News Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 26, 2011

Contact: Deanna Martin dmartin@aha.org 312-422-3819

Submit Proposed Changes to FGI Guidelines Before Oct. 31 Deadline

CHICAGO – Heath care facility managers, administrators, engineers, designers, medical professionals and others involved in the design and construction of health care facilities are encouraged to submit proposed changes to the 2010 edition of the Guidelines for Design and Construction of Health Care Facilities before an important deadline October 31, 2011.

If you have used the Facility Guidelines Institute (FGI) Guidelines to help plan a health care facility project, did you run across language you found unclear? Do you think any requirements in the Guidelines are too strict or not stringent enough? Would you like to see requirements for a particular hospital unit or outpatient facility type added to the text? Submit a proposal on the Facility Guidelines Institute proposal site: www.fgiguidelines.net/proposals.

The 130-member multidisciplinary Health Guidelines Revision Committee will consider all proposals received by the public. The American Society for Healthcare Engineering (ASHE), which partners with FGI to publish the Guidelines, encourages health care professionals in a variety of roles to make their voices heard before the October 31, 2011, deadline for accepting suggested changes.

The proposal submittal period is the first step in the revision process that will ultimately result in the 2014 edition of the document. A second public input period will occur after a draft of the 2014 Guidelines has been released.

The FGI Guidelines are updated every four years and are currently used by more than 42 states and several federal agencies to regulate health care facility design and construction. For more information about the Guidelines or the proposal period, visit the FGI website at www.fgiguidelines.org.

About ASHE
ASHE is a personal membership group of the American Hospital Association. More than 10,500 members count ASHE as a key source of professional development, industry information, and advocacy, including representation on key issues that affect their work in the physical health care environment. For more information about ASHE, contact 312-422-3800 or visit www.ashe.org.

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