Healthcare Facilities Management Society of New Jersey, Inc.
Serving Healthcare Since 1949



***General Membership Meeting***

Minutes to the Meeting of
March 17, 2005


 Trustee Oscar Gonzales called the meeting to order on Thursday, March 17, 2005, at the Galloping Hill Inn, Union, New Jersey commencing at 6:00 p.m.

TOPICS OF DISCUSSION

SOCIAL SPONSOR/EDUCATIONAL SESSION TOPIC
DESIGN FOR BIOTERRORISM


Gene Bard, PE, President of Bard, Rao + Athanas was the presenter for the evening and his Powerpoint presentation for the evening was “Planning For Bioterrorism/Changing Paradigms in HVAC Design Concepts For Hospitals.” See presentation attached hereto and made a part hereof.


TREASURER’S REPORT

Treasurer, Robert Thompson, reported the following: The payment of new and past due dues must be accompanied by an application. Checks continue to come in without the dues notice attached. The healthcare organization sending the check does not include the members’ name. Anyone paying dues at the door will be asked to fill out the application form for our records to be complete. Robert Thompson will contact our accountant, Paul Alfieiro to be sure our taxes are paid promptly and in full. There will be one more mailing of the notice for dues.

SECRETARY’S REPORT


Secretary, Ben DiFranco, wishes to have the General Membership meeting minutes include a sign-in sheet. Minutes are published on the web.

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March 17, 2005 General Meeting Minutes


VENDOR TRADE SHOW COMMITTEE

Mary Padget was absent at this meeting. Margaret Nesby reported in her absence. The Vendor Trade Show is tentatively scheduled for Friday, August 12, 2005 at Monmouth Park, Monmouth, New Jersey. Tonight we shall give out a $100.00 check to hold the date. Vendor tables, Barbeque, Horse Races and Monmouth may even name a race for us. No doubt it will be a handicap race.

MEMBERSHIP


Pete Appelmann reported the following: Membership to Professionals (P.E.’s and A.I.A.’s) and Professional Associates (Sales) are closed. Membership is open only to people working in the healthcare institutions. Many “active” members have not paid the $30.00 annual dues as of today. Our By-Laws direct that members who have not paid their annual dues by April 15, 2005 will have their membership terminated. Another “reminder” will be mailed out to members who have not yet paid their dues. Perhaps next year a $10.00 surcharge for late payment will be instituted. Additionally, all memberships are individual membership and as such are not transferable. What to do about people who have sent in money for Professional and Professional Associate memberships was discussed but a resolution was not reached at this evening’s meeting.

ADVOCACY

Robert Roop reported the following:


AIA Guidelines on Design and Construction of Hospitals and Healthcare Facilities

The comment period for responses to the Draft Guidelines has closed as of February 28, 2005. When we learn of changes to the Draft, members will be advised.

Boiler inspections and Certifications

See the website for the inspection confirmation form.

Third Party Surveys

We have received material from Press Ganey on the process they use to develop or revise their standard instruments (questions). How to respond to them requesting they make their surveys more “facility friendly” is being considered.





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March 17, 2005 General Meeting Minutes

NFPA 90A

All indications are the revised NFPA 90A will require fire damper testing at a frequency of once every six years, up from the current once every four years and much less frequently than the proposed once a year. This is a significant victory for Healthcare that was the result of many individuals submitting data on facilities’ experience. Advocacy works for your benefit and the safety of your patients.

Web site contact

The Executive Committee requested a collaborative effort with the Web Master to make it easier for members to contact the Advocacy Committee with possible issues for advocacy research and action.

GOLF OUTING


The Golf outing is for Tuesday, June 7, 2005, at the Fox Hollow Country Club. The Cost is $225.00 per golfer. Mailers go out mid to late April, 2005. For persons attending who are only having dinner and not playing golf the cost is $75.00 per person. Roger Ennis, Golf Outing Chairman, advised that that there is only room for 120 golfers.

AD JOURNAL


The 2005 Ad Journal will be out in April. The President and/or President-elect (or both) need to select an Ad Journal Chairman for the 2006 book due for distribution in November, 2006.

