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Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some common questions we receive from our clients and visitors.
Q: Why did you launch the Healthcare Facilities Network?
Hospitals and healthcare systems are at a concerning crossroads. Regardless of size or location, across the country hospitals face critical gaps such as aging employees, aging buildings, aging infrastructure, and increasing operational complexity. Risk and cost are rapidly escalating, impacting hospital bottom-lines. The Aging Crisis has brought a negative fiscal impact that will not soon disappear.
Hospital leaders must act now. The specter of shuttered hospitals due to inaction is a clear and present danger. It is a realization that no healthcare leader wants to face. The Healthcare Facilities Network was created to promote that this critical career exists, and leaders are needed, now.
Hospital leaders must act now. The specter of shuttered hospitals due to inaction is a clear and present danger. It is a realization that no healthcare leader wants to face. The Healthcare Facilities Network was created to promote that this critical career exists, and leaders are needed, now.
Q: Why is there such a critical shortage of available facilities talent?
For years, the coming Grey Tsunami of retirements has been discussed. It has arrived. The International Facility Management Association (IFMA) estimates that 40% of current facilities managers will retire by 2026, potentially creating a significant labor shortage.
Multiple reasons are contributing to an increasing shortage of talent, including:
1) Boomers are retiring. Experienced professionals are leaving due to burnout, better opportunities, or frustration with the status quo. Trade and non-trade employee shortages and the elimination of middle management have decimated an employee pipeline that once existed.
2) Younger generations seek a work/life balance that can be difficult to attain. Boomers and Generation X accepted this; younger generations want balance which causes issues in the role.
3) Succession planning is seldom done. And even when an organization seeks to develop their internal employees, the demands of the job and lack of internal people make it difficult to find time to do it well. Increasingly, organizations hire FM professionals who lack healthcare experience.
4) Poor promotion of the role and general lack of knowledge that this role exists.
Multiple reasons are contributing to an increasing shortage of talent, including:
1) Boomers are retiring. Experienced professionals are leaving due to burnout, better opportunities, or frustration with the status quo. Trade and non-trade employee shortages and the elimination of middle management have decimated an employee pipeline that once existed.
2) Younger generations seek a work/life balance that can be difficult to attain. Boomers and Generation X accepted this; younger generations want balance which causes issues in the role.
3) Succession planning is seldom done. And even when an organization seeks to develop their internal employees, the demands of the job and lack of internal people make it difficult to find time to do it well. Increasingly, organizations hire FM professionals who lack healthcare experience.
4) Poor promotion of the role and general lack of knowledge that this role exists.
Q: Why do you refer to it as an Aging Crisis? Is that slightly dramatic?
Deferred maintenance and aging infrastructure in U.S. hospitals represent a significant financial challenge, with the estimated cost to address the current backlog reaching approximately $243 billion nationwide. (Fierce Healthcare+3HFM Magazine+3HFM Magazine+3)
Additionally, about 41% of maintenance across U.S. healthcare facilities has been deferred, encompassing critical systems such as HVAC, electrical, plumbing, and life safety components. HFM Magazine. If current trends continue without increased investment, the deferred maintenance backlog could escalate to $391 billion over the next decade. HFM Magazine
Staggeringly, approximately 35% of hospitals have performed emergency repairs on equipment after deferring maintenance, with these emergency projects costing on average nearly 18% more than if the maintenance had been performed proactively. HFM Magazine+1HUB International+1
Given the staggering financial implications, combined with a shortage of employees to manage the physical environment of the hospital, it is indeed an Aging Crisis.
Additionally, about 41% of maintenance across U.S. healthcare facilities has been deferred, encompassing critical systems such as HVAC, electrical, plumbing, and life safety components. HFM Magazine. If current trends continue without increased investment, the deferred maintenance backlog could escalate to $391 billion over the next decade. HFM Magazine
Staggeringly, approximately 35% of hospitals have performed emergency repairs on equipment after deferring maintenance, with these emergency projects costing on average nearly 18% more than if the maintenance had been performed proactively. HFM Magazine+1HUB International+1
Given the staggering financial implications, combined with a shortage of employees to manage the physical environment of the hospital, it is indeed an Aging Crisis.
Q: How can we help solve the Aging Crisis?
Q: What are your office hours?
Our office hours are Monday through Friday, from 9 AM to 5 PM. We are closed on weekends and major holidays. However, you can still reach us via email at any time.
