CHF Fall 2021

Canadian

HealthcareFacilities JOURNAL OF CANADIAN HEALTHCARE ENGINEERING SOCIETY

Volume 41 Issue 4

Fall/Automne 2021

TORONTO HOSPITAL GETS ‘WET’

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Innovative wastewater energy transfer system to reduce facility’s emissions

2021 Awards of Excellence winners COVID’s positive impact on healthcare CHES-supported building performance project

* Results reflect the opinions of more than 300 engineers polled in a recent Webcast exit survey.

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HEALTHCARE HEALTHCARE VENTILATION SYSTEMS VENTILATION SYSTEMS What’s really in yours ?

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Labour Canada has fully “acknowledged” scopefully of Labour Canadathehas work provided inthethescope semi“acknowledged” of annual inspection program. work provided in the semiIn addition, the program. written annual inspection documentation contributes In addition, the written greatly to thecontributes hospital documentation accreditation greatly to programs. the hospital accreditation programs.

Further we are always pooling the knowledge resources Further we are always poolingof Infection Control and Engineering the knowledge resources of Groups like CHES, the ventilation Infection Control and Engineering inspection is in a constant Groups likeprogram CHES, the ventilation evolution meet future needs for inspectiontoprogram is healthcare in a constant patients evolutionand to staff. meet future healthcare needs for patients and staff.

The location and inspection the Some hospital your building audit thisofyear. of ventilation fire dampers may be part of you have already taken advantage yourofbuilding auditsoftware this year. program Some of our new youwhich have already taken advantage in conjunction with our of patented our newrobotics, softwareallows program us which in conjunction with our to minimize ceiling access patented robotics, allows us requirements. to minimize ceiling access requirements.

To date, of the thousands of fire doors inspected To date, of the thousands approximately 30% are of fire dampersaccessible inspected not humanly approximately are from traditional30% ceiling not humanly accessible access points.

Our from traditional ceiling patented robot overcomes points.allowing Our thisaccess obstacle, patented robot overcomes complete documentation of all obstacle, allowing fire this doors within the ventilation documentation all complete system. Further, of the total,of7% fire dampers within the ventilation have been found defective, blocked system.

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CONTENTS

CANADIAN HEALTHCARE FACILITIES Volume 41

Issue 4

Clare Tattersall claret@mediaedge.ca EDITOR/RÉDACTRICE

30

PUBLISHER/ÉDITEUR Kelly Nicholls kellyn@mediaedge.ca PRESIDENT/PRÉSIDENT

Kevin Brown kevinb@mediaedge.ca

SENIOR DESIGNER/ CONCEPTEUR GRAPHIQUE SENIOR

Annette Carlucci annettec@mediaedge.ca

GRAPHIC DESIGNER/ GRAPHISTE

Thuy Huynh roxyh@mediaedge.ca

PRODUCTION MANAGER/ Rachel Selbie DIRECTEUR DE rachels@mediaedge.ca PRODUCTION CIRCULATION MANAGER/ Rob Osiecki DIRECTEUR DE LA circulation@mediaedge.ca DIFFUSION

DEPARTMENTS

FACILITY MANAGEMENT & DESIGN

6

8

28 The Other Side of Crisis

COVID-19 a catalyst for positive change

Editor’s Note President’s Message

10 Chapter Reports 13 Announcements

30 Reimagining Energy Innovative technology at Toronto hospital to cut pollution

CANADIAN HEALTHCARE FACILITIES IS PUBLISHED BY UNDER THE PATRONAGE OF THE CANADIAN HEALTHCARE ENGINEERING SOCIETY. SCISS JOURNAL TRIMESTRIEL PUBLIE PAR SOUS LE PATRONAGE DE LA SOCIETE CANADIENNE D'INGENIERIE DES SERVICES DE SANTE.

CHES Canadian Healthcare Engineering Society

SCISS

Société canadienne d'ingénierie des services de santé

PRESIDENT VICE-PRESIDENT PAST PRESIDENT

CHES AWARDS

TREASURER SECRETARY

16 Rural Hospital takes Innovative Approach to Renewal

Un hôpital rural adopte une approche innovante

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Roger Holliss Craig Doerksen Preston Kostura Kate Butler Reynold Peters Donna Dennison

CHAPTER CHAIRS

Newfoundland & Labrador: Colin Marsh Maritime: Helen Comeau Ontario: Jim McArthur Quebec: Mohamed Merheb Manitoba: Reynold J. Peters Saskatchewan: Jim Allen Alberta: Mike Linn British Columbia: Norbert Fischer

20 Cultivating a Love of Learning Robert Barss dedicated to providing tools, education to support CHES members’ success 24 An Unexpected Surprise B.C. chapter comes out on top to win President’s award

FOUNDING MEMBERS

H. Callan, G.S. Corbeil, J. Cyr, S.T. Morawski CHES

4 Cataraqui St., Suite 310, Kingston, Ont. K7K 1Z7 Telephone: (613) 531-2661 Fax: (866) 303-0626 E-mail: info@ches.org www.ches.org Canada Post Sales Product Agreement No. 40063056 ISSN # 1486-2530

Chinook Regional Hospital Redevelopment and Expansion | Lethbridge

Committed to better performing buildings.

Structural Engineering Structural Restoration Building Science Parking Facility Design Structural Glass Engineering Building Energy Modelling

rjc.ca

EDITOR'S NOTE

AWARDING EXCELLENCE IT’S ALMOST HARD to believe that Ontario may not enter another lockdown in this pandemic. Two months ago, as cases began to creep up with the Delta variant in widespread circulation, I was sure the province would back-pedal on its reopening by Thanksgiving. But instead, Ontarians were given the green light to celebrate the first long weekend of fall with family and friends, so long as gatherings weren’t greater than 25 people indoors. There has been a marked difference between this COVID wave and previous ones, thanks in large part to the province’s high vaccination rate (83 per cent of the population has been fully vaccinated as of Oct. 18) and reluctance to lift restrictions like mandatory masking whilst indoors. Despite the ‘good news’ story in Ontario, the pandemic is not yet behind us, as evidenced by happenings in Alberta and Saskatchewan, due to early relaxation of public health measures that has put enormous strain on their respective healthcare systems. When it will be behind us is still anyone’s guess but experts like infectious disease specialist Dr. Isaac Bogoch say there is an end in sight.

With this in mind, CHES is moving forward with plans to host in-person events next year, both at the local and national level. This includes the 2022 International Federation of Hospital Engineering (IFHE) Congress in Toronto, which will showcase the Global Healthcare Energy Awards — the first-ever energy awards program to honour healthcare facilities for reducing their energy use. This is in addition to CHES’s annual awards of excellence.

In a series of ceremonies in late summer, each with a virtual component, the 2021 award recipients were honoured. Arnprior Regional Health was bestowed the Wayne McLellan Award of Excellence in Healthcare Facilities Management for Arnprior and District Memorial Hospital, whose facilities team embarked on an innovative, mission-critical improvement project that has resulted in both financial and energy savings. Long-time CHES member Robert Barss was recognized with the Hans Burgers Award for Outstanding Contribution to Healthcare Engineering. He has taken on numerous roles over the past 18 years with the organization, not the least among them being the lead on the creation of the Canadian Certified Healthcare Facility Manager (CCHFM) designation. The President’s Award went to CHES British Columbia for the second time since its launch.

While these awards are the main focus of this issue, other topics covered include how COVID has changed healthcare and further anticipated impacts, and Toronto Western Hospital’s new wastewater energy transfer system, as showcased on the cover.

Clare Tattersall claret@mediaedge.ca

Reproduction or adoption of articles appearing in Canadian Healthcare Facilities is authorized subject to acknowledgement of the source. Opinions expressed in articles are those of the authors and are not necessarily those of the Canadian Healthcare Engineering Society. For information or permission to quote, reprint or translate articles contained in this publication, please write or contact the editor.

Canadian Healthcare Facilities Magazine Rate Extra Copies (members only) 25 per issue Canadian Healthcare Facilities (non members) 30 per issue Canadian Healthcare Facilities (non members) 80 for 4 issues A subscription to Canadian Healthcare Facilities is included in yearly CHES membership fees.

6 CANADIAN HEALTHCARE FACILITIES

La reproduction ou l’adaptation d’articles parus dans le Journal trimestriel de la Société canadienne d’ingénierie des services de santé est autorisée à la condition que la source soit indiquée. Les opinions exprimées dans les articles sont celles des auteurs, qui ne sont pas nécessairement celles de la Société canadienne d’ingénierie des services de santé. Pour information ou permission de citer, réimprimer ou traduire des articles contenus dans la présente publication, veuillez vous adresser à la rédactrice.

Prix d’achat du Journal trimestriel Exemplaires additionnels (membres seulement) 25 par numéro Journal trimestriel (non-membres) 30 par numéro Journal trimestriel (non-membres) 80 pour quatre numéros L’abonnement au Journal trimestriel est inclus dans la cotisation annuelle de la SCISS.

PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE

THERE'S ALWAYS A WAY “COURAGE DOES NOT always roar.”