NEWSLETTER


Charlie Church needs help from the membership. Articles, websites, cartoons, profiles of members’ institutions, practical hints, tips and anything at all that will help other members get the job done quicker, better, faster and cheaper. Members should not overlook this valuable communication tool to assist fellow healthcare professionals. Charlie Church can be contacted at the following: Telephone (973) 977-6738. Facsimile (973) 977-6838. E-mail: church@barnerthosp.com



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March 17, 2005 General Meeting Minutes











FUTURE EVENTS


ASHE’s 41st Annual Conference and Exhibition is scheduled for July 10 through 13, 2005 in Anaheim, California. Book your airline reservations early for the best rate.

SOCIAL JUSTICE


Frank Keller reported the following: Victor Arencibia is drawing plans for the ramp. We shall build a ramp at a house in Elmwood Park, N.J. to help a handicapped person move easily in and out of her house. Permits and insurance are required prior to construction. We need a couple of skilled carpenters to guide the job to specification and a lot of other participants are needed to help. The project will go forward depending on plans, permits and weather. Look for late April to mid May. It is a one-day job and will probably be scheduled for a Saturday once the footings are installed.

 Volunteers are needed for The Bridges Run (Friday, April 29, 2005). All clean, slightly used clothing is welcome. Toiletries are always needed.


LEVELS OF AFFILIATION


Oscar Gonzalez reported that he needs better participation and cooperation from members.

WEBSITE


Any updates are to be sent to Frank DelGuido and he will work with the webmaster, Steve Albin, to get it on the site.

LAB SAFETY SUPPLY HOMELAND SECURITY HANDOUT


James Corueil gave a handout which detailed a list of documents dealing with bioterrorism and healthcare facilities. The documents, which are in PDF format, can be located at Lab Safety Supply’s website (www.lss.com) at the following webpage: www.labsafety.com/domprep/documents.html

CALL TO ADJOURNMEN t at 9:00 P.M.


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January 20, 2005 Executive Board/Committee Meeting Minutes










POST-MEETING ADDITION TO MINUTES


Former President and current member, William Berkeyheiser, passed away Sunday, March 27, 2005. We ask that everyone keep William and his family in their thoughts and prayers.



EDUCATION AND EVENTS CALENDAR


John DiGirolomo was absent for this evening’s meeting. There was a general discussion of the issues of relative to education and events. April and May of 2005 have been set aside for a general review of all facility management operations. It may be a “Jeopardy” style question and answer session with discussions according to Ben DiFranco.




HFMSNJ
2005 Education and Events Calendar


Date

Presentation

Speaker

Presenter’s Organization

Sponsoring Co.

January 20th

Developments in Waste Anesthesia Gas Disposal and Safe Handling Practices

Mark Allen

BeaconMedaes

The Sherman Engineering Co.

February 17th

 Deploying Solar Generation Projects with Financing from the New Jersey Clean Energy Program

Tom Kuster

Dome Tech Solar, a division of The Dome Tech Group

The Dome Tech Group

March 17th

Design for Bioterrorism

Gene Bard, PE

BR+A

BR+A

April 21st

Facilities Management Review Codes & Standards

John DiGirolomo, CHFM

HFMSNJ

ServPro of Western Essex Bob Morrison

May 19th

Facilities Management Review Codes & Standards

John DiGirolomo, CHFM

HFMSNJ

Livingston Hardware

June 16th

Topic to be determined

Mr. Anthony Monaco NJDOH Environmental Specialist Anthony.Monaco@doh.state.nj.us/P>

NJ State Department of Health

National Air Filter Steve Shyka 201-438-0800

July

NO REGULAR MEETING SCHEDULED

X

X

X

July th

41st Annual Conference and TechnicalExhibition held in conjunction with the 18th Congress of the International Federation of Hospital Engineers

X

X

August 18th

Special Membership Meeting

To Be Determined

N/A

Our Professional Associates

September th

ALL DAY SEMINAR Subject to be Determined

To Be Determined

N/A

September 15th

October 20th

State of New Jersey DCA Updates

Mr. Dave Uhaze, RA duhaze@dca.state.nj.us

NJ State Department of Community Affairs [DCA]

FRIDAY, November 18th

“ 3nd. Annual Social Holiday” will be held this year at “The Galloping Hill Inn” 325 Chestnut Street Union, NJ 07083 Phone: 908-686-2683

Dinner, Cocktails, Music, Dancing + Recognition Award Presentation RSVP is required.

