CHAPTER REPORTS
BRITISH COLUMBIA CHAPTER
MARITIME CHAPTER
As I near the end of my term as chair of the B.C. chapter, I have come to realize the true resilience of CHES members. We have experienced a (hopefully) once in a lifetime pandemic and a world of unknown changes to healthcare and our personal lives. While still in the midst of it, I am optimistic the government will continue to lift COVID-19 restrictions and we, as a chapter, can look forward to in-person meetings again. We are currently planning to hold our spring conference in Whistler, June 5-7. Considering the operational challenges resulting from the pandemic, historic weather events and massive capital investment in healthcare infrastructure over the last year, the theme is Improving Quality through Accountability, Collaboration and Design. Education sessions will encourage a rethink of how we design, construct and operate our facilities to address these obstacles. The keynote address will be given by Brent Kruschel, vice-president of informatics, technology and facilities for Fraser Health. Nominations for the chapter executive have closed. It has been encouraging to see such great interest from our membership to be involved in CHES. Results will be posted online. Hospital construction projects are leading the way in the Vancouver area, with $6.76 billion in work either planned or on the books. Projects already underway include St. Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver — the largest hospital redevelopment project in British Columbia’s history valued at $2.174 billion — and the second phase of the three-phase redevelopment at Royal Columbian Hospital in New Westminster. A $612-million contract has been awarded for the first phase of the $1.4-billion redevelopment of Burnaby Hospital. An estimated $1.66-billion build of a second hospital in Surrey is expected to start in 2023. To celebrate these and other healthcare achievements, we have established the CHES B.C. Healthcare Award for Outstanding Contribution to Healthcare Engineering. This is a great opportunity to nominate someone you feel has demonstrated outstanding achievement and leadership in healthcare in the province. Further information and the application form can be found on the B.C. chapter page of the CHES website.
Due to government COVID restrictions (at time of writing), the chapter executive decided not to offer an in-person conference this spring. However, to ensure our members have educational opportunities, the 2022 CHES Maritime conference has moved to a virtual format. It will be held May 2-3, and be free to all CHES members. This year’s conference theme is Overcoming Today’s Healthcare Challenges. Current events, such as the pandemic and climate change, have increased demand on already stressed facilities’ support groups. The public depend on us to ensure healthcare infrastructure is strong, flexible, robust and safe. Being aware of mitigation strategies that can be employed to manage changing risks is essential to the resilience of our facilities. With this in mind, the conference will address standards, procedures, processes and the challenges faced by healthcare facilities and how to develop positive outcomes. Communication expert and award-winning humourist Bill Carr will kick off the conference on May 2, with his keynote address. Carr’s unique blend of humour and insight inspires laughter and consideration, and will ensure delegates are motivated. Although the virtual conference does not allow for networking with colleagues or discussing new technologies with vendors on a trade show floor, we are confident everyone will take away valuable tools and tips to help provide the very best in care for the people we serve. As always, one regular Maritime chapter member in attendance will win a trip to the next CHES National conference. This year, CHES is hosting the 27th annual International Federation of Hospital Engineering Congress in Toronto, Sept. 1721, in conjunction with the 2022 CHES National Conference. It will be an exciting event with speakers from around the globe. For more information, visit www.ifhe2022.org. 2022 is an election year for the Maritime chapter. Our annual general meeting will be held on the second day of our spring conference, May 3, at 10 a.m. Positions to be filled for the period June 2022-June 2024 include executive vice-chair, treasurer, secretary, vice-chair Nova Scotia, vice-chair New Brunswick and vice-chair Prince Edward Island.
—Norbert Fischer, British Columbia chapter chair
—Helen Comeau, Maritime chapter chair
The B.C. chapter is planning to hold its spring conference in-person for the first time in two years in Whistler, June 5-7.
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10 CANADIAN HEALTHCARE FACILITIES
