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phiConstruction - Water Management for Construction

Posted by Monica Keil on Jan 28, 2020 4:25:13 PM

Phigenics announces the introduction of their new phiConstruction℠ service offering. phiConstruction addresses Water Management for Construction (WMC) to manage known construction risk factors within an organization's water management program (WMP).

The service allows building owners to reduce the potential for growth and spread of Legionella and other waterborne pathogens in building water systems for alignment with ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 188:2018. To achieve alignment with industry standards such as ANSI ASHRAE 188:2018, building owners are required to perform WMP surveys for existing buildings, and surveys prior to any renovation, addition or modification to an existing building, as well as prior to occupancy of any new building.

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Topics: phiConstruction, Water Management for Construction, New Service

Strengthen the Defensibility of Your Water Management Program

Posted by William McCoy, PhD on Jan 9, 2019 2:21:46 PM

I’m pleased to announce the release of phiAnalytics™, our advanced, state-of-the-art information management system designed to help you achieve compliance with water safety standards and strengthen the defensibility of your organization’s water management program. 

The innovative people at Phigenics in our Information Technology, Research and Sales Support groups have developed a comprehensive, cloud-based software platform, which is built-to-scale using industry-leading best practices. It centralizes all aspects of your water management program onto an easy-to-use, highly secure website, thus providing more efficient documentation of defensible, sustainable, safe and cost-effective water use in your facilities.

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Topics: Research & Innovation, phiAnalytics

Has Your Water Management Program had a Check-Up Lately?

Posted by Margaret Jasinski on Sep 26, 2018 11:57:35 AM

Margaret Jasinski is an Account Manager for Phigenics. She oversees accounts within the Central Florida region and creates comprehensive water management programs for her clients. Margaret enjoys discussions about public health strategies, health reform and policy, and mindful leadership.                                                                       

As Public Health Professionals, it is imperative to engage with our hospital communities to ensure patient safety goals are being met at the highest standards and with best practices. The leaders at the forefront of driving this culture within healthcare are most likely Infection Preventionists (IPs), which in the past were referred to as Infection Control Professionals. The terminology shift from “control” to “prevention” indicates how this profession has evolved, and how now, more than ever, prevention aligns with proactivity and defensibility. This paradigm shift is further supported by the APIC Competency Model for Infection Preventionists, which is composed of three main pillars - Leadership and Program Management, Infection Prevention & Control, and Performance Improvement and Implementation - all related through program planning, active surveillance, monitoring, verification and validation of any patient-centered wellness initiative.

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Topics: water management programs, infection prevention, infection control, public health, FPIC, NPSG, ANSI ASHRAE 188, CMS Memo, legionellosis, APIC

Water Safety During Construction

Posted by Molly M. Scanlon, PhD, FAIA, FACHA on Apr 6, 2018 4:16:48 PM

Molly M. Scanlon, PhD, FAIA, FACHA is an Environmental and Occupational Health Scientist, as well as a licensed and certified Healthcare Architect currently working with Phigenics as the Director of Research and Innovation. She has more than 25 years of planning and design experience for healthcare settings to create environments benefiting the health, safety, and welfare of patients, nurses, physicians, and staff. Dr. Scanlon is serving as: an adjunct faculty member at the University of Arizona – College of Public Health; an appointed member of the American Institute of Architects Design and Health Leadership Group; a Fellow in the American Institute of Architects; and a Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Architects.                                                                             

Healthcare facilities with concerns about immunocompromised patients have been early adopters of water safety standards to maintain a healthy built environment. With the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) publication of Memo 17-30, healthcare facilities (acute care, critical access hospitals, and skilled nursing facilities) will need to survey their facilities for water safety not only for existing buildings, but also before construction begins for renovations, additions, or modifications to existing buildings, and prior to occupancy of a new building. 

This is a lofty goal when there has been minimal training of facility management and infection preventionist professionals about the dangers of construction activities impacting waterborne pathogens and ensuing disease in patient care settings. In addition to identifying the hazards, there has been minimal effort and a lack of understanding about establishing hazard controls, locations for controls,monitoring procedures, control limits, and corrective actions, as well as the necessary verification and validation procedures. 

