE) has established the Impact Analysis Task Force, a multidisciplinary group tasked with assessing the financial implications of American National Standards Institute/ASHRAE/ASHE Standard 189.3-2021, Design, Construction, and Operation of Sustainable High-Performance Health Care Facilities, and other sustainability standards affecting health care facilities.

The task force includes architects, engineers and health care facilities managers with expertise in regulatory cost analysis. Their primary objective is to identify which Standard 189.3 requirements go beyond baseline codes and to evaluate the financial impact of those requirements. The requirements will be categories by low-, medium- or high-cost. This analysis will help jurisdictions and organizations make informed decisions about adoption of Standard 189.3 and resource allocation.

The group has completed its first goal: a line-by-line review of the standard to pinpoint cost impacts. Work is now underway on the second goal to recommend revisions to the standard that would ease compliance for facilities with very limited financial resources. A third goal, focused on developing educational materials to support stakeholders, will follow. ASHE will continue to share updates as the task force progresses toward its next milestones.

ASHE Impact Analysis Task Force 

ASHE thanks task force Chair Shay Rankhorn for his leadership and guidance throughout the task force’s initial phase and all its task force members for their contributions.