IFHE NEWS The first ever IFHE Global Energy Awards
The International Federation of Healthcare Engineering (IFHE), with support from the Association of Medical Facility Professionals (AMFP), and the predominantly US-based MEP engineering specialists, Mazzetti, has launched its first Global Healthcare Energy Awards – ‘to encourage healthcare facilities worldwide to commit to a reduction in energy use that will ultimately lessen the entire global health system’s intensive carbon footprint, all through a simple energy tracking process’.
Any healthcare facility with a 5% or greater energy reduction, measured from 2019 as the energy usage baseline, and 2021 as the performance year, will be eligible for recognition as a Global Healthcare Energy Winner. The ‘Best in Country’ winners and ‘Best in World’ champion will be recognised during the IFHE’s 2022 Annual Congress being held from September 15-22 that year in Toronto, Canada.
“We’ve designed the process (and tools) to be as simple as possible to help more healthcare facilities better understand their available energy data and the value it offers,” explained Walt Vernon, PE, CEO of Mazzetti, Vice- President of the AMFP, and IFHE Executive Committee Member. “As healthcare facilities professionals take charge of this data, they gain stronger insight into how even small actions can
Walt Vernon.
save their organisations money and dramatically improve the care they provide to their patients, staff, and communities.” The nomination process for the awards is simple. Upon creating a free account at
https://energyapp.mazzetti.com/IFHE, healthcare facility management professionals can enter monthly energy data either manually – by uploading a spreadsheet, or by connecting through the ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager. Walt Vernon added: “Once data is uploaded, organisations can easily track their performance online or through a mobile app, and instantly become eligible to earn recognition through IFHE for energy improvements.
Darryl Pitcher, the IFHE’s President, and CEO of Bethsalem Care in Australia, said: “IFHE is thrilled to celebrate its members’
success on this global platform. With every entry, we hope to inspire more organisations to join this movement toward creating a healthier, more sustainable future for us all.” Despite the healthcare industry’s mission ‘to do no harm’, the AMFP says the sector ‘remains one of the most energy-intensive industries globally’, with US inpatient healthcare facilities the country’s second most energy- intensive facility type in terms of Btu (British thermal units)/ft2
, says the US
Energy Information Administration. The AMFP said: “The resulting detrimental impact on the environment counter- serves the very people the industry seeks to help. The World Health Organization notes that the environment is one of the most important determinants of health. Yet the World Bank estimates that the healthcare industry itself produces approximately 5% of all global carbon emissions.” The AMFP is a non-profit organisation ‘dedicated to providing timely education, networking, and resources’, to the healthcare built environment. It ‘works to build connections between hospital administrators, facility managers, real estate directors, medical property owners, planners, designers, contractors, consultants, vendors, and academics, connected to the design, construction, operation, and maintenance of healthcare environments’.
Plea to update Secretariat to ensure prompt Digest delivery Andy Wavell, IHEEM’s IFHE representative,
and the Federation’s Joint General Secretary, reports that the IFHE Digest 2020 was issued at the end of last year, and has hopefully by now been widely viewed by the worldwide membership (either as a hard copy, or via the web link
https://content.yudu.com/ web/1u0jl/0A1urts/IFHEDigest2020/
index.html).
However, he notes that of the countries that still opt to receive hard copies, the courier used this time was unable to deliver to a number of member organisations. He explained why: “This was either because the appropriate customs declarations had not been completed, the address the Secretariat holds is incorrect, or because no one at the address was willing to accept the delivery. The Secretariat provides the
26 Health Estate Journal May 2020
addresses to Step Communications annually, so it is very important that as these change, they are advised to the IFHE Secretariat in Portsmouth.”
Contributions needed for the 2021 Digest
Andy Wavell continued: “The editorial panel for the IFHE Digest 2021 has now been formed, and authors’ information and subject lists have been circulated to all member organisations. I trust that you will all be looking to provide interesting articles for the next edition. Synopses and articles can be sent to
editorial@ifhedigest.com, where our new editor, Tim Probert, will be pleased to receive them.
“Clearly, I am aware of the pressures many of our members will be under day to day currently dealing with the engineering and facility
management issues around the COVID-19 virus pandemic, but I hope there will be time to find that article already written and just waiting to be sent to the Digest. Following the pandemic, I am sure there will be many topics worthy of discussion and analysis – for instance around issues encountered with medical gases, ventilation, and maintenance of vital hospital equipment while there are so many desperately sick people in hospital.”
For full details on suggested topics for an article for the IFHE Digest 2021, and guidelines for authors on word length, article format and style, and accompanying photos/other illustrations etc, please visit:
https://www.ifhe.info/ifhe-digest Authors considering contributing an article should, in the first instance, email a synopsis, in English, of about 200 words, to the editor, at Step Communications, to:
editorial@ifhedigest.com, by no later than 3 June.
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