CONFERENCE ROUNDUP
SUCCESS OF 2022 IFHE CONGRESS/CHES NATIONAL CONFERENCE A CELEBRATORY OCCASION FOR ALL ALMOST THREE YEARS to the day of the last in-person CHES National event, hundreds of people from across the country gathered together at the 2022 conference. After a long hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which dealt a heavy blow to events, the conference’s return couldn’t have come at a better time as the CHES community was yearning to meet face-to-face again. Hosted by the Ontario chapter at the Westin Harbour Castle in Toronto, Sept. 17-21, the much-anticipated event was held in conjunction with the International Federation of Healthcare Engineering (IFHE) Congress — a planning feat not easy to pull off given the unpredictability wrought by the pandemic. The committee charged with bringing the combined event to fruition did not disappoint, as the nearly 820 attendees and more than 400 delegates can attest. Among them was Victoria Styrna, the recipient of the Young Professionals Grant (YPG). A planner in Hamilton Health Sciences’ capital development department, Styrna was selected for her desire to attain Project Management Professional (PMP) certification, as well as to learn and network with seasoned healthcare industry professionals to further her career in the field. The grant came with the opportunity to attend the conference, with registration fees and travel expenses up to $2,000 covered, and a one-year complimentary CHES membership. “The value of attending the conference, especially for the first time, is endless,” says Ontario chapter chair Jim McArthur, who 14 CANADIAN HEALTHCARE FACILITIES
has since moved into the role of past chair. “It offers the occasion to meet with vendors and peers that work in healthcare engineering, and it provides education sessions unique to our industry. This is particularly valuable to a newcomer in healthcare. Anyone attending for the first time recognizes the worth of a CHES conference, and it makes it easier to justify to our employers the importance of attendance.” The YPG is given annually to young professionals who are or will become architects, engineers or technicians, or work in similar technical disciplines. Eligible candidates must be employed by a healthcare organization or company that supplies goods or services to healthcare facilities or organizations, and have worked in the healthcare field for less than five years. The number of grants awarded each year is dependent on the number of sponsors. “I was stunned when I was notified I was the recipient of the grant (as) I do not come from an engineering background,” says Styrna, who holds an honours bachelor in interior design degree. Styrna’s career in the healthcare industry began in 2020, two years after graduating from Sheridan College. She originally joined Hamilton Health Sciences on an 18-month contract filling in for a maternity leave as a planner at Juravinski Cancer Centre. She was hired full-time this past April, as a planner at Hamilton General Hospital, where she completes capital projects and fulfills day-to-day healthcare facility requests.