December 7th (tentative)

End of Year Rap-up and Planning for 2006

EXECUTIVE BOARD ONLY

N/A

N/A





Planning for Bio-Terrorism

Major health care centers across the country are faced with an ever increasing possibility that they will be called upon to act as a triage center for a chemical or bio-contamination disaster in their service community. Many of them are ill-equipped to either respond or handle the initial influx of patients from such a disaster. From a facilities standpoint the medical center needs to address such an incident in three very different ways:

  1. How is the facility protected externally from a direct bio-contamination attack?
  2. How does the facility accept and treat bio-contaminated patients during a local emergency?
  3. How are internal departments protected or isolated from an event that occurs within them or adjacent to them?

These are all questions that can’t be answered by one set of procedures or contingency plans.

What will help is to have building infrastructure systems that are designed so the migration or introduction of a contaminant can be contained, controlled and decontaminated with as small an effort as possible and without interrupting the practice of treating patients and protecting staff.

There are six goals which we identify to have a successful plan to safeguard a facility. These are:

  1. protect the patients,
  2. protect the staff,
  3. have a means to segregate vulnerable areas within the facility such as public spaces, waiting rooms, lobbies, mail rooms and receiving docks,
  4. have systems that serve Emergency Departments and Triage Rooms be capable of operation during such an event,
  5. maintain an overall safe internal environment during a crisis involving airborne chemicals, biological or radiation attacks and
  6. identify system shut-off and changeover procedures to accommodate changing internal or external environmental situations.

The first step is to review the introduction of outside air into the building and the relationship of these intakes to public ways and streets. We urge that the intakes and the mechanical equipment they serve be located up high enough in the building and away from public ways so the likely-hood of a direct and deliberate introduction of a bio-contaminant is minimized. It’s also important that the filtration options for the major air systems be reviewed and understood as to the capability of controlling the spread of any such contaminant through the building HVAC systems.



















It is important to design air systems, especially for the entrance/public spaces, that will allow for the segregation of these spaces from the remainder of the facility by designing dampers that close automatically during an event and will, using either dedicated emergency exhaust systems or centralized return systems placed in a 100% exhaust mode, purge the space of contaminated air. These systems can also be used as part of the building smoke control system so the cost of such systems is amortized over a large area of responsibility. These systems can be activated by a switch at a guard station or through sniffers.

Emergency and Trauma Departments, because of their function, are most susceptible to airborne contaminants. This can be in the form of SARS, Anthrax, Botulism, Plague, Ricin and others. Air systems serving these spaces should be designed with separate air handling units that are isolated from other systems in the medical facility. These dedicated air systems have control functions designed as part of their overall operating strategy to purge, pressurize or shutdown depending on the conditions. In addition, spaces adjacent to, or within the Emergency Suites should provide for patient isolation and wash-down, depending on the situation.

In projects with designated patient wash-down stations they have typically been on the building exterior and all waste water is collected into special enclosed holding tanks that can be pumped out at a later date. With these emergency wash-down stations we’ve also designed covered areas where emergency vehicles can be decontaminated. This waste water is also collected in special holding tanks.

Other areas of medical facilities that are reviewed for there vulnerability to contamination or attack is fuel sources for emergency generators and mechanical rooms. Each of these areas needs to be planned for with controlled access in mind and monitoring/security issues addressed as part of the building design. The changing paradigms in HVAC design for Medical Facilities include many factors.

As part of the design process it is important to reviewing these issues and develop a reasonable assessment as to what measures can be taken at the most reasonable cost to safeguard the patients and staff:

  1. Number of Air Handling Units-fewer vs. specific dedicated units.
  2. Recirculation vs. exhaust (Waiting and Public Spaces)
  3. Air Pressurization and Isolation Strategies.
  4. Adaptability and Isolation of spaces without regard to maintaining temperature while limiting first cost.
  5. Conversion of soft spaces into isolation areas without significant cost.
  6. SARS Wards and Patient Isolation Pods.
  7. Space Pressurization Monitoring and Control.
  8. Filtration/UV Lights.