FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 22, 2024

Outstanding achievement in health care facilities management recognized with 2024 ASHE Awards

CHICAGO — The American Society for Health Care Engineering (ASHE), a professional membership group of the American Hospital Association (AHA), celebrates the outstanding achievements by members to improve the health care physical environment with its annual member awards. Awardees will be recognized during the inaugural Health Care Facilities Innovation Conference (formerly the ASHE Annual Conference & Technical Exhibition), taking place July 21-24 in Anaheim, Calif.

The Crystal Eagle Leadership Award, considered ASHE’s lifetime achievement award, is presented to Daniel J. Campbell, CHFM, FASHE, regulatory compliance officer at Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia.

Campbell has been an active ASHE member for more than four decades, particularly at the chapter level, serving two years as president of the Hospital Facility Managers Association of Delaware Valley. He served for 28 years on the facilities staff at Jeanes Hospital in Philadelphia, and retired as director of facilities before returning to the workforce as senior facilities manager at Temple University Hospital. Campbell’s expertise in health care compliance led to him becoming one of The Joint Commission’s first Life Safety Code surveyors, a position he held concurrently with his tenure at Temple University Hospital. His numerous accomplishments within ASHE include providing the initial impetus for the Certified Health Care Facilities Manager (CHFM) certification, now the industry standard for the health care facilities management profession. He was also among the first professionals to become CHFM certified.

“The ASHE community owes a debt of gratitude to Dan. His longtime campaign for certification has helped generations of health care facilities managers benchmark their skills and advance their careers,” says Chad Beebe, AIA, CHFM, FASHE, ASHE’s Deputy Executive Director of Regulatory Affairs. “He is a true servant leader whose deep desire to help people has been a great benefit to ASHE and its members.”

ASHE President’s Award Presented to George A. “Skip” Smith

The ASHE President’s Award, which is given at the discretion of the sitting ASHE president to an individual who goes above and beyond to optimize the health care physical environment, is presented to George A. “Skip” Smith, SASHE, of Hilliard, Ohio.

Smith has more than 30 years of experience in health care, with expertise in facilities management, health care construction, support services and clinical engineering. Prior to his current role as senior consultant with MSL Healthcare Partners, he served for 23 years with Catholic Health Initiatives. Most recently, in his capacity as system vice president of physical asset services for the organization, he co-chaired the merger with Dignity Health to become CommonSpirit Health. Smith is a longtime member of the ASHE community, holding leadership positions at the chapter level as well as on the ASHE Advisory Board as Region 5 representative and later as ASHE president. He has served on numerous ASHE member committees and is also the primary author of Introduction to Health Care Facilities Management, the award-winning first volume in ASHE’s Health Care Facilities Management Handbook Series.

“Skip’s involvement with ASHE has not been about his own personal growth, but about creating opportunities for others,” says ASHE President Skanda Skandaverl, MBA, CHFM, CHC, FASHE. “His unwavering commitment to the advancement of ASHE's mission resonates deeply with all who have had the privilege of working alongside him, and his leadership, vision and friendship have changed our profession for the better.”

New SASHE and FASHE Members Recognized

Additionally, ASHE recognizes members who attained senior (SASHE) and fellow (FASHE) status within ASHE this year at the Health Care Facilities Innovation Conference.

The FASHE designation is bestowed upon those who have been ASHE members in good standing for at least 10 years and have contributed to the field through education, leadership and written contributions. The following members are new FASHE recipients: 

• Anne Guglielmo, CHFM, CFPS, CHSP, FASHE, LEED AP, NIKA Solutions, San Antonio 
• Joshua Brackett, PE, CHFM, FASHE, Banner Health/Legacy FM, Phoenix

The SASHE designation is bestowed on those who have been ASHE members in good standing for at least five years and have supported ASHE in terms of education and leadership. This year, ASHE recognizes Caleb Haynes, PE, SASHE, vice president of business development at Bernhard in Birmingham, Ala., as its newest SASHE recipient.

Emerging Regional Leader Awards Recognize Health Care Engineering, Facility Management Excellence

ASHE’s Emerging Regional Leader Award recognizes young professionals and individuals new to the field for their contributions to the areas of health care engineering and facility management; planning, design and construction; safety; clinical and biomedical engineering; and technical management. 

• Region 1: Wallace Rucki, CHFM, Northeast Hospital Corporation – A Member of Beth Israel Lahey Health, Beverly, Mass. 
• Region 2: Donald Kirk, CHFM, CHC, Temple University Hospital – Jeanes Campus, Philadelphia
• Region 3: Steven Atkins, CHFM, Methodist LeBonheur Healthcare – University Campus, Memphis, Tenn.
• Region 4: Ryan Hamner, Cooper Green Mercy Health Services, Birmingham, Ala.
• Region 5: Rachel Hutzel, Medxcel, Chicago
• Region 6: Amanda Swanson, CHFM, Mayo Clinic Health System, Red Wing, Minn.
• Region 7: Martin Albores, CHFM, Woman's Hospital, Baton Rouge, La.
• Region 8: Leslie Thornburg, CHFM, Mercy Health, St. Louis
• Region 9: Melissa Dominguez, Tucson Medical Center, Tucson, Ariz.
• Region 10: Darin Nakagawa, VA Pacific Islands Health Care System, Honolulu

For more information on ASHE awards, visit ashe.org/awards.