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Topics: legionella, ASHRAE Standard 188, CDC Legionella Standards, water management programs, ICRA, Water Safety, Research & Innovation, Working Pressure Magazine

National Public Health Week: Providing Quality Care Environments

Posted by Margaret Jasinski on Mar 15, 2018 3:14:38 PM

Margaret Jasinski is an Account Manager for Phigenics. She oversees Phigenics accounts within the Central Florida region and creates comprehensive water management programs for her clients. Margaret enjoys discussions about public health strategies, health reform and policy, and mindful leadership.                                                                                

The American Public Health Association (APHA) champions the health of all people and communities. Every year, through its strong commitment to service, APHA hosts a National Public Health Week (NPHW). This year, April 2 - 8, kicks off NPHW - Healthiest Nation 2030, a theme that highlights public health education and community awareness. Some areas of focus for 2018 are: achieving the power of prevention, advocating for healthy and fair policies, sharing strategies for successful partnerships and championing the role of a strong public health system.

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Topics: legionella testing company, water management programs, National Public Health Week, APHA, CDC, American Public Health Association, NPHW, ASHRAE

CMS Requirement to Reduce Legionella Risk in Healthcare Facilities

Posted by William McCoy, PhD on Mar 7, 2018 4:51:07 PM

Phigenics was launched because we realized that disease and injury caused by Legionella and other waterborne pathogens was an enormous problem that we could help solve. Tens of thousands of people were being unnecessarily harmed and billions of dollars wasted every year because building water systems were being mismanaged.

Today, the problem persists, but the future is bright because a tremendous amount of positive change has occurred, especially in the last 3 years.

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Topics: legionella, legionella risk management, ASHRAE Standard 188, legionella consultant, water management programs, CMS 17-30, legionella prevention, CMS Requirements, independent water management programs

Benefits of a Water Management and Legionella Prevention Program

Posted by Turner Tomlinson on Mar 5, 2018 4:52:55 PM

Phigenics' Legionella consultant and phiSAT account manager, Turner Tomlinson has worked with facility water management teams ranging from healthcare to hospitality to manufacturing. Tomlinson shares the benefits organization's receive as a result developing and operating an ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 188 and CMS 17-30 compliant Water Management Program.                                                                                

We all know the feeling: you get to work, check a few emails, and it’s starting to look like a pretty calm day. At the exact moment you dare to think this—that’s when the phone rings. A water leak, busted pipe, or the hot water isn’t getting hot, or there is a flow issue. Maybe something worse than mechanical failure, maybe the city just put up a boil water notice or infection control has determined that a patient has acquired legionellosis and they suspect it was from your water system. The boots-on-the-ground work of water management seems to occur in cycles like this. Periods of calm, regular operation punctuated by instances of major activity when there’s an issue. And, of course, it’s usually in the middle of a crisis that someone brings up the regulatory requirements you should be meeting—just when you don’t have time to calmly and thoroughly review them.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued such a Requirement related to water safety on June 2, 2017. The CMS now “expects Medicare certified healthcare facilities to have water management policies and procedures to reduce the risk of growth and spread of Legionella and other opportunistic pathogens in building water systems.” To put it very clearly, if you have responsibility for the water systems in your healthcare facility, you must:

  • Conduct a facility risk assessment to identify where Legionella and other opportunistic waterborne pathogens (e.g., Pseudomonas, Acinetobacter, Burkholderia, Stenotrophomonas, nontuberculous mycobacteria, and fungi) could grow and spread in the facility water system.
  • Implement a water management program that considers the ASHRAE (188) industry standard and the CDC Toolkit, and includes control measures such as physical controls, temperature management, disinfectant level control, visual inspections, and environmental testing for pathogens.
  • Specify testing protocols and acceptable ranges for control measures, and document the results of testing and corrective actions taken when control limits are not maintained.
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Topics: legionella, legionella risk management, ASHRAE Standard 188, legionella testing company, legionella consultant, water management programs, CMS 17-30

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The Water Manager provides facility managers and building owners with non-conflicted and defensible guidance to create safer, more efficient water systems. Subscribe to learn best practices from independent experts on reducing cost and increasing safety. We never sell water treatment products--our only bias is providing meaningful and accurate information.