Voices of ASHE

Tell us about your work. 
I am the supervisor for facilities quality and compliance for Indiana University Health’s Academic Health Center (AHC) in Indianapolis, Indiana. I deal with fire safety and utility systems compliance, which includes overseeing required documentation and working with teams to resolve life safety deficiencies and other safety issues. I also contribute to policy, education and subcommittee work and other projects.

I am also a director of the Indiana Society for Healthcare Engineering and a member of ASHE’s Equity/Diversity/Inclusion (EDI) task force.

What do you like about your work? 

What I do now really is a perfect fit for my strengths and the things that drive me: I learn something new every day, improve processes and resolve compliance and safety issues, and no two days are alike in my world.

I’m a passionate person, and I am very passionate about facilities personnel maintaining a physical environment where every patient has a chance to heal; that we – like physicians – “do no harm” and never compromise a patient’s environment of care.

I’m grateful to work for IU Health and the AHC and proud of the superior care we provide to thousands of patients every year.

What are some of the new challenges in your field?

My greatest challenge since entering the health care maintenance world has undoubtedly been the proverbial elephant in the room: entering this field as a woman, and a woman who didn’t study engineering or have any maintenance experience, was not easy.

I have met many women in our field – both owners and vendors – who share a similar story. And I know there are other underrepresented minorities who experience bias.

Serving on the ASHE EDI task force has given me confidence to stand strong in my role when frustrating situations arise. That is essentially the mission of our EDI task force: to let all ASHE members know they have a place at the table – regardless of their gender, age, race or background – and to ensure they are welcome.

Tell us how you developed professionally.

I was an education major and then spent 15 years in commercial property operations. If you told me 20 years ago that one day I would belong to an organization with ‘Engineering’ in its name, I would have laughed.

I arrived at IU Health in 2013 as a contractor to work with vendors and the maintenance department to resolve a number of outstanding LS deficiencies before our imminent Joint Commission survey. But I had no idea what even constituted “life safety,” what The Joint Commission was and how critical an accreditation survey was.

In seven years, I have learned and done more than I ever imagined. I know from experience it can be daunting when you transition into this world. Serving on the ISHE Board and being an active ASHE member has allowed me to meet others who are also passionate about supporting patient safety, and it’s given me the opportunity to help develop meaningful education and training. I’ve expanded my knowledge and professional growth by learning from others with a wide variety of experience.

Being chosen by one of ASHE’s major sponsors last year to participate in ASHE’s four-year Leadership Institute was also a great honor and has also expanded my network with many “shining stars”  in our field.

Who influenced you the most in your career? 

My dad, Martin Luther King, Jr., a boss I loved, and a boss I did not love – all for various reasons.

There are of dozens of colleagues who have influenced me since joining this industry. One thing I really love is the sense of community. There’s less competition and more sharing of best practices and information than in other fields. The sharing of this information is invaluable – especially during extraordinary times such as the COVID pandemic.

What do you aspire to do moving forward? 

I hope to survey for an accrediting organization and then move on to consulting. I love being able to help others solve problems and implement best practices, so I think those are natural next steps in the evolution of my career.  

I also hope to become the first female president of ASHE.  

Tell us about your time away from work. 

I’m mom to three boys: 21, 17 and 16. I love to travel, cross items off my bucket list, ride my Harley, attend concerts, listen to music and read. I’m a huge fan of the St. Louis Cardinals and the Green Bay Packers. I also like to write and send old-fashioned handwritten letters and cards. It’s a lost art.