This quote by author Mary Anne Radmacher exemplifies both our healthcare industry and CHES membership. As facility managers, we are sometimes considered afterthoughts to the success of the healthcare providers we serve. But one of the positives that has come out of the COVID-19 health crisis is the heightened awareness and understanding our organizations now have for what we do and its challenges on a good day, let alone during a pandemic. True to form, we find a way. We pull another rabbit out of the hat to meet one more challenge — quietly, efficiently and professionally.

Similarly, CHES continues to make inroads despite the world’s less than ideal operating environment. Case in point: Our first wholly virtual national conference this past September.

Typically, planning for the next national conference starts in earnest on the last day of the current conference. This provides 12 months to prepare. For the 2021 conference, we held off on finalizing whether (and how) we were going to hold it until November of last year. This gave us less than 10 months to research and execute a virtual conference with no previous experience in doing so. And we did it much better than expected — quietly, efficiently and professionally. Most people have no idea how much time and effort went into this particular conference. We should be very proud of everyone who was involved in pulling this virtual event off and successfully for that matter.

The list of CHES accomplishments and progress goes on. Our medical gas training programs investment with CSA Group has experienced higher than expected enrolment. We are meeting our (modest) fiscal budget. Planning for the 2022 International Federation of Hospital Engineering (IFHE) Congress in Toronto is on track and shaping up well. All things given, a decent year with a good foundation for the next one.

I wish everyone well as we hunker down for what will hopefully be a relatively uneventful winter.

Looking forward to what should be a much better 2022.

Roger Holliss CHES National president

EARN CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDITS FROM CHES Members of the Canadian Healthcare Engineering Society can earn free continuing education units (CEU) by reading the Fall 2021 issue of Canadian Healthcare Facilities and passing a quiz based on articles in the issue. Once you’ve read the issue from cover to cover, simply go online to www.surveymonkey.com/r/2MJJP7D to take the quiz. CHES members who pass the quiz will be able to claim one contact hour (0.1 CEU) on their CanHCC or CCHFM certificate renewals.

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CHAPTER REPORTS

QUEBEC CHAPTER

CHAPITRE DU QUEBEC

Quebec’s healthcare system is under a lot of stress from the fourth COVID wave. Many restrictions are still in place and we now have the vaccination passport. The provincial government has also mandated vaccination for all healthcare workers.

The chapter held its first CHES webinar of the year on Feb. 25.

Approximately 50 people attended. The topic was ionization for HVAC systems. Since this is new technology, a panel of experts and users talked about its different usages. The webinar marked another success for the chapter and served as an example of the types of technical sessions that we can offer members.

The chapter held another webinar in late May, with approximately 40 participants. The topic covered heat exchangers.

With the 2021 CHES National (Virtual) Conference now behind us, for which we focused on inviting people to attend, the chapter is now concentrating on education topics for the fall/winter season.

The chapter executive is monitoring the COVID-19 situation across the province closely and will adapt our offerings accordingly.

Follow us on social media and regularly check the Quebec chapter page of the CHES website to stay up-to-date.

Le système de santé québécois est très sollicité par la quatrième vague de COVID. De nombreuses restrictions sont encore en place et nous avons maintenant le passeport vaccinal. Le gouvernement provincial a également imposé la vaccination à tous les travailleurs de la santé.

Nous avons tenu notre premier webinaire SCISS de l’année le 25 février. Environ 50 personnes y ont participé. Le sujet était l’ionisation pour les systèmes CVC. Comme il s’agit d’une nouvelle technologie, un panel d’experts et d’utilisateurs a parlé de ses différents usages. Ce webinaire a été un nouveau succès pour la section et a servi d’exemple des types de sessions techniques que nous pouvons proposer à nos membres.

Fin mai, la section a organisé un autre webinaire, avec environ 40 participants. Le sujet portait sur les échangeurs de chaleur.

Maintenant que la conférence nationale (virtuelle) 2021 de la SCISS est derrière nous, pour laquelle nous nous sommes concentrés sur l’invitation à participer, la section se concentre maintenant sur les sujets de formation pour la saison automne/ hiver.

Nous suivons de près la situation de COVID-19 à travers la province et nous adapterons nos offres en conséquence. Suiveznous sur les médias sociaux et consultez régulièrement la page de la section québécoise du site Web de la SCISS pour rester à jour.

—Mohamed Merheb, Quebec chapter chair

BRITISH COLUMBIA CHAPTER The record-breaking summer of 2021 is behind us but not forgotten: a heat dome settled over British Columbia, with temperatures reaching 47.9 C; more than 8,580 square kilometres of the province burned, prompting evacuations and loss of homes; the fourth wave of the pandemic hit; vaccination passports rolled out; and there were massive protests outside hospitals. The support of colleagues and our CHES family help us to continue on in our healthcare roles. Remembering and learning from the past allows us to plan and prepare for the future.

The conference planning committee is busy making preparations for the chapter’s next in-person event. To be held at the Whistler Conference Centre, June 5-7, the conference will be followed by the Canadian Healthcare Construction Course. This is tentatively booked for June 8-9.

2022 is an election year for the B.C. chapter. The following positions are open for nominations: vice-chair, secretary and treasurer. A call for nominations will go out this fall.

Alternatively, if interested in nominating a fellow member or you want to be involved with the chapter executive/ conference committee or another CHES committee, contact Steve McEwan directly.

I am pleased to announce the development of the CHES B.C. Healthcare Award. The award recognizes an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to healthcare engineering in the province. It will be presented annually at the gala banquet of the chapter conference.

—Norbert Fischer, British Columbia chapter chair 10 CANADIAN HEALTHCARE FACILITIES

—Mohamed Merheb, chef du conseil d'administration du Québec

MANITOBA CHAPTER The Manitoba chapter executive is well into planning our first in-person conference since 2019. It’s scheduled for May 16-17, at the Victoria Inn Hotel and Convention Centre in Winnipeg. Again, I'd like to thank all those who attended the chapter’s 2021 virtual conference in spring, as we managed to gain a few more members. We will again award the Facilities Management and Project Management awards at next year’s event.

The chapter executive is pleased to announce that we have filled the secretary position. Jeremy Kehler, head of maintenance for Bethesda and Ste. Anne hospitals, started his term in the role in September. He will also represent the chapter on the CHES National professional development committee.

As previously reported, the Manitoba chapter will be involved in supporting Red River College’s Building Efficiency Technology Access Centre proposal to develop a building performance evaluation tool for assessing the design and performance of existing and new long-term care facilities. More information and data will be provided in CHES’s journal, Canadian Healthcare Facilities, as the evaluation progresses over the next year. The final study will be made available to all CHES members across the country.

—Reynold J. Peters, Manitoba chapter chair

CHAPTER REPORTS

MARITIME CHAPTER

ONTARIO CHAPTER

The Maritime chapter decided to postpone this year’s fall education day due to COVID-19. It was to be held at the Best Western Glengarry in Truro, N.S., in November.

The executive team met in-person for the first time in quite a while to celebrate with Robert Barss, who received this year’s Hans Burgers Award for Outstanding Contribution to Healthcare Engineering. The award was sponsored and personally given by DuBois at the Delta Beausejour in Moncton, N.B., on Aug. 26. Robert’s passion for healthcare engineering was the driving force behind the development of the Canadian Certified Healthcare Facility Manager (CCHFM) designation and its success to date. He has taken on several CHES roles over the years and continues to show strong leadership as he has advanced the objectives of the organization.

This year’s Per Paasche bursary of $1,000 was awarded to Louis Cormier. Louis will attend the Shippagan campus of the Université du Moncton, where he will work toward his degree in health sciences. He is the son of Maritime chapter member Marc Cormier, a facility manager with Vitalité in New Brunswick.

The chapter is able to balance its books while offering financial incentives to its members in the way of student bursaries, contributions to CCHFM exam fees, webinars, the fall education day and other rebates. This year, the chapter offered members a significant discount on registration for the CHES national conference.

The Ontario chapter executive continues to meet virtually, with our most recent Zoom meeting taking place Sept. 7. Given the more transmissible delta variant of the COVID-19 virus, we decided to stop planning for a fall education day. We are looking forward to (hopefully) returning to in-person meetings in 2022. The next chapter conference will be held June 4-6, 2023, in Windsor, Ont. I’d like to thank conference planning chair Ron Durocher for heading up this event.

Planning continues for the 2022 International Federation of Hospital Engineering (IFHE) Congress in Toronto. To be held Sept. 1721, there’s now less than a year until the conference. All planning committees are now ramping up meetings to monthly. The education program and events are coming together nicely. A big thank you to everyone who is volunteering their time. It truly takes a team of passionate folks to plan such a huge event.

On behalf of the Ontario chapter, I would like to congratulate the B.C. Chapter on receiving the 2021 President’s Award, and Robert Barss from Nova Scotia for being selected as the recipient of this year’s Hans Burgers Award for Outstanding Contribution to Healthcare Engineering. Congratulations also goes to Arnprior Regional Health for its win of the Wayne McLellan Award of Excellence in Healthcare Facilities Management. I had the privilege of attending this award presentation in-person on Sept. 2, along with executive team members Jeff Weir and Larry Erwin, and our past chapter chair and current CHES National president, Roger Holliss.

