TAHFM e-Newsletter

Interlink 2015 will be held at the Westin Houston Memorial City Hotel next year. Healthcare Facilities Managers consider TAHFM Interlink to be one of the best and most affordable opportunities for learning and sharing in Texas. More information will be released in the coming months.

Visit http://www.tahfm.org/?page=2015InterlinkHome to view the full article online.

by Amy Eagle
Building design can impact every facet of patient safety, sometimes in unexpected ways. The design process can help you understand the relationship between good design and quality care. "It was a really big discovery for me that the building was more than just a container that would hold people and things, but that it could, in fact, be designed in a way that could help us to achieve important goals," says Barry Rabner, president and CEO, Princeton HealthCare System.
SOURCE: HOSPITALS & HEALTH NETWORKS MAGAZINE

Visit http://www.hhnmag.com/display/HHN-news-article.dhtml?dcrPath=/templatedata/HF_Common/NewsArticle/data/HHN/Magazine/2014/Oct/fea-hospital-design-patient-safety to view the full article online.

Hospitals face new requirements and more challenges today than ever before. These challenges demand a holistic approach to EP system management—blending utility management with emergency management and infrastructure master planning. This monograph describes a complete EP system management program intended to satisfy these needs that includes all elements of the emergency power reliability equation.
SOURCE: AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR HEALTHCARE ENGINEERING

Visit http://www.ashe.org/resources/management_monographs/mg2014stymiest.html#.VGwRWsm57js to view the full article online.

The Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) recently met with other stakeholders, including the American Hospital Association, to discuss potential effects of having operating rooms with at least 20 percent relative humidity. Although the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services said last year that hospitals no longer had to have at least 35 percent humidity in operating rooms, AAMI said in a news story that some do not believe the lower humidity level is appropriate for certain devices used in the operating room.
SOURCE: AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR HEALTHCARE ENGINEERING

Visit http://www.ashe.org/resources/asheinsider/2014/advocacy_141104.html#.VGwhmsm57js to view the full article online.

By Jeff Seewald
When I was a kid, programming on my Texas Instruments TI-16 and later on a Commodore 64, I was making simple games to play. While I did not realize that such machines would later become indispensable to my work (and to most everyone’s work), I did imagine that one could probably use the computing power for more productive tasks, although I could not picture what those tasks might be at the time.

Now, as I sit holding a tablet (a 3rd-generation iPad to be specific), I find myself asking the same question, but this time I am envisioning the potential tasks and how they might contribute to a larger whole.

You can download a PDF of this article by clicking on the link below.
SOURCE: ENGINEERED SYSTEMS

Visit http://www.naylornetwork.com/thf-nwl/pdf/The_Tablets_Potential_for_Engineered_Buildings.pdf to view the full article online.

Welcome to our new section featuring ways you can save energy – and money – at home and at the facilities you manage. We have some winter savings and building portfolio tips right here!

Winter Savings
As winter approaches, take some time to make sure your heating is truly energy efficient.

How much insulation should I add to my attic?
The recommended level for most attics is to insulate to R-38 (or about 12–15 inches, depending on the insulation type).

Click on the "Learn more..." link for details!

Visit https://www.naylornetwork.com/thf-nwl/articles/index.asp?aid=300974&issueID=41943 to view the full article online.

Visit TAHFM's Energy Roundup Tips webpage for weekly tips to help you increase your building's energy efficiency. Even if you aren't participating in our Energy Challenge this year, it's still information you can use.

It's not too late to join! Details about the TAHFM Texas Energy Roundup are here, including an overview of the competition, a link to the energy tips webinar held earlier this year and a list of the 2013 winners.