Between the Lines with FGI – Details, episodes & analysis

Woven into any patient’s health care experience is the environment in which they are treated. Questions about cleanliness and quietude appear on the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey; the results of which determine how much funding is provided (or removed) from health care facilities by CMS.  

In this episode, recorded at ASHE’s Health Care Facilities Innovation Conference last month (July 2024), guests Jeff O’Neill and Kathy Easter, both of Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, engage in discussion about where the patient experience and the Guidelines (soon to be the FGI Facility Code) intersect.    

Sponsored by:  

American Society for Health Care Engineering (ASHE): Optimizing health care facilities 

Link to show notes: https://fgiguidelines.org/podcast/s2-e2-built-environment-impacts-on-operations-and-the-patient-experience

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This is your chance to weigh in! The change in title from the 2022 Guidelines for Design and Construction documents to the 2026 FGI Facility Code documents is one of several changes you will see during the 2026 draft public comment period (now through September 30, 2024). For this episode, John Williams and Leah Hummel sit down with Bridget McDougall for an overview of the draft changes discussed as part of a presentation they gave at the Health Care Facilities Innovation Conference in Anaheim, CA. From new chapters to revised requirements, hear about the language that you have an opportunity to comment on before the next edition is published in early 2026. Note: This episode was recorded on July 20, 2024, while at ASHE’s Health Care Facilities Innovation Conference in Anaheim, CA.  

Sponsored by:  

American Society for Health Care Engineering (ASHE): Optimizing health care facilities  

Link to show notes: https://fgiguidelines.org/podcast/s2e1-whats-new-in-the-2026-fgi-facility-code-drafts

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Tony Ruebsam, a self-described “cat herder” in the world of project management, warns John and Bridget that projects that get their start at the drawing board are missing a crucial step. Introduced to the functional program early in his career, Tony shares why he’s a firm believer in starting with the functional program before significant design drawings begin. 

This episode is sponsored by Northstar Management Company: "Smart Builds Start With Us."

Link to show notes:  https://fgiguidelines.org/podcast/e3-but-wait-theres-more-the-functional-program-tony-ruebsam

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Every hospital, outpatient, and residential facility you’ve stepped foot in or driven past started with an idea. On today’s episode, Ken Cates, cofounder and principal of Northstar Management Company, talks about the importance of not leaping from idea straight to design (as is often the tendency) but instead utilizing the functional program as a way of gathering input from all stakeholders and clearly identifying the purpose of the space.  

This episode is sponsored by Northstar Management Company: "Smart Builds Start With Us."

Episode Show notes with Transcript.

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Have an idea for an episode or a guest? Write to us at podcast@fgiguidelines.org.  

Interested in having us mention your company on our podcast? Visit fgiguidelines.org/podcast for information on episode sponsorship. 

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The early stories that live between the lines of the Guidelines include an intersection with Listerine (the antiseptic mouthwash) and a document that three individuals championed to keep alive in the mid-1980s.   

Doug Erickson, founder and former CEO of the Facility Guidelines Institute, joins John and Bridget for a casual conversation about the origins of the Guidelines and its impact on health and residential care settings. 

Have an idea for an episode or a guest? Write to us at podcast@fgiguidelines.org.  

Episode show notes with transcript 

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Meet John Williams and Bridget McDougall from the Facility Guidelines Institute as they set the stage for engaging conversations regarding health and residential care design and construction. What are the Guidelines, exactly, and what are the stories behind them? Get ready to “read between the lines” with FGI.

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Not an ASHE member? Didn’t attend the HCFI conference? This episode is also for you! In this bonus episode (recorded at the Health Care Facilities Innovation Conference in Anaheim, California on July 21, 2024), hosts John Williams and Bridget McDougall sit down with Leah Hummel, senior associate director of the American Society for Health Care Engineering’s (ASHE) advocacy team, to discuss the importance of reviewing and commenting on the 2026 draft FGI Facility Code documents. Leah and John touch on the presentations they’re giving at the conference, and Leah talks about the one thing she’s always stressing to ASHE members regarding FGI and the code documents. NOTE: Look for the first episode of Season 2 (released Friday, August 2, to hear an overview of the changes in the 2026 draft!    

Sponsored by:  

American Society for Health Care Engineering (ASHE): Optimizing Health Care Facilities  

Link to show notes: https://fgiguidelines.org/podcast/bonus-between-the-lines-with-ashe/

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Jane Rohde is affectionately known in FGI circles as “the mother of the Residential Guidelines.” Her passion for residential health care facility design and advocacy for the aging and vulnerable populations led to the inclusion of residential health, care, and support facilities in the Guidelines documents beginning with the 2018 edition. In this episode, Jane explains how nursing homes, initially intended for short-term care, evolved into a care model that often widens the gap between “those who have and those who have not.” Jane further emphasizes the need for community-centric design, pointing to common design mistakes including poor acoustics in large spaces, inappropriate lighting disrupting circadian rhythms, and lack of contrast in colors leading to falls. Jane also shares why a detailed functional programming process, engaging community stakeholders to identify service gaps and needs, is “the nitty gritty” that she loves the most.” 

Sponsored by: The Facility Guidelines Institute: The keystone to health care planning, design, and construction 

Link to show notes: https://fgiguidelines.org/podcast/e10-designing-care-spaces-with-our-future-selves-in-mind-jane-rohde/ 

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Addie Abushousheh shares her insights on the evolution of residential health, care, and support facility design and construction, particularly focusing on the role kitchen and dining spaces have in enhancing residents’ quality of life. Key points include shifts in language to empower residents, the importance of various kitchen types for autonomy, and the significance of dining areas for socialization and therapy. Addie highlights new language in the upcoming 2026 draft Guidelines for Design and Construction of Residential Health, Care, and Support Facilities document, emphasizing the intent to support choice for both those building these facilities and the people calling them home.  

Sponsored by:  

Specified Technologies, Inc. (STI): Your partner in barrier management solutions. 

Link to show notes https://fgiguidelines.org/podcast/e9-ding-ding-a-toast-to-residential-care-dining-spaces-addie-abushousheh

Learn more about AIA self-reporting LUs: https://fgiguidelines.org/aia-self-reporting-lus/ 

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Unless you’re an expert in acoustics, it’s likely the acoustic-related requirements in the Guidelines read like a foreign language. Acoustic engineer Mandy Kachur joins hosts John and Bridget to not only talk about the impact noise can have on patient care, but also turn a complex topic into a digestible concept. Various acoustic tables in the Guidelines are explained, touching on speech privacy, speech intelligibility, exterior noise control, and sound isolation. Mandy also cautions designers about the easiest mistake to avoid before the threat of costly retrofits and explains how reducing noise in patient care spaces can be directly tied to reimbursement.

Sponsored by: Specified Technologies, Inc.: Your partner in barrier management solutions. 

Link to show notes: https://fgiguidelines.org/podcast/e8-the-sound-of-silence-mandy-kachur/

Learn more about AIA self-reporting LUs: https://fgiguidelines.org/aia-self-reporting-lus/ 

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