—Helen Comeau, Maritime chapter chair

—Jim McArthur, Ontario chapter chair

CHES Canadian Healthcare Engineering Society

SCISS

Société canadienne d'ingénierie des services de santé

CALL FOR NOMINATIONS FOR AWARDS 2022 Hans Burgers Award for Outstanding Contribution to Healthcare Engineering DEADLINE: April 30, 2022

2022 Wayne McLellan Award of Excellence in Healthcare Facilities Management DEADLINE: April 30, 2022

To nominate: Please use the nomination form posted on the CHES website and refer to the terms of reference.

To nominate: Please use the nomination form posted on the CHES website and refer to the terms of reference.

Purpose: The award shall be presented to a resident of Canada as a mark of recognition of outstanding achievement in the field of healthcare engineering.

Purpose: To recognize hospitals or long-term care facilities that have demonstrated outstanding success in completion of a major capital project, energy efficiency program environmental stewardship program or team building exercise.

Award sponsored by

Award sponsored by

For nomination forms, terms of reference, criteria and past winners www.ches.org/About CHES/Awards Send nominations to CHES National office ches@eventsmgt.com Fax: 613-531-0626 FALL/AUTOMNE 2021 11

NEWFOUNDLAND & LABRADOR CHAPTER The Newfoundland and Labrador chapter is actively planning for 2022. At the forefront of the executive team’s efforts is developing strategies to retain and recruit members. Promoting CHES, its mission and values is also a key objective.

The chapter’s membership has seen a slight decrease. We are reaching out to all health authorities to determine the reason(s) for the decline and members’ expectations of CHES. As we have seen success with this approach, we will continue with it. The chapter recently recruited a couple new members.

The chapter is sitting in a solid financial position. Given this, we offered to pay the registration fee for any member who wanted to attend the 2021 CHES National (Virtual) Conference. Thirty people signed up. The total estimated cost of this initiative is $3,500 to $4,000.

We are currently planning for another successful professional development day. As always, there are many exciting topics and equipment, among other items, so vendors are anxious to take part. The event is tentatively booked to take place in May, at the Capital Hotel in St. John’s, Nfld.; however, this is subject to change. It will be our first face-to-face meeting in more than two years.

Also looking to the future, the chapter executive is evaluating how many members it can sponsor to attend the 2022 International Federation of Hospital Engineering (IFHE) Congress in Toronto. At home, there is much to celebrate. Many capital works projects are underway, and new hospitals and long-term care homes are being erected across the province, making for an exciting time within healthcare facilities management.

—Colin Marsh, Newfoundland & Labrador chapter chair

ALBERTA CHAPTER COVID continues to keep us busy in Alberta, where the focus has been on ensuring our facilities are able to meet patient/clinical needs. I’d like to thank everyone for their continued efforts in providing excellent support for care in our facilities.

The Alberta chapter committed to sponsoring 35 attendees to attend the 2021 CHES National (Virtual) Conference. It is expected that providing this opportunity to ‘connect’ with others across the country will help grow CHES membership within Alberta.

The chapter remains in good financial standing. The executive team continues to look for ways to support the membership the best we can. We also remain positive that next year’s chapter conference will be an in-person event, allowing members to reconnect. It will also help increase our membership.

—Mike Linn, Alberta chapter chair 12 CANADIAN HEALTHCARE FACILITIES

ANNOUNCEMENTS

CHES-SUPPORTED BUILDING PERFORMANCE PROJECT TO INFORM CRITICAL IMPROVEMENTS TO LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES A CHES MANITOBA-BACKED proposal by Red River College’s Building Efficiency Technology Access Centre (RRC BETAC) has been given the green light.

Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada’s approval of a three-year $360,000 grant paves the way for BETAC to develop a building performance evaluation (BPE) tool for assessing the design and performance of existing and new long-term care homes (LTCHs).

“A tool such as this will provide a framework for identifying any critical issues within the buildings that we manage and operate, and will assist in prioritizing repairs, upgrades and renovations,” says CHES Manitoba chapter chair, Reynold J. Peters.

BETAC’s proposal was born out of the COVID-19 pandemic’s disproportionate impact on the approximately 10,000 seniors who live in LTCHs in Manitoba, which revealed serious underlying problems in these facilities and an urgent need to rethink their design, construction and operation.

According to RRC Centre for Applied Research in Sustainable Infrastructure research professional Ken Klassen, who crafted the submission, there is a gap between anticipated and actual building performance when considering the predicted and confirmed values for energy use, greenhouse gas emissions, water consumption and indoor environmental quality.

While BPE tools like post-occupancy evaluation, or POE, already exist to understand these performance gaps, Klassen says they concentrate primarily on basic attributes, such as ambience, interior layout, assistive measures, orientation and wayfinding, rather than building design, construction and operation factors that impact human health and wellness of occupants. As a result, there is a lack of real data regarding the performance of buildings in the LTCH sector.

To this end, BETAC will develop and then pilot better tools to advance the knowledge and application of BPEs in LTCHs. Application of these tools will enable governments, private and public long-term care organizations, as well as the building industry to make improved evidence-based decisions for the future design, retrofit and/or renovation, operation and maintenance of LTCHs. “For facility managers, their needs are rapidly changing as healthcare environments increase in complexity due to COVID-19 and other issues,” says RRC BETAC business development manager, Rob Spewak. “As overall healthcare costs rise, pressure increases on budgets to operate and upgrade buildings and their systems. Because of this intense competition for resources, there is much to be gained from a systematic analysis of how well buildings perform to optimize their operation.”

The pilot project’s methodology and work plan consists of four primary tasks to be completed over a three-year period, beginning in June of this year: review policies, standards and guidelines; develop building performance KPIs (key performance indicators) and protocols specific to LTCHs; pilot and demonstrate a new and improved BPE for LTCHs; and conduct technology transfer and knowledge dissemination.

What’s innovative about this project is the development of an interdisciplinary approach to BPEs of LTCHs through the training of highly qualified personnel from RRC’s School of

Skilled Trades and Technology and School of Heath Sciences and Community Services to collaborate in establishing KPIs, and collecting and analyzing building performance data and its impact on building occupants.

“Students from RRC are working in tandem with industry partners, which gives them a unique opportunity to develop their skill sets as they relate to industry and other program areas,” says the college’s executive director of academic, Arnold Boldt. “The project not only provides them with applied knowledge for their future careers but students are also getting the opportunity to help improve the lives of older adults in the community.”

Another innovation is the development of flexible, scalable BPE tools to accommodate varying levels of building performance assessment tailored to a facility’s size, complexity and access to technical and financial resources. This will address a limitation in existing POEs for LTCHs that use a one-size-fits-all approach.

CHES Manitoba is assisting with the identification and selection of LTCHs for indoor air quality monitoring and piloting of the new BPE tool, as well as the installation of the equipment itself, among other supportive activities. The chapter has also committed to provide feedback on the formatting and usability of building performance reports created as part of the pilot portion of the project. Total in-kind contributions from CHES Manitoba for professional, technical and maintenance staff are estimated to be $15,000.

“Being involved in this process will facilitate our involvement in the design of new facilities,” says Peters. “CHES Manitoba is also well-positioned to mobilize solutions that will arise from the project, as the association works with and has access to all 127 of Manitoba’s licensed LTCHs.” In addition to CHES, project partners include Winnipeg-based architectural design firm fT3, Efficiency Manitoba, SMS Engineering Ltd., Pinchin Ltd., the University of Manitoba and iiSBE Canada, a non-profit organization whose overall aim is to actively facilitate and promote the adoption of policies, methods and tools to accelerate the movement toward a sustainable built environment.

BETAC staff, industry partners and RRC students are currently working on the first phase of the building performance project.

FALL/AUTOMNE 2021 13

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Tips for electrostatic sprayer system success Electrostatic technology in healthcare Electrostatic spray technology is an exciting new application in surface disinfection.1,2 Particularly given the COVID-19 pandemic, this is now a quickly growing area, and there is a lot of information out there, it may seem challenging to adopt this new technology as part of your disinfection protocol. But we’re here to help. Here are some tips to help you make sure that the electrostatic sprayer system (ESS) is a success in your healthcare facility.

Education is key ESS are available in a range of formats, including carts, backpacks, and handheld systems, which can be corded or cordless. 3,4 The type of space you will be disinfecting with the ESS can help you decide on which format is best for your facility – or if you require more than one type of ESS. For example, if you have a large space to disinfect, and ergonomics is a factor, you might choose a cart format. If you need to navigate a crowded space, and would enjoy hands-free mobility, you could consider a backpack format ESS. If you are disinfecting smaller areas and need mobility, the convenience of a handheld system may be right for you.

Once you have selected a system, you can also access online training or educational materials to help train operators in the proper use of the ESS. Many manufacturers of ESS systems or manufacturers of disinfectants designed for use with ESS offer these resourcesdo check them out!

