Repaving the ASHE Advocacy Highway

The ASHE Advocacy Highway is a two-way means of communication between ASHE and its chapters. The new effort to “repave” the Advocacy Highway aims to reenergize communications and improve advocacy efforts at the national, state, and local level. The ASHE Advocacy Highway

Advocacy Work Affects You Ever asked yourself questions like: “The code says I have to do what? Who writes these things? Do they have any idea how things work in the real world?” Through the process of advocacy, ASHE members have caused obsolete standards to be replaced and performance-based standards to be adopted.

Poor Codes Cost Money Without Improving Safety ASHE estimates that hospitals spend more than $4 billion a year because of conflicting codes and standards, overregulation, unjustified code enforcement, and misinterpretations. Even things that may seem small and not worth fighting in an individual hospital could have a profound effect nationwide.

Sample Poor Code Interpretation A 2010 citation from a state fire marshal required OR supply cabinets to have automatic sprinkler heads installed inside, or holes drilled in the top of, each cabinet. If all states required sprinklers in OR cabinets, the estimated cost to the health care industry would exceed $425 million.

Sample Poor Code Interpretation CMS surveyors have cited numerous facilities for microwave ovens and toasters not listed as “hospital-grade” – even though no “hospital- grade” microwaves or toasters are currently available on the market. Assuming commercial-grade appliances would satisfy CMS, this interpretation could cost the health care industry $30 million.

Importance of Sharing Information ASHE advocacy leaders can act to help rectify inappropriate code interpretations where appropriate. They can also use information from one facility to make the case for uniform application of codes and standards nationally. But that can only happen if ASHE advocacy leaders know about the problems. That’s why communications through the Advocacy Highway are so critical.

Learning from ASHE ASHE provides chapter advocacy liaisons with up-to-date information on national advocacy issues affecting health care facilities. ASHE provides resources and tools to empower chapter advocacy liaisons. Learning from Liaisons ASHE wants to hear from chapter liaisons about regulatory issues affecting chapter members. ASHE will use this information, collected nationwide, to help build the case for uniformly applied and interpreted codes, which could save billions of dollars. The Highway Is a Two-Way Street

Repaving Work Underway ASHE advocacy leaders met in December with chapter advocacy liaisons from Gold- and Platinum-level ASHE chapters. ASHE staff and the liaisons will continue to communicate so that information moves quickly along the Advocacy Highway.

How Chapters Can Help Spend a few minutes of chapter meetings discussing codes and standards issues affecting your members. Report poor code interpretations or other advocacy information to ASHE through the Advocacy Highway website form: ml/communicate.dhtml ml/communicate.dhtml

Get Involved ASHE is a member-based organization: “We are ASHE.” Getting involved with the code development process can impact codes and potentially save your facilities money and time. To get involved, contact your chapter advocacy liaison or ASHE Director of Codes and Standards Chad Beebe: