News Release

For Immediate Release
Contact: Susan Rubin, 312.422.3810

Donald E Wojtkowski, FASHE, PE Announced as Recipient of the Excellence in Facilities Management Award

Chicago, October 26, 2009 - The American Society for Healthcare Engineering (ASHE) of the American Hospital Association (AHA) today announced Donald, E. Wojtkowski, FASHE, PE, Executive Director, Director Design & Construction, SSM Health Care, St. Louis, as the recipient of the first-ever Excellence in Facilities Management Award. This award, sponsored by Trane, will be presented annually to an ASHE member for outstanding commitment to improving the health care physical environment and through this commitment clearly demonstrates the importance of the Facility Manager's contribution to improving patient care.

Don led a team of design and construction professionals in creating a building that would provide a healing environment for patients and families, while supporting the staff in their quest to deliver exceptional care. The result of this project was SSM St. Clare Health Center; a new 154-bed LEED-certified hospital that opened March 30 in Fenton, Missouri, and replaced SSM St Joseph Hospital of Kirkwood.

Don was involved in all aspects of St. Clare's design -- from paint colors, brick details, window shades, mechanical systems, room dimensions, flooring materials, door locations, lighting types, nurse call devices, medical gas outlets, power outlets, countertop heights, elevator sizes and quantities, parking lot layouts, landscaping designs, and a multitude of other details. More than 13,000 people visited St. Clare during a two-day community open house before it served its first patient and to date St. Clare has surpassed all projections for volume and growth. The hospital's patient-centered design has gained local and national attention.

"No matter what the task or focus, Don is truly a leader. He seemed to take care of the construction issues in the background. His focus was on redesigning the patient experience from the ground up. He served as 'the voice of the patient' just as often as he served as 'the voice of the constructor'. He tolerated the remainder of the leadership team who had very little experience with construction on this scale" according to Sherry Haussmann, President - SSM St. Clare Health Center, SSM Service Line Executive, Neurosciences.

"Don has worked in the health care industry for more than four decades and throughout his career he has addressed the needs of the patient, their family and the staff," said Troy Martin, SASHE, 2009 ASHE president. "He sees himself as a care giver and I know that he has been an inspiration to many of us. There is no one more deserving of this recognition, and I am proud that we are able to recognize him with this award," he added.

About ASHE
The American Society for Healthcare Engineering (ASHE) is one of the personal membership groups of the American Hospital Association (AHA). ASHE represents a diverse network of more than 9,200 members dedicated to optimizing the health care physical environment. For information on ASHE, visit www.ashe.org.

About Trane
Trane, a business of Ingersoll Rand - the world leader in creating and sustaining safe, comfortable and energy efficient environments - improves the performance of homes and buildings around the world. Trane solutions optimize indoor environments with a broad portfolio of energy efficient heating, ventilating and air conditioning systems, building and contracting services, parts support and advanced controls for homes and commercial buildings. For more information, visit www.Trane.com.

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