Ensure that you are using a disinfectant that is Health Canada-approved for electrostatic use When deciding on a disinfectant cleaner to use with your electrostatic sprayer, it is important to choose disinfecting products that are Health Canada-approved for use through electrostatic sprayers.5,6 The latest information from Health Canada regarding Disinfectants applied via Electrostatic Sprayers indicates that the products used must be approved by Health Canada (i.e., have a DIN), and the Direction for Use (DFU) on the label must state “Electrostatic Sprayer” (ES) as a method of disinfection. 5,6 Moreover, on Health Canada’s list of disinfectants with evidence for use against COVID-19, please check that the disinfecting product is approved for product form “electrostatic spray”.6

Select your disinfectant based on area type In healthcare settings there are a number of different areas where you can use an electrostatic sprayer, including patient rooms, lobbies and waiting rooms, and the cafeteria and kitchen.1 Once you have identified the list of disinfectants that are Health Canada-approved for use with an ESS, consider using more than one product based on the disinfection needs of each of these areas. For example, a sporicidal product can be used where C. difficile spore is a concern, a product designed to be safe on food contact surfaces in the cafeteria, or a more general disinfectant for the lobby or waiting rooms.1

Develop a protocol for ESS A clear and easy-to-understand protocol can help ensure that ESS is successful in your facility. When setting up your protocol, consider the following:

• It is not recommended to use the ESS while room occupants are present.

Check the contact time and reentry time requirements to protect bystanders.1

• Ensure that you have an adequate supply of the appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) for your ESS operators. You can check the PPE requirements based on the product label, safety data sheet (SDS) and WHMIS label of the disinfectant.1

Always remove visible soil before disinfecting a surface using your ESS. If there is no visible soil, the ESS can be used for one-step disinfection.

For best results: Follow a spraying strategy • Electrostatic spray is attracted to surfaces and objects, but for best results direct the spray at your target surfaces, not just the air.1 • Check the instructions on your ESS to identify how far away you should stand from the surface you are spraying for best results – this is different for every type of sprayer. You want surfaces to be visibly wet for the appropriate contact time for your disinfectant. 3 • Follow a pattern when you spray the room so you don’t miss spots on the surface.

• Spray slowly in a side-to-side motion and work from top to bottom to ensure complete coverage. 3 • Start in a spot farthest from the door and work back to the door in the room you are spraying.

• Check for surface compatibility before spraying.1 You may want to wipe down surfaces such as glass or electronics after the contact time has been achieved to remove visible residue.

CloroxPro® has a range of chemistries approved for use in ESS3 Clorox Healthcare® Spore Defense™ Cleaner Disinfectant (DIN: 02494663) formula contains a low level of bleach (0.25% sodium hypochlorite). Spore Defense™ kills influenza, norovirus, VRE, MRSA, and SARS-CoV-2 in 1 minute, and C. difficile in 5 minutes. The non-corrosive, non-abrasive formula is compatible with a wide variety of hard surfaces in healthcare facilities and can be used even in patient settings like isolation areas, emergency rooms, patient rooms, restrooms, patient transport equipment and emergency vehicles.

Learn more about the products in the Clorox Total 360® ESS family at CloroxPro.ca

© 2021 The Clorox Company

References: 1. Velez K. Electrostatic technology: A new method for surface disinfection. CloroxPro Canada, December 7, 2020. 2. Velez K. Evaluating Electrostatic Sprayers for Surface Disinfection. CloroxPro Canada. 2020. 3. CloroxPro Canada. Clorox Total 360® System. https://www.cloroxpro.ca/ products/clorox/total-360/. Accessed July 7, 2021. 4. CloroxPro Canada. Clorox TurboPro™ Handheld Electrostatic Sprayer. https://www.cloroxpro.ca/products/clorox/turbopro/. Accessed July 7, 2021. 5. CloroxPro Canada. Data on file. Dec 18, 2020. [Health Canada response to S. Coombs].

6. Government of Canada. Hard-surface disinfectants and hand sanitizers (COVID-19): List of disinfectants with evidence for use against COVID-19. Canada https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/drugs-health-products/disinfectants/covid-19/list.html. Accessed April 22, 2021.

RURAL HOSPITAL TAKES INNOVATIVE APPROACH TO RENEWAL Un hôpital rural adopte une approche innovante

16 CANADIAN HEALTHCARE FACILITIES

CHES AWARDS

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ocated steps from the Ottawa River just a 45-minute drive northwest of the nation’s capital is Arnprior and District Memorial Hospital. Built in the early 1960s, the 44-bed facility services the rural town of Arnprior, Ont., as well as residents of West Ottawa, McNab/Braeside and portions of Mississippi Mills. While small in size, its people are big at heart and dedicated to ensuring exemplary care is delivered at all times. This led the hospital’s facilities team to embark on a mission-critical improvement project that garnered the health authority, Arnprior Regional Health (ARH), this year’s Wayne McLellan Award of Excellence in Healthcare Facilities Management.

“It’s nice to be recognized for our efforts,” says John Gruno, manager of facilities for ARH. Especially after the project was among the 2020 shortlisted finalists.

Proud of what his team had accomplished, Gruno submitted it again for consideration and this time ARH came out on top. The award was formally presented in-person at ARH by CHES Ontario on Sept. 2.

In addition to the accolades and trophy, the health authority received $2,000 to support ongoing sustainability education and leadership within the environmental services department.

Though completed in 2019, the capital project actually dates back to 2015. This is when the hospital’s facilities team, led by Gruno, developed a five-year strategic facility renewal plan to identify and address aspects of the building’s systems that were underperforming and near or at the end of their useful life, resulting in a suboptimal healing environment. It included two large 45-year-old steam boilers that were starting to fail and had high annual operating costs, as well as HVAC systems that were in decline and made it difficult to control interior temperatures and humidity. Most of the rooftop air handling units and makeup air units also needed to be replaced.

“The hospital required several millions of dollars in building system replacement and repairs as imminent breakdown was likely,” says Gruno.

Several technical and financial options were considered for making the improvements. Because capital funding for small rural hospitals to undergo system replacement projects of this magnitude was not readily available at that time, the facilities department had to think outside the box and settled on a performance contract whereby long-term savings would be used as today’s capital. The team developed an energy management plan that addressed part of the financing issue by completing a number of building effi-

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’hôpital Arnprior and District Memorial est situé à quelques pas de la rivière des Outaouais, à 45 minutes de route au nordouest de la capitale nationale. Construit au début des années soixante, l’établissement de 44 lits dessert la ville rurale d’Arnprior, en Ontario, ainsi que les résidents d’Ottawa Ouest, McNab/Braeside et certaines parties de Mississippi Mills. Bien que peu nombreux, son personnel a un grand cœur et se consacre à la prestation de soins exemplaires à tout moment. Cela a conduit l’équipe chargée des installations de l’hôpital à se lancer dans un projet d’amélioration essentiel qui a valu à l’autorité sanitaire, Arnprior Regional Health (ARH), de recevoir cette année le prix Wayne McLellan d’excellence en gestion des installations de soins de santé.

“C’est agréable d’être reconnu pour nos efforts,” déclare John Gruno, directeur des installations d’ARH. Surtout après que le projet ait figuré parmi les 2020 finalistes présélectionnés. Fier de ce que son équipe avait accompli, Gruno l’a soumis à nouveau pour examen et, cette fois, c’est ARH qui l’a emporté. Le prix a été officiellement présenté en personne à ARH par CHES Ontario le 2 septembre. En plus des honneurs et du trophée, l’autorité sanitaire a reçu $2,000 pour soutenir l’éducation et le leadership en matière de durabilité au sein du département des services environnementaux.

Bien qu’achevé en 2019, le projet d’investissement remonte en fait à 2015. C’est à ce moment-là que l’équipe chargée des installations de l’hôpital, dirigée par Gruno, a élaboré un plan stratégique quinquennal de renouvellement des installations afin d’identifier et de traiter les aspects des systèmes du bâtiment qui n’étaient pas performants et qui étaient proches de la fin de leur vie utile ou qui l’étaient déjà, ce qui entraînait un environnement de guérison sous-optimal. Il comprenait deux grandes chaudières à vapeur vieilles de 45 ans qui commençaient à tomber en panne et dont les coûts d’exploitation annuels étaient élevés, ainsi que des systèmes CVC en déclin qui rendaient difficile le contrôle des températures et de l’humidité intérieures. La plupart des unités de traitement de l’air sur le toit et des unités d’air d’appoint ont également dû être remplacées.

“L’hôpital avait besoin de plusieurs millions de dollars pour le remplacement et la réparation des systèmes du bâtiment, car une panne était imminente,” explique Gruno.

Plusieurs options techniques et financières ont été envisagées pour réaliser ces améliorations. Étant donné qu’à l’époque, les petits FALL/AUTOMNE 2021 17

CHES AWARDS

LEFT TO RIGHT: Jeff Weir, Jamie Waite, Angelo Lazaris, John Gruno, Roger Holliss, Guy Bourbonniere, Larry Erwin, Jim McArthur and Rick Bell.

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ciency projects, such as upgrading water systems, installing lowflow toilets and eco-friendly faucets, converting more than 1,400 lighting fixtures to LEDs and sealing outside windows. ARH then used a combination of reserve funds, grants, incentives and a private loan to cover the remainder of the $4.24 million project costs.

