YNHHS earns national award for facilities and maintenance initiative

YNHHS recently won a national award for developing a digital platform that integrates facilities-related functions such as maintenance requests, project oversight and space management throughout the health system. From left are: Stephen J. Carbery, vice president, Facilities Design and Construction and Real Estate; Jennifer Sullivan, facilities project coordinator; Nicholas Zauner, executive director, Facilities Engineering; John Potkaj, facilities software coordinator; Ann Monks, facilities project manager; and Reginald Jones, application analyst, Information Technology Services Integrations and Applications.

Yale New Haven Health System recently received the 2020 Excellence in Health Care Facility Management Award from the American Society for Health Care Engineering (ASHE) of the American Hospital Association. The award recognizes individuals or facility management departments that implement new or innovative programs or processes to optimize the physical environment and improve patient care.

YNHHS was honored for creating a digital platform that integrates facilities-related functions such as maintenance requests, project oversight, space management and others. A key component is an online portal called FaciliNet that allows employees throughout the health system to request repairs, projects and space. Equipped with hand-held devices such as phones or tablets, facilities and maintenance staff can access and enter important information while out in the field.

YNHHS’ initiative also involved standardizing data, systems and processes for all five health system hospitals and other facilities, which previously used different systems to receive, respond to and track facilities projects and maintenance requests.

“We are honored to receive the ASHE award, which reflects the hard work of our Facilities Design and Construction and Facilities Engineering departments, as well as staff from many other departments throughout the health system,” said Stephen Carbery, YNHHS vice president, Facilities Design and Construction and Real Estate. “This collaboration has resulted in a system that helps all of us work more efficiently, and more effectively support patient care.”