Empowering facilities leaders to drive essential conversations with CEOs

Facilities management must first understand the critical role they play in health care in order to effectively communicate with executive leaders about the physical environment.

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Facilities leaders are on the front lines of caregiving. Our work may not be in the spotlight as often as the efforts of doctors, nurses or other health care providers, but if facilities don't operate right, caregiving is impacted.

Yet, despite the critical nature of our role, many facilities leaders hesitate to initiate difficult conversations with executive leadership. It’s time to reframe the communication with the CEO and executive leadership as a professional obligation rather than a personal risk. Effective facilities leaders do not wait for permission to speak; they prepare, educate and engage with confidence.

Chart a clear direction

The first step in fostering effective communication with hospital executives is being prepared. A big part of that is having clear, concise data that helps hospital leaders make decisions. For example, at our hospital, we maintain metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs) related to equipment condition, deferred maintenance exposure, temperature and humidity compliance, building systems uptime and infrastructure risk.

We often turn that data into narratives. How many hours do we spend fixing an ice machine versus replacing it? If my data shows that we are responding to an ice machine once a week to fix it, and we're spending “X” number of hours per week to do so, are we better off buying a new ice machine?

Read Part One

The CEO's role in fostering open dialogue with facilities management

Sometimes the data and narratives are about short-term problems — like the faulty ice machine — but equally important is the information we provide to leadership that guides long-term planning. When will the air handler need to be replaced? What's the expected lifespan of our roof? Should we consider switching to a more affordable energy source?

When I meet with our CEO, John Kutch, and other executives, I use these kinds of narratives to help them make decisions. And I always anchor my recommendations in recognized industry best practices. Guidance from organizations, such as the American Society for Health Care Engineering, when clearly tied to accrediting organization, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, National Fire Protection Association and state regulatory requirements, positions me as a strategic advisor rather than a technical specialist.

Connect to the mission

Communicating facilities needs works best when it is tied to things the executive leaders care most about, such as finances, safety, reliability, readiness and sustainability. Ultimately, I relate every issue back to patient care and organizational mission.

We recently had to upgrade the software on our badge access system, and when I discussed this process with leaders, I emphasized how it might affect caregiving. On the one hand, we needed the upgraded software for the system to run well. On the other hand, we had to shut down the system for five minutes to do the upgrade, so there were risks: If doors don't open, people don't get in, and if normally locked doors are unlocked, people may access areas they should not be in. I explained all of this in plain, non-engineering language and clarified what steps we were taking to make sure the risks were minimized. It all turned out well.

To be an effective strategic advisor, I make sure that my staff and I are up to date on the latest developments in facilities technology. We attend conferences and pay attention to industry media. We also lean on our fellow facilities leaders at other hospitals for learning. For example, we visited a partner hospital in Fargo, N.D., to investigate the application of hyperbaric chambers. We wanted to see the process and determine if hyperbaric chambers were right for us. We chose not to go down that path because the business case did not make sense for our organization, but that visit allowed us to make an informed decision.

Our CEO, John, also makes an effort to keep up on facilities developments. He attends various Joint Commission advisory boards and other professional conferences. He participates in peer benchmarking sessions and regularly walks through the hospital with me to inspect facilities elements that we have been discussing. All of that demystifies facilities challenges and builds shared understanding.

Build a resilient staff

Recruiting, training and maintaining the facilities workforce also plays a role in how our facilities department interacts with executive leaders. When we are doing things right, the CEO can rest easy knowing that the facilities department is staffed with people who do their jobs well.

One effective way we have recruited good employees is through our partnership with the local Air Force base through the Department of Defense SkillBridge Program, which helps military members transition to the civilian workforce. Service members who are near the end of their enlistments work for us for several months to learn about facilities management or other hospital-related services. Once or twice a year, someone who has participated in the program becomes a regular employee.

We also emphasize cross-training in the department. We rotate people through various buildings, especially the older buildings, so they can learn about the different systems that support a hospital. For example, we use our maintenance mechanics to perform minor pipefitting, electrical and heating, ventilating and air-conditioning duties. They might not become experts in those areas, but they will have a working familiarity.

When I discuss our staff issues with hospital leaders, I emphasize the strategic value of our in-house technical expertise and the risks associated with over-reliance on outsourcing, and I help them determine the right balance.

Effective communication between facilities leaders and CEOs bridges operational expertise and executive accountability. Facilities professionals should approach these conversations with confidence and clarity, recognizing that their insights are essential to the organization's future. When facilities leaders speak up and CEOs listen, health care organizations are better equipped to deliver safe, reliable and compassionate care, no matter the circumstances.

Chris Van Gels is vice president of facilities at Trinity Health North Dakota.