This allowed the hospital to continue to make purchases of muchneeded patient-serving medical equipment like cardiac monitoring devices, operating room towers and mobile X-ray machines.

“It was no simple exercise and required cooperation among finance, clinical and facilities leaders, ARH’s board, legal experts, a lender and our project partner, Trane,” says Gruno.

Trane was selected through a competitive procurement process and in 2017 the old steam boilers were replaced with three natural gas-fired, high-efficiency hot water boilers. ARH worked closely with Trane to plan and coordinate the upgrade, which resulted in the new heating plant being fabricated and tested off-site, after which it was installed just outside the then-existing plant — all within just a matter of months. This made it easier to cut over to the new heating system.

“The alternative was to chop up one boiler at a time, take off the roof of the physical plant and get a crane to lift the parts out, which would have been an enormous task that wouldn’t have been pleasant in winter. We were also afraid that once we chopped up one boiler, the other would fail and we’d be in a real dilemma,” explains Gruno.

“Instead, we found a contractor that constructs boilers inside a steel container and we just had to tie them into the building. When we switched off the old boilers and flipped on the new ones it was seamless to our users and there was basically no service interruption.”

With the new hot water plant, steam loss is no longer an issue and water consumption has dropped 95,000 gallons annually, resulting in a total savings of just over $38,000 based on international performance monitoring and verification protocols (IPMVP). The boilers 18 CANADIAN HEALTHCARE FACILITIES

hôpitaux ruraux ne disposaient pas de fonds d’investissement pour des projets de remplacement de systèmes de cette ampleur, le service des installations a dû sortir des sentiers battus et a opté pour un contrat de performance misant sur les économies à long terme. L’équipe a élaboré un plan de gestion de l’énergie qui a permis de résoudre une partie du problème de financement en menant à bien un certain nombre de projets d’efficacité énergétique des bâtiments, tels que la modernisation des systèmes d’eau, l’installation de toilettes à faible débit et de robinets écologiques, la conversion de plus de 1,400 appareils d’éclairage D.E.L. et l’étanchéisation des fenêtres extérieures.

ARH a ensuite utilisé une combinaison de fonds de réserve, de subventions, d’incitations et un prêt privé pour couvrir le reste des coûts du projet de $4.24 millions. L’hôpital a ainsi pu continuer à acheter des équipements médicaux indispensables aux patients, tels que des moniteurs cardiaques, des tours de bloc opératoire et des appareils de radiographie mobiles.

“L’exercice n’a pas été simple et a nécessité une coopération entre les responsables des finances, des cliniques et des installations, le conseil d’administration de l’ARH, des experts juridiques, un prêteur et notre partenaire de projet, Trane,” explique Gruno.

Trane a été sélectionné dans le cadre d’une procédure de passation de marché concurrentielle et, en 2017, les anciennes chaudières à vapeur ont été remplacées par trois chaudières à eau chaude à haut rendement alimentées au gaz naturel. ARH a travaillé en étroite collaboration avec Trane pour planifier et coordonner la mise à niveau, ce qui a permis de fabriquer et de tester la nouvelle installation de chauffage hors site, puis de l’installer juste à côté de l’installation existante, le tout en quelques mois seulement. Cela a facilité le passage au nouveau système de chauffage.

“L’alternative était de découper une chaudière à la fois, d’enlever le toit de la chaufferie et d’obtenir une grue pour sortir les pièces, ce

CHES AWARDS

“THE HOSPITAL REQUIRED SEVERAL MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN BUILDING SYSTEM REPLACEMENT AND REPAIRS AS IMMINENT BREAKDOWN WAS LIKELY.” “L’HÔPITAL AVAIT BESOIN DE PLUSIEURS MILLIONS DE DOLLARS POUR LE REMPLACEMENT ET LA RÉPARATION DES SYSTÈMES DU BÂTIMENT, CAR UNE PANNE ÉTAIT IMMINENTE.” have reduced stack emissions and greenhouse gases by 240 tonnes, and the hospital’s seasonal efficiency has increased to 90 per cent from 68 per cent. More than $50,000 per year has also been saved in emergency repairs and parts.

Trane had provided a guarantee of project savings and would compensate ARH as well as remedy the reason for any shortfall.

Savings have been above expectation, with excess re-invested in other elements of the facility.

The second phase of the project, from 2017 to 2019, involved upgrading the humidifier and most of the air handling and makeup air units, and the addition of modern building automation controls. The updated HVAC systems, combined with other energy efficiency upgrades like lighting and water, have saved $95,375, using IPMVP. Annual utility savings are 705,021 kilowatt hours, 121,516 cubic metres (m3) of gas and 6,141 m3 of water.

“Prior to this program, we had many comfort and heat supply problems, parts and support were more than eight hours away, and our facility did not have a useful automation system for heating, cooling and ventilation, which was impacting maintenance staff time and stakeholder complaints,” says Gruno. “Now, not only Biomedical_CHF_Winter_2017_FINAL.pdf 1 2017-10-23 4:45 PM have we renewed our equipment and systems to improve comfort and workplace efficiency, but we have also used ‘waste’ in the utility budget to help pay for it. The environment is also now monitored around the clock to ensure performance.”

qui aurait été une tâche énorme qui n’aurait pas été agréable en hiver. Nous avions également peur qu’une fois une chaudière démantelée, l’autre tombe en panne et que nous soyons confrontés à un véritable dilemme,” explique Gruno. “Au lieu de cela, nous avons trouvé un entrepreneur qui construit des chaudières à l’intérieur d’un conteneur en acier et nous avons juste eu à les relier au bâtiment. Lorsque nous avons éteint les anciennes chaudières et allumé les nouvelles, nos utilisateurs n’ont eu aucun problème et il n’y a eu pratiquement aucune interruption de service.”

Grâce à la nouvelle installation à eau chaude, la perte de vapeur n’est plus un problème et la consommation d’eau a diminué de 95,000 gallons par an, ce qui représente une économie totale d’un peu plus de $38,000, selon le protocole international de mesure et de vérification de la performance énergétique (PIMVPE). Les chaudières ont permis de réduire les émissions et les gaz à effet de serre de 240 tonnes, et l’efficacité saisonnière de l’hôpital est passée de 68% à 90%. Plus de $50,000 par an ont également été économisés en réparations d’urgence et en pièces détachées.

Trane avait fourni une garantie des économies réalisées dans le cadre du projet et s’engageait à dédommager ARH ainsi qu’à remédier à la raison de tout manque à gagner. Les économies réalisées ont dépassé les attentes, et les excédents ont été réinvestis dans d’autres éléments de l’installation.

La deuxième phase du projet, de 2017 à 2019, a consisté à moderniser l’humidificateur et la plupart des unités de traitement de l’air et d’air d’appoint, ainsi qu’à ajouter des commandes modernes d’automatisation du bâtiment. Les systèmes CVC modernisés, combinés à d’autres améliorations de l’efficacité énergétique comme l’éclairage et l’eau, ont permis d’économiser $95,375, grâce à au PIMVPE. Les économies annuelles de services publics sont de 705,021 kilowattheures, 121,516 mètres cubes (m3) de gaz et 6,141 m3 d’eau.

“Avant ce programme, nous avions de nombreux problèmes de confort et d’approvisionnement en chaleur, les pièces et l’assistance étaient à plus de huit heures de route, et notre installation ne disposait pas d’un système d’automatisation utile pour le chauffage, le refroidissement et la ventilation, ce qui avait un impact sur le temps du personnel de maintenance et les plaintes des parties prenantes,” conclut Gruno. “Aujourd’hui, non seulement nous avons renouvelé nos équipements et nos systèmes pour améliorer le confort et l’efficacité du lieu de travail, mais nous avons également utilisé les surplus du budget des services publics pour contribuer au financement.

En outre, l’environnement est désormais surveillé 24 heures sur 24 pour garantir les performances.”

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CHES AWARDS

A LOVE OF LEARNING Robert Barss dedicated to providing tools, education to support CHES members’ success

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20 CANADIAN HEALTHCARE FACILITIES

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obert Barss is a name few people, if any, don’t know in the field of healthcare engineering, at least in Canada. A long-time member of the Canadian Healthcare Engineering Society (CHES) who has taken on numerous leadership roles at both the local and national levels over the past 18 years, it is not unexpected that Barss was chosen as this year’s recipient of the Hans Burgers Award for Outstanding Contribution to Healthcare Engineering by his CHES peers, though he did not anticipate the recognition himself.

“I was both surprised and honoured when informed,” says Barss. “There are many individuals within the CHES family that are deserving and I am humbled to have been the one selected.”

Barss joins a long list of award winners that includes Phil Langford, who introduced him to the organization in 2003. At that time, Barss had just been hired as project manager for the construction of the Women’s and Children’s Wellness Centre at South Shore Regional Hospital in Bridgewater, N.S. — his first job in the healthcare sector. Prior to this, he worked as an electrical technician at the Department of National Defence where he repaired and retrofitted submarines, naval destroyers and land-based facilities, and then as senior supervisor of operations and maintenance for the country’s largest fish processing company, National Sea Products, which later changed its name to High Liner Foods.

