By Mackenna Moralez

2022 was anything but easy for healthcare facilities. Between navigating the COVID-19 pandemic, labor shortages, extreme weather and security events, facilities managers have been put through the ringer. As the healthcare industry remains in the spotlight, managers have taken to complying with constantly changing regulations and standards. Saying goodbye to 2022 will be easy, but managers will remember it for a host of reasons.  

"This year has been a challenging one,” says Dan Weltin, editor-in-chief for the facility market. “The COVID-19 pandemic showed how critical facility management is to building occupant safety, but unfortunately, the choked supply chain and lack of candidates to fill open positions have made it difficult for managers to succeed. We are proud that Healthcare Facilities Today was educational resources that could provide facility managers with the answers they needed." 

The most read Healthcare Facilities Today articles of 2022 discuss a range of topics impacting healthcare facility management. Whether the topic is new construction, hospital design or safety strategies, these articles offered insights and information to help managers succeed now and know what to expect in 2023: 

10.) The Great Resignation: More Employees Plan to Quit in 2022 

Despite unemployment reaching record-level lows, managers are still struggling with recruiting and retaining new employees in order to address the ongoing labor shortage. The Great Resignation did not occur because people did not want to work. It happened because what is required from employers has drastically changed. 

9.) VA Recommends Closing Hospitals in System Overhaul 

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) system serves about 9 million veterans nationwide through 171 medical facilities and more than 1,000 outpatient care locations. In its Asset and Infrastructure Review (AIR) report, the VA recommended closing three of its hospitals as part of an overhaul that includes opening new facilities to expand care for veterans. 

8.) OSHA Works Toward Standard to Protect Healthcare Workers 

The Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) worked to develop a standard to protect healthcare and healthcare support service workers from workplace exposure to the COVID-19 virus. 

7.) What Monkeypox Means for Environmental Services 

A monkeypox outbreak earlier this summer kept healthcare facilities on high alert. Fortunately, patients with diagnosed cases of monkeypox rarely become sick enough to be hospitalized, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC). In this article, Darrel J. Hicks discusses what managers need to know regarding cleaning and disinfecting surfaces. 

6.) How Will Technology Change the Healthcare Industry? 

With more software and technology being implemented in healthcare facilities, many managers wonder how the industry will change. In this manufacturer roundtable, Healthcare Facilities Today talks with manufacturers on ways emerging technologies will change healthcare facilities. 

5.) One Dead, Several Injured After Explosion at Retirement Home 

One person died after an accidental human-caused fire started at Columbia Hills Retirement Center in St. Helens, Oregon, on Oct. 5. The fire was caused by oxygen cylinders. 

4.) Dallas Hospital Shooting Leaves Two Dead 

Nestor Hernandez, 30, is facing capital murder charges after authorities say he shot and killed two employees at the Methodist Dallas Medical Center, the Dallas Police Department said. Police responded to the hospital after receiving reports of an active shooting. 

3.) One Killed in Shooting at CHI St. Vincent North Hospital 

One person was shot and killed at CHI St. Vincent North hospital in Sherwood, Arkansas, after a gunman opened fire in a targeted assault. The hospital was placed on lockdown as officers worked to clear the facility. 

2.) Cleveland Clinic Announces $1.3 Billion in Facilities Projects 

Cleveland Clinic announced plans for $1.3 billion in new construction, expansion and renovation projects for its facilities. Tom Mihaljevic, the clinic’s CEO and president, made the announcement during the annual State of the Clinic address. 

1.) Construction Prepares Retirement Community for Hurricanes 

For Justin Schiff and his team at Shell Point Retirement Community in Fort Myers, Florida, a reminder of the threat hurricanes pose to facilities came in 2017, when Hurricane Irma struck 20 miles south of the facility. Shell Point’s facilities were not harmed, but the message was clear. 

Mackenna Moralez is the associate editor of the facilities market.