Editor’s Note

LIVING IN LIMBO

SUMMER IS IN FULL SWING and the country is in various stages of reopening. As a fully vaxxed citizen, I’ve enjoyed dining on a patio — something I hadn’t done in almost two years — and taking day trips to escape city living, though I remain cautious as my kids are too young to be vaccinated. With some provinces (surprisingly) ending pandemic rules and COVID cases once again ticking upwards, I’m concerned about the imminent fourth wave and what that will mean for society. After perhaps naively believing the last wave was behind us, our lives are thrown back into limbo. What fall will look like is unknown.

Given the unpredictability of the virus, CHES had the foresight late last year to move the 2021 CHES National Conference to a virtual format. This is just one of many decisions the society’s national executive has made over the past 16 months in response to the pandemic. The same can be said for the chapters. In an effort to provide transparency, we sought to discover the thought process behind key decisions, as well as how CHES National and each chapter has been impacted by the pandemic. The information gleaned, which can be read beginning on page 16, also offers learning opportunities and aims to create a feeling of connectedness among CHES members across the country.

From here, we turn to our feature series that’s based on the theme of this year’s CHES national conference, Enriching the Patient Experience by Optimizing the Environment. Our first two articles deal with air, specifically the effects of ductwork leakage on HVAC systems and the healthcare industry’s challenge to understand air filters. To close this section is an article on building commissioning, which authors Craig Doerksen and Bill Algeo will discuss in even greater detail during their session, How the Commissioning Process Ensures and Enhances the Patient Experience, at the 2021 CHES National (Virtual) Conference.

Rounding out this issue, we explore innovation and technology. Topics include systems integration (as featured on the cover), cybersecurity and digitizing old engineering drawings.

We are always looking for contributing writers. If interested in penning an article on a particular topic, please contact me.

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.

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