It was here that Barss was approached about the role with the local health authority that involved overseeing a renovation at the hospital, including the creation of an airborne isolation room/wing, paediatric

Robert Barss joined by his wife, Peggy, and son, Joey, with daughter-in-law, Lee (left), as well as daughter, Karen, and son-in-law, Matt (right). Noticeably absent is his son, Andrew, and daughter-in-law, Allison, who were unable to attend the award presentation as they just welcomed Robert's sixth grandchild.

in-patient unit, obstetric clinic, and sleep therapy and chemotherapy departments, with the prospect of taking over for the retiring facility manager upon project completion.

“After much deliberation, I made the change and haven’t looked back,” says Barss.

Moving from the food industry to healthcare presented its share of challenges.

But given many of the maintenance and operations concepts are similar and the thenSouth Shore Regional Health Authority (the province’s nine district health authorities have since merged to form Nova Scotia Health) sponsored Barss for numerous education programs to assist with his growth, the transition was relatively seamless. It was made even more so with the help of CHES. “I was quick to realize the value the

organization provided to its members, especially the professional development for facilities staff to ensure their knowledge of the healthcare environment is current with the many changing standards, codes and best practices,” says Barss.

He also came to understand and appreciate the countless hours CHES’s leadership team and other volunteers put into providing the tools that the organization’s membership needs to be successful, as well as the difficulty volunteer organizations have with recruiting and maintaining support. Wanting to make a positive difference and contribute to the development of CHES, Barss joined the national board first as secretary and then treasurer, and got involved with various committees, including those dedicated to

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CHES AWARDS

“I WAS QUICK TO REALIZE THE VALUE THE ORGANIZATION PROVIDED TO ITS MEMBERS, ESPECIALLY THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR FACILITIES STAFF TO ENSURE THEIR KNOWLEDGE OF THE HEALTHCARE ENVIRONMENT IS CURRENT WITH THE MANY CHANGING STANDARDS, CODES AND BEST PRACTICES.”

professional development, conference planning and healthcare standards. In 2015, he took a more active role at the local level, serving as CHES Maritime chair until 2017. Over this two-year period, the chapter’s finances increased to $43,000 from $12,000, its annual conference and trade show was opened up to general maintenance staff and an associate member was added to the executive team. CHES Maritime also won its first President’s award in 2015 under his leadership, an honour it has been bestowed twice since, in both 2019 and 2020, making it one of just two chapters to achieve such a feat.

“A small chapter winning this award shows the dedication of the executive and its members,” says Barss, who is presently vicechair, a role he has held since 2017.

Of all his CHES-related accomplishments, Barss is most proud of his role in the development of the Canadian Certified Healthcare Facility Manager (CCHFM) designation, though many consider him the driving force behind its creation. The first-of-its-kind certification program is loosely modelled after the A merican Society for Healthcare Engineering’s Certified Healthcare Facility Manager designation, which he and only three other CHES members (Michael McRitchie, George Pankiw and Gordon Burrill) had obtained at that time. The foursome formed an advisory panel and led by Barss, investigated, collaborated and planned to bring the program to fruition. That goal was met in June 2015, with its launch.

“Certification demonstrates a facility manager has obtained the necessary education and experience to qualify as an elite professional in their field,” says Barss.

The CCHFM program is designed to test a well-def ined body of knowledge representative of professional practice in healthcare facilities management in Canada.

22 CANADIAN HEALTHCARE FACILITIES

The exam is composed of 100 multiple choice questions that cover five broad topics, each weighted differently: compliance (25 per cent); planning, design and construction (18 per cent); maintenance and operations (28 per cent); finance (15 per cent); and administration (14 per cent). It can be taken at one of 14 testing centres located across the country or through an online proctoring service. A minimum grade of 70 per cent is required to pass.

To maintain the hard-earned credential, CCHFM certificate holders must either successfully pass the exam again prior to the designation’s three-year expiration date or complete 45 contact hours of continuing professional education (CPE). Eligible CPE activities include attending or teaching academic courses, completing online courses and partaking in professional organization conferences.

So far, a total of 13 CHES members have obtained the designation.

“With time, we anticipate certification will become standard practice across the country as it provides a level of comfort to patients, families and hospital staff to know the buildings where they heal, visit and work are overseen by proven, competent individuals,” says Barss, who acknowledges he has a personal stake in the program’s success and would like to see it continue to grow and become a thriving part of the CHES structure.

In terms of professional achievements, the Hans Burgers award ranks at the top of a long list as the most “satisfying experience,” says Barss. Others include introducing technological advancements, such as a patient wandering and child abduction system to hospitals on the south shore of Nova Scotia, the first in the Maritimes.

Within two years of accepting his first job as project manager with the South Shore

District Health Authority (2003-2005), Barss moved on to become manager of plant and support services (2005-2009). From there, he became director of engineering and facilities management (2009-2016) and finally manager of environmental stewardship and accountability for Nova Scotia Health, a position he still holds to this day.

During his career, he has championed and developed energy conservation initiatives and programs, and educated staff on various recycling and waste reduction strategies.

Presently, he is working with MCW Consultants Ltd. and EfficiencyOne on finalizing a series of energy audits of regional, tertiary and community hospitals. An energy master plan that he has overseen for the health authority is also nearing completion.

“Knowing that the work we accomplish will not only improve efficiencies with the facilities but will also contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gases and a better future for the next generations gives me great satisfaction,” he says.

When not busy at work and with CHES, both of which bring him great joy, Barss relishes a simple life in the community he grew up in, Rose Bay, with his wife and high school sweetheart, Peggy. He enjoys spending time with his three kids and their families, especially his six active grandchildren, and going to his camp, Dar morza (Polish for gift of the sea) — a fisherman’s shack at his late parents’ summer home on Bells Cove. A boat lover himself, fishing and cruising amongst the islands off the Lahave River are also favourite pastimes, as is beekeeping at home where he has a small apiary and tending to his gardens, though he wouldn’t call the latter a hobby.

“It’s more of a frustrating exercise in keeping the deer population fed,” he laughs.

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their premises reasonably safe for those who enter it. But what about when an individual commits assault while at one of these meetings? Should the occupier or organizer of the

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shareholders, town hall, or any similar type of meeting) can attest to the tension that often arises. The law is clear that occupiers have a duty to maintain

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Anyone who has ever been to a board meeting (or a partners,

In Omotayo v. Da Costa, 2018, the defendant occupier, Metro Toronto Condominium Corporation 1292 (MTCC 1292), was successful in dismissing the plaintiff’s claim and the assailant’s crossclaim when a member in attendance at a condominium board meeting struck another meeting attendee with a chair.

Justice Nishikawa found that the duty the condominium corporation owed to the plaintiff did not include preventing an assault that occurred during their condominium board meeting.

Facts of the case T he plaintif f, J ac queline O mot ayo, was a resident and former chair of the condominium corporation. The defendant, Jose Da Costa, was also a resident and former president of the condominium corporation. An emergency board meeting was held on Oct. 4, 2011, to discuss the future organization of the board as Ms. Omotayo had recently been removed from her position as chair and Mr. Da

By Steven Chester

SERVING THE FACILIT Y CLE ANING & MAINTENANCE INDUSTRY

Let’s face it, we all want our businesses to be social media rock stars, and we know it ain’t easy.

It’s becoming more prevalent that some of the most popular social media platforms have been infiltrated by those who game the system.

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New services are also popping up that allow authentic social media accounts to become part of the bot game. By signing up for the service, the user authorizes their account to automatically like, follow and randomly comment on other users’ posts, and in turn they trade that fake engagement with other users. Sound harmless enough? The thing is you have no say in in the message your account is spreading or where it ends up.

CARING FOR FRAGILE FLOORS

Summary judgment motion udgment m positi MTCC took the position that its duty w is confined confine to the physical under the law condition of the premises premise and foreseeable e unforese risks, not the unforeseeable conduct of individuals in attendan attendance. Meanwhile, Mr. Da Costa that MTCC 1292’s a argued th s to having rules of conduct duty extends s, policies re for meetings, relating to abusive l an gu a g e, thre at s aan d intimid atin g d a duty to h behavior, and hire and supervise competent professional professionals to oversee its luding, if appropriate, ap business (including, security Cos further argued personnel). Mr. Da Costa ult was foreseeable fore that the assault given the M quarrelsome nature of MTCC 1292’s board nd a prior unrelated u meetings and incident involving the plaintiff and another member of MTCC 1292 wherein the police was 292 wherei called. ng her dec In reaching decision, Justice Nishikawa looked Coleiro v. Premier ooked to C s where summary sum Fitness Clubs judgment d in favour of the defendant was granted

MALL GERMS: TOP FIVE HOT SPOTS

Ask yourself this: What’s more important, having 50,000 cosmetic followers, or having

500 followers who are in your target market REMEDYING FOUR that actually want to hear from you?

COMMON CARPET As a consumer, it’s even simpler, as PROBLEMS deceptive tactics are easy to spot. If you’re using underhanded methods to promote your business, this can be viewed as a reflection of your product or service. Your integrity is at stake.

This is one of the more complex topics that can’t be fully covered in this space. As always, I invite you to stay social and continue the conversation on Twitter at @Chestergosocial where I’ll share a link to the full article.

