ISHE Spring Conference – May 1-3, 2024

Save time and improve your healthcare facility and career with the news and professional network you’ll find at the ISHE Spring Conference.

AGENDA – TENTATIVE

Speaker Information

Michael S. Bernstein, MSE, MBA, PE, CHFM, CCE
Life Safety Code Surveyor
Accreditation and Certification Operations

Michael Bernstein is a part-time Life Safety Code Surveyor at The Joint Commission. In this role, he surveys under the standards in the Comprehensive Accreditation Manuals for Ambulatory Care, Behavioral Health Care, Critical Access Hospitals, Home Care, and Hospitals.

Prior to joining The Joint Commission, Mr. Bernstein served in various roles including Chief, Biomedical Engineering, Veterans Administration Hospitals (Philadelphia, Oklahoma City, Washington, DC); Director, Biomedical Engineering, Clarian Health (now IU Health) Indianapolis; and Director of Plant Operations and Engineering, Genesis Healthcare System, Zanesville, OH. Earlier, he held positions of Facilities Engineer, Director of Clinical Engineering, and Hospital Safety Director.

Mr. Bernstein maintains certification as a Certified Healthcare Facilities Manager, is certified in Clinical Engineering, and is a licensed Professional Engineer. He was an Adjunct Professor at Indiana University-Purdue University in Indianapolis (IUPUI). He is also a member of the American Society for Health Care Engineering – Institute for Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE).

Mr. Bernstein has a Bachelor’s degree in Engineering from Vanderbilt University, a Master of Science degree in Engineering from Purdue University, and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Indianapolis. He is also a Certified Yellow Belt at The Joint Commission.

Don Metcalfe, CHFM, CHOP
DNV Healthcare

Don Metcalfe enjoys working with organizations to foster a culture of safety. His impassioned approach to safety, infection prevention, and risk management in the physical environment led him to a career with DNV.

Don has 30+ years of professional safety and industrial hygiene experience, including both general industry and healthcare. Prior to joining DNV, he managed the Physical Environment program for a 600+ bed hospital along with the associated urgent care, ambulatory care, and business locations. He also worked as a consultant for healthcare organizations across the United States. His experience includes performing surveys/audits for life safety, physical environment, and infection prevention, as well as risk assessments, accident investigations, exposure monitoring, indoor air quality investigations, and ergonomic evaluations.

Currently, Don is the Certified Healthcare Operations Professional (CHOP) specialty program manager, creating content and teaching courses for the three levels of CHOP certification.
Don has a Bachelor of Science in Biology and holds certifications in Healthcare Facility Manager (CHFM) from the American Hospital Association, Healthcare Operations Professional (CHOP) from DNV Healthcare, ISO Lead Auditor, ISO 9001. Don is certified as a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt from the Institute of Industrial and System Engineers.

Richard Parker

For all aspects of facilities safety, Richard Parker supplies invaluable expertise. After five years serving as a Life Safety Surveyor for ACHC acute care hospitals and critical access hospitals, Richard transitioned in August 2022 to the role of Associate Director for Life Safety and Physical Environment. He has oversight responsibility for these areas and for Emergency Management requirements for all ACHC Accreditation programs.

Before joining ACHC, Richard had worked in hospitals since 1997 and held department responsibilities in engineering, construction, security, environmental services, food and nutrition services, patient transport, laundry and linen services, and communications. His range of experience makes him ideally suited to provide standards interpretation, post-survey support, and client education.

Richard received American Society for Health Care Engineering (ASHE) Healthcare Facility Manager Certification (CHFM) in 2001. In 2017, he earned National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Certified Life Safety Specialist for Health Care Certification (CLSS-HC). Richard is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives (FACHE) and a Fellow of the American Society for Health Care Engineering (FASHE), for which he is an active participant in the Arizona chapter.

Richard earned an MBA from Belhaven University.

Skanda Skandaverl
Division Director of Facilities Management, Energy, and Infrastructure, Midwest, at CommonSpirit Health

Skanda Skandaverl is a seasoned healthcare leader with over 32 years of progressive experience in the industry. He is currently the Division Director of Facilities Management, Energy, and Infrastructure, Midwest, at CommonSpirit Health, one of the largest nonprofit health systems in the US. He oversees the delivery of efficient, safe, and sustainable healthcare services across four states, managing a portfolio of 32 hospitals and 200 clinics.

Skanda is also the President of the American Society for Healthcare Engineering (ASHE), the largest association dedicated to optimizing the healthcare physical environment. He has been an active and influential member of ASHE since 1990, serving in various regional and national leadership roles, contributing to the development of best practices and standards, and sharing his knowledge and expertise through publications, presentations, and mentoring. Skanda is passionate about enhancing the healthcare industry and ensuring that all patients and communities receive the highest quality of care. He holds two prestigious credentials from the American Hospital Association: Certified Healthcare Facility Manager (CHFM) and Certified Healthcare Constructor (CHC). ASHE has honored Skanda with the honorary fellow status, FASHE for his contributions to the healthcare field. Skanda also has a strong background in electrical engineering and construction, which gives him a unique perspective and skill set in managing complex healthcare projects and operations.

Cancellation Policy:

• If you have an active membership, attendance is free, so there is no consequence of cancellation.
• If you are not a member, you must cancel your attendance 30 days in advance to receive a refund.
• If you are an exhibitor or sponsor, cancellation is required 90 days in advance to receive a refund.
• None of the above involves your hotel booking, as that is handled between yourself and the hotel.

Thanks to our 2024 Sponsors and Exhibitors Below!