President’s Message

MOVING FORWARD WITH LESSONS LEARNED

LIKE MOST OF THE eight billion people on earth — the planet reached the milestone this past November, according to the United Nations — I remember those early months of 2020, when there was much talk about a new novel coronavirus, now known as COVID-19, sweeping the globe. The virus has impacted every aspect of life and left an indelible mark or impression on healthcare.

What have we learned? And how have we changed personally, professionally and as a society of healthcare leaders?

It’s about more than just being ready for the next pandemic (which some say we forgot about after the SARS outbreak of 2003, and H1N1 pandemic in 2009); we are being called upon as leaders in healthcare to do just that — lead.

CHES’s mission is to “build member expertise in Canadian healthcare engineering.” Its vision is “excellence in the patient care-focused environment through education, innovation and partnerships.” I am always amazed at how CHES and its members go quietly about pursuing this mission and vision through regular work activities and involvement in the organization.

We celebrated National Healthcare Facilities and Engineering Week (NHFEW) this past October. It was encouraging to see via our social media channels the efforts made to mark the occasion from coast-to coast. Let’s remember we should recognize the role CHES members play in maintaining a safe, secure and functioning healthcare facility throughout the entire year, not just during NHFEW. Partner with your organization’s communications department to acknowledge staff efforts. Employee recognition throughout the year, in big open events and small celebratory gatherings within departments, help us engage and develop staff — a critical step in helping us build our teams.

Also in October, CHES Alberta hosted its conference and trade show and the Saskatchewan chapter held its annual education day. It was great to attend these events in person and see so many healthcare and vendor staff collaborating to lead our organizations through this post-pandemic period of recovery and prepare for what’s next.

Which leads to the question, what’s next for CHES?

The CHES National executive is continuing to build upon the fall 2022 strategic planning session. Expect to hear more as we move those strategic discussions about membership value, education and certification into operational steps. We’ll engage you at your local chapter level via committees and directly, as necessary, to move the association forward. CHES is here to support your personal and professional goals, and provide you and your organization with the skills and knowledge necessary to support our growing, straining and struggling healthcare system that nearly 39 million Canadians depend on.

Craig B. Doerksen 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 Winter 2022/2023 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/K62LS8G 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.

The Reliable Controls MACH-ProView LCD with EQUIPMENTview is a freely programmable BACnet Building Controller (B-BC) and BACnet Operator Display (B-OD) that resides on Ethernet, PoE, Wi-Fi, or EIA-485 networks. EQUIPMENTview is an easy-to-use interface that allows you to monitor and interact with HVAC, lighting, and security equipment; hospitality and safety services; energy management and more. Supported by an ever-growing library of graphical assets, the MACH-ProView LCD empowers you to stay in touch with your built environment.

For more information visit reliablecontrols.com/MPV-L