SCENT OF

SUCCESS Steven Chester is the Digital Media Director of MediaEdge Communications. With 15 years’ experience in cross-platform communications, Steven helps companies expand their reach through social media and other digital initiatives. To contact him directly, email gosocial@mediaedge.ca.

www.REMInetwork.com | June 2018 15

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CHES AWARDS

AN UNEXPECTED SURPRISE B.C. chapter comes out on top to win President’s award

LEFT TO RIGHT: B.C. chapter executive members Rick Molnar, Steve McEwan, Doug Davis, Sarah Thorn, Norbert Fischer, Mitch Weimer and Mark Swain. (Missing from photo are team members Arthur Buse and Caroline Reid.)

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wenty months into the COVID19 public health crisis and much is the same but different. British Columbia, like other provinces, is battling another wave of infections and struggling with hospital capacity once again. Yet healthcare professionals are no longer viewed as the unsung heroes of the pandemic. Instead, they are being threatened and harassed by scores of people gathering outside hospitals to protest government restrictions and vaccine mandates. In spite of these added challenges, those working on the frontlines and behind-the-scenes continue to show up and rise above the call of duty to ensure the highest quality of care is pro-

24 CANADIAN HEALTHCARE FACILITIES

vided at their facilities. This is in part due to their unwavering commitment to their chosen career path. It is also thanks to the encouragement of colleagues and professional organizations like the Canadian Healthcare Engineering Society (CHES), which provides programs and support that creates a stronger community and helps its members face whatever lays ahead.

“CHES has been a stable organization in the 20 months of great changes to healthcare practices,” says B.C. chapter chair, Norbert Fischer. “The sharing of information and lessons learned has been invaluable.”

So, too, have been the efforts of the chapter executive, which has spent the past

year diligently working on behalf of the membership to deliver value in new and perhaps even unexpected ways given in-person interactions have come to a near halt. Their accomplishments, among other endeavours, garnered CHES B.C. the 2021 President’s Award, which came as a shock to the chapter chair.

“I was in disbelief when I found out,” says Fischer, adding the chapter was narrowly nudged out by CHES Maritime and Ontario in recent years.

This is the second time the B.C. chapter has been bestowed the recognition. The first was in 2014, when the President’s award launched.

“It was ver y encouraging news,

especially with everything else we’ve gone through of late,” says Fischer.

News that was welcomed not just by the chapter chair but the entire executive team, including Sarah Thorn, Rick Molnar, Doug Davis, Arthur Buse, Mitch Weimer, Mark Swain, Caroline Reid and Steve McEwan.

The President’s award is presented annually to the CHES chapter that demonstrates its commitment to education, administration and representation in the activities of the chapter and national board.

Each chapter is scored on accounting practices, conference/education day, membership, chapter executive practices, committee work and additional offerings (from submitting articles to the CHES journal, Canadian Healthcare Facilities to providing extra member benefits). Specifically, points are given for activities that benefit members and the work of CHES, such as number of meetings attended in the course of committee work and special education sessions. The recipient of the much-coveted award receives two CHES national conference registrations and expenses paid up to a maximum of $2,500 each, as well as a trophy engraved with the victorious team’s names.

On the education front, the chapter moved its annual conference online this year instead of cancelling it outright as it did in 2020. The format changed from a two-day to a one-week event May 31-June 4, that featured a single webinar each day to prevent “Zoom burnout,” says Fischer.

What remained the same was the theme, The Physical Environment: Creating Patientfocused Facilities. Dr. Marietta Van Den Berg, a psychiatrist with the Fraser Health Authority, provided the keynote address that emphasized techniques like mindfulness meditation, coping mechanisms and wellness strategies to help healthcare professionals not just survive but thrive during this unprecedented period.

“The session really offered the opportunity to pause and reflect on the past to ensure we’re taking time for ourselves, which is so important to physical and mental health,” says Fischer.

Well over 100 people attended each day.

The event was not limited to CHES B.C. members; the chapter executive opened the conference up to non-members in the province and CHES members from across the country at no charge. This, Fischer says, helped with recruitment at a time

when membership was on the decline due to the lack of formal face-to-face interactions. (The chapter saw a 15 per cent reduction in membership between March 2020 and March 2021, dow n to just u nder 20 0 members from 234.) A daily prize draw of two $50 gift certif icates helped keep people engaged. CHES B.C. was able to absorb this cost in addition to the others — the chapter also covered the expenses of all supporting vendors and exhibitors as a token of appreciation — because of its good financial standing, despite not generating much revenue since prior to the pandemic.

Its monetary position has enabled the chapter to pay for members to take part in CHES’s 2021 webinar series and national (virtual) conference, as well as to continue to offer bursaries at five colleges — British Columbia Institute of Technolog y, Okanagan College, College of New Caledonia, Camosun Col lege and T hompson R ivers University — and a $1,000 tuition grant to members in good standing who want to take education programs to help further their careers within hospital engineering services departments.

Looking to the future, Fischer says he is cautiously optimistic that members will be able to meet in-person again in spring at the chapter’s next conference.

It is currently scheduled for June 5-7, at the Whistler Conference Centre. Here, the chapter will present the newly created CHES B.C. Healthcare Award to an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to healthcare engineering in the province. The executive team will also host its annual general meeting during which a new vice-chair, secretary and treasurer will be elected to continue the important work and progress the chapter has made thus far.

“It is an honour and a rewarding experience to work with a team of talented members who are dedicated to learning, teaching and sharing with others who work in healthcare,” says Fischer. “This knowledge is the foundation of what we apply to our work routines as we all strive for excellence in our facilities.”

TRANE announces Luis Rodrigues as General Manager, Comprehensive Energy & Infrastructure Solutions of Ontario & Eastern Canada TRANE, a world leader in creating comfortable, sustainable and efficient environments, has appointed Luis Rodrigues as General Manager, Comprehensive Energy and Infrastructure Solutions.

In this capacity, Luis will lead a team of professionals responsible for assisting both private and public sector organizations address their mounting challenges associated with aging infrastructure and meet their corporate environmental leadership directives including net zero goals, resulting in better performing and healthier buildings.

Luis brings to Trane over 40 years of experience leading teams and developing both small and large scale comprehensive guaranteed facility improvement programs that have won national recognition in Canada and abroad. Luis takes personal ownership and involvement in each and every program to ensure the complete satisfaction of clients he serves.

Luis can be reached at luis.rodrigues@trane.com or at 437-991-7296

FALL/AUTOMNE 2021 25

SPONSORED CONTENT

BUILT TO BETTER SERVE Kelowna Vernon Hospitals bring higher quality healthcare to British Columbia

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he Kelowna Vernon Hospitals Project was a major initiative launched in 2007 by the Interior Health Authority (IHA) and the Province of British Columbia to modernize facilities and enhance patient care. Today, the two refurbished hospitals speak for themselves with state-of-the-art equipment, superior infrastructure, and new and improved services that better meet the healthcare needs of Okanagan residents.

Featuring a new patient care tower, a new University of B.C. Okanagan campus and parkade at Kelowna General Hospital (KGH), and a new patient care tower at Vernon Jubilee Hospital (VJH), the capital cost for the project was $432.9 million. Black & McDonald is one of four private partners that make up Infusion Health, the consortium of companies selected by IHA to fulfill all facets of the contract.

Since July 2009, Black & McDonald has been at the helm of both KGH’s and VJH’s facilities management.

“We take care of both the new and existing buildings — everything to do with the facilities other than providing patient care,” explains David Frost, Division Manager. “Our team of 70 technicians, admins and project managers oversee maintenance, building repairs and lifecycle issues, renovations to existing areas, including any changes to the functionality of a space. We also help with fundraising efforts, providing support where we can for initiatives that raise money for the purchase of new equipment.

Essentially, we play a role in every aspect of the physical assets.”

Now more than ten years into the 30-year contract, Frost and his fellow team members feel right at home, having weathered the challenges that typically

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go hand-in-hand with taking over a new facility — particularly one with multi-generational buildings.

“When you’re dealing with different eras of technologies, systems and machinery with unique designs and controls, there’s a steep learning curve,” says Myles Brumpton, Operations Manager.

“Gaining that familiarity with the sites takes time.

The hard part is getting things under control from a maintenance perspective in those early days.”

That said, the performance-based contract spanning three decades has incentivised the FM team to work as efficiently and effectively as possible, always driving them to aim higher and produce the best results. “I’d say our quality of service, the speed with which we respond and our level of accuracy when we make repairs, has helped elevate operations above what they once were,” says Frost. “Our recordkeeping and administrative practices are very precise, and we are always striving to improve our procedures, modifying and tweaking our levels of service to achieve and deliver more.”

After taking over from the previous administration, Frost says the reception from the hospital staff was predictably mixed, but it didn’t take long for the Facility Management Team to prove themselves. “We conduct regular customer surveys to solicit feedback on our performance and assess our operational activities and the response has been very positive”, says Frost. “There’s a sense of community at the hospitals, and everyone seems to get along well.”

