The purpose of this research is to better understand the current state of US healthcare FM industry hiring practices from FM academic programs. A national survey was distributed to healthcare FM directors to collect quantifiable information on healthcare organizations and their hiring practices from FM academic programs. Survey respondents that hired directly from an academic program were contacted for phone interviews. Results indicate that the healthcare FM industry is hiring very few college interns and new college graduates for entry-level management jobs. This paper is valuable in establishing the current state of the US healthcare industry's hiring practices from FM academic programs. Results will be used to better understand the needs and barriers of entry-level FM employment from FM academic programs as a potential source for new talent to the healthcare FM industry.
LITERATURE REVIEWAn extensive literature review found no published research on the healthcare FM industry's hiring practices
The purpose of this paper is to present a case study on the application of the Lean Six Sigma (LSS) quality improvement methodology to facilities management (FM) services at a healthcare organization. Research literature was reviewed concerning whether or not LSS has been applied in healthcare-based FM, but no such studies have been published. This paper aims to address the lack of an applicable methodology for LSS intervention within the context of healthcare-based FM. The Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control (DMAIC) framework was followed to test the hypothesis that LSS can improve the service provided by an FM department responsible for the maintenance and repair of furniture and finishes at a large healthcare organization in the southwest United States of America. Quality improvement curricula and resources offered by the case study organization equipped the FM department to apply LSS over the course of a five-month period. Qualitative data were gathered from pre-and post-intervention surveys while quantitative data were gathered with the Organization's computerized maintenance management system (CMMS) software. Overall, LSS application proved to be useful for the intended purpose. The authors proposes that application of LSS by other FM departments to improve their services could also be successful, which is noteworthy and deserving of continued research.
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