In terms of how improvements at the operational level have impacted the end user, Frost says it all comes down to a greater ability to provide superior service and patient care. “As the flagship facilities on the leading-edge of technology for this area, KGH and

PROJECT SCOPE Conducted in three phases from December 2009 through 2012, the Kelowna Vernon Hospital Project included the construction of four new LEED Gold facilities and important upgrades at both sites: • A six-storey, 33,500 square-metre patient care

tower at KGH, featuring a modernized emergency department with expanded capabilities and services;

• A two-storey, 3,200 square-metre UBC Clinical Academic Campus building, housing a 180-seat lecture theatre, distance education rooms, clinical skills rooms and a library; • A multi-level parkade at KGH; and • A seven-storey, 16,800 square-metre patient care tower at VJH, including a modernized emergency department with expanded facilities and services.

VGH are growing and expanding with new programs all the time. The Black & McDonald FM team works closely with the hospitals to understand their evolving needs, and rapidly responds with solutions that ensure continuous improvement. I know I speak for all of us when I say we feel extremely fortunate and proud to be involved.”

A trusted, proven facility services provider Black & McDonald operates and maintains several world-renowned healthcare facilities and laboratories across Canada. Through the innovative management and delivery of quality facility services, B&M is able to reduce the cost of ownership and streamline operations within these critical environments. We are committed to always operating our facilities safely and efficiently, while delivering service excellence and driving value at all facilities under our care.

To help you identify opportunities to enhance your facility, or for a tailored solution to meet your specific requirements, please visit: www.blackandmcdonald. com/services/facility-services/

THE OTHER SIDE OF CRISIS COVID-19 a catalyst for positive change

By Kevin Cassidy

N

o one could have foreseen the sheer scale of disruption wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic. It has presented great challenges for everyone but it has been a crucible for healthcare professionals and experts. Even in a sector known for its ingenuity, dedication and resilience, healthcare facilities simply weren’t built for the unprecedented difficulties sparked by the pandemic — overcrowded intensive care units, ventilation concerns amidst a highly transmissible airborne virus and personal protective equipment (PPE) shortages. In the process of solving these acute issues, health teams gained invaluable insights and began to explore and test inno-

28 CANADIAN HEALTHCARE FACILITIES

vations that will likely evolve into long-term trends in the post-pandemic era, creating a better patient experience and improved community health.

HEALTHCARE DELIVERY

Among many significant trends is a notable change in the way healthcare is delivered, fuelled both by providers and patient demand.

One of the most immediate and observable transformations throughout 2020 and 2021 has been the rapid rise in telemedicine usage. As provinces locked down and people increasingly avoided hospitals, clinics and

emergency rooms whenever possible, the uptake in telemedicine appointments exploded.

The Canadian Medical Association reported that by mid-2020, nearly half of all Canadians had used telemedicine resources, such as phone calls, e-mails, text messages or video chats during the pandemic. Of these, 91 per cent said they were very satisfied with the experience.

With a population of both patients and practitioners now used to the experience, telemedicine’s heightened uptake will likely continue after the pandemic. This is especially good

FACILITY MANAGEMENT & DESIGN news for people who live in rural and remote locat ions where access to healthcare can be challenging. It’s also convenient for those in urban areas as they no longer have to commute to and from appointments and can avoid waiting rooms of ill patients.

A related trend that may carry over from COVID-19 is the shift of acute cases out of hospitals and emergency rooms. Cutting down on the overuse of emergency rooms for ailments that could be better treated by primary care physicians, telehealth services or diag nost ic and out pat ient ser v ice hubs could alleviate some of the strain on limited hospital beds and reduce hospital-acquired infections. Diagnostic and outpatient hubs are particularly helpful in remote communities that cannot sustain a full-service hospital. These wellness centres are ideal for minor procedures like dialysis treatments and obtaining health guidance, such as nutrition information if diabetic.

They are increasingly being combined with long-term care homes, coffee shops and other community facilities to create a destination for people to stop.

HOSPITAL RETHINK

Though perhaps less obvious, one of the major impacts of the pandemic has been on the perception of hospital safety, both as a place for medical treatment and work. The very real risk of contracting the virus while at a hospital, which, at times, housed a highly concentrated population of COVID cases, has affected people’s mindset.

While healthcare teams dev ised innovative solutions to mitigate the risk of transmission in these settings, conversations evolved around how to carry these lessons forward and implement new best practices to keep hospitals running efficiently during periods of heightened transmissible illnesses.

And it’s not just about good ventilation and face masks. Since the next virus may not be airborne, this involves rethinking everything from how hospital workers are protected to how these environments are engineered.

Healthcare experts are simultaneously reevaluating PPE best practices while emphasizing this equipment is just one line of defence in an occupa-

tional hygiene hierarchy approach.

Experts must first try to eliminate the hazard and then look at mitigating it through engineering, design, protocols and PPE. This approach may inf luence the redesign of hospitals, with the adoption of new solutions like separate entrances, buildings and even parking areas for infectious patients during an outbreak. Other design and protocol changes may involve negative pressure isolation rooms, higher levels of air filtration, robotic and ultraviolet light cleaners, and additional touch-free controls for lighting and doorways.

patients turn up in emergency rooms or hospital beds simply because there are no communit y-based ser v ices suited to their needs. Efforts need to be redoubled toward improving diagnostic and outpatient facilities, primary care, long-term care homes, mental health resources and facilities, and preventive health measures in communities.

If achieved, COVID should leave the healthcare system in a better position to weather future crises. This includes the impacts of climate change — another unprecedented global phenomenon with the potential to cause widescale disruption.

RESILIENT SYSTEMS

One of the most poignant lessons learned from the pandemic is that healthcare is a system and it is only as resilient as its individual components.

COVID has shone a spotlight on the tendency to focus on the more acute corners of the healthcare system like hospitals instead of taking a holistic, 360-degree thinking approach. Often,

Kevin Cassidy is the global healthcare lead at WSP Canada, a leading consulting engineering firm that provides services to clients in healthcare among various other sectors. This article summarizes some of the key learnings in the whitepaper, Rethinking Healthcare for a Pandemic Age, penned by WSP healthcare facilities experts from across the globe during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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REIMAGINING ENERGY Innovative technology at Toronto hospital to cut pollution

By Larissa Cahute

T

30 CANADIAN HEALTHCARE FACILITIES

The WET system at Toronto Western Hospital will take energy from raw municipal wastewater flowing through a nearby sewer to heat and cool the healthcare facility.

Graphic courtesy Noventa Energy.

t

oronto Western Hospital and its research arm, Krembil Discovery Tower, will soon be home to the world's largest raw wastewater energy transfer (WET) system.

The project — a joint effort between renewable energy company Noventa Energy, the Government of Canada, City of Toronto, University Health Network (UHN), Canada Infrastructure Bank and Vancity Community Investment Bank — will reduce the site's carbon emissions by 250,000 tonnes over the next 30 years.

The WET system will employ thermal energy from wastewater flowing through a nearby municipal sewer to supply up to 90 per cent of the campus’ heating and cooling needs. This will significantly reduce the hospital’s usage of existing electric and natural gas systems. As a result, the site’s direct greenhouse gas emissions will be reduced by approximately 10,000 metric tonnes each year — more than 60 per cent of UHN’s overall direct emissions and the equivalent of removing 1,811 cars from the road.

According to UHN vice-president of facilities management, planning, redevelopment and operations (FM-PRO) Ron Swail, the project is a “natural fit” for the organization.

“We have a strong culture of sustainability thanks to the tremendous efforts of our energy and environment team, who have helped us become a top energy performer among our peers,” he says. “Over the past decade, the team has completed more than 300 energy projects, which has already reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 25 per cent.”

One of those projects involved connecting Toronto General Hospital and Princess Margaret Cancer Centre to Enwave’s deep lake water cooling (DLWC) system, which uses cold water from Lake Ontario to provide cooling for buildings in downtown

Toronto. The Toronto Rehabilitation Institute has also been connected to the DLWC system for more than 10 years.

Smaller scale projects include lighting and equipment upgrades, optimization of building operations, installation of 42 electric vehicle charging stations, the addition of hundreds of bike parking spots across UHN sites and the creation of an Indigenous healing garden.

These projects have led to various awards, including Canada’s Greenest Employer, and both a gold Climate Resiliency Award and gold Climate Leadership Award from Global Green and Healthy Hospitals in 2020 alone. More importantly, they have reduced the organization’s greenhouse gas emissions by more than 33,000 tonnes and saved $30 million in utility costs over the past 10 years.

While UHN has a strong history of sustainability, the WET system is the first district energy project at Toronto Western Hospital.

“It was the perfect opportunity for us to get a bit creative with how we reduce our carbon footprint,” says Ed Rubinstein, director of UHN’s energy and environment team, which is part of the FM-PRO department.

In addition to lowering greenhouse gas emissions, the WET system will further UHN’s substantial research focus, as it will provide easy access to wastewater samples.

This will open up a variety of potential health research opportunities, including anti-microbial resistance and pandemic monitoring.

“It’s a perfect fit for UHN and the energy and environment team,” says Rubinstein. “Our mission is to support patient care, research and education through a sustainable environment, and the WET system certainly lives up to that.”

Larissa Cahute is a communications specialist at the University Health Network.

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