West Virginia Society for Healthcare Engineering News

ASHE HFM Insider Article

Darian Swiger SASHE, CHFM, CLSS-HC — Tue, 11 Aug 2026 14:43:27 GMT

Member Tools Committee shares facilities management best practices, video how-tos.

WVSHE ANNOUNCES - Member Reimbursement Program!

Darian Swiger SASHE, CHFM, CLSS-HC — Sun, 09 Aug 2026 14:10:52 GMT

I am proud to announce that WVSHE will pay for your Training and Certifications. At our Annual Conference last year, it was voted to approve a Reimbursement program for WVSHE Active Voting Members and Associate Members. To qualify you need to meet a simple criteria...

You must be an Active Member or Associate Member with Paid Dues.

You must have attended One WVSHE event in the last Year.

You must provide proof of the Training or Testing that you took with a valid receipt.

With this Criteria met, WVSHE will reimburse you for the cost of the Education or Certification!!

Proedge FM Newsletter August 3 2026

Darian Swiger SASHE, CHFM, CLSS-HC — Mon, 03 Aug 2026 14:06:38 GMT

Welcome to the third issue of the PROEDGE FM newsletter. This early fall brings two exciting milestones: the relaunch of our website and a new webinar series featuring Jim Kendig, VP of Compliance Services. Prior to joining PROEDGE FM, Jim served as Field Director for the Life Safety Code Surveyors/Engineers at Joint Commission, where he oversaw half of the surveyors specializing in life safety, physical environment, and emergency management standards. That experience translates directly into the guidance he brings to our clients— guidance that reflects our larger purpose.

STI Firestop SYNC Announced!

Darian Swiger SASHE, CHFM, CLSS-HC — Fri, 31 Jul 2026 00:46:39 GMT

.Firestop SYNC is a connected digital solution that transforms how firestopping is designed, managed, verified, and maintained. By connecting Barrier Management Program (BMP), Firestop Clash Manager (FCM), and Firestop Locator (FSL) into a unified workflow, SYNC helps address longstanding industry challenges, including inconsistent standards, complex coordination across trades, and limited visibility into field installations.

"CMS Newsroom" - CMS Medicaid Fraud War Room Stops More Than $203 Million in Improper Payments During First 88 Days

Darian Swiger SASHE, CHFM, CLSS-HC — Wed, 29 Jul 2026 00:24:02 GMT

CMS Medicaid Fraud War Room Stops More Than $203 Million in Improper Payments During First 88 Days

50 high-risk providers identified through coordinated federal, state enforcement actions

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that enforcement efforts from its Medicaid Fraud War Room (MFWR) stopped more than $203 million in potentially improper Medicaid payments in just under 90 days, highlighting significant progress in protecting taxpayer dollars and strengthening Medicaid program integrity. Since its launch on April 23, the MFWR has coordinated actions against 50 unique, high-risk Medicaid providers identified through advanced data analytics and representing more than $203 million in Medicaid payments subject to federal exclusions and state enforcement efforts.

“Every dollar lost to Medicaid fraud is a dollar taken away from vulnerable Americans who rely on it,” said CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz. “In just under 90 days, the Medicaid Fraud War Room has proved that these losses aren’t inevitable and has shown Americans what we can accomplish with robust federal-state partnerships, advanced data analytics, and a real sense of urgency. We’ve made significant progress toward crushing waste, fraud, and abuse, but we’re not done yet. If you steal from Medicaid, we will track you down, cut you off, and work to ensure that every taxpayer dollar we spend funds quality care for eligible beneficiaries.”

To date, MFWR activities have resulted in:

Forty-two Federal Notices of Intent to Exclude providers from federal healthcare programs were issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (OIG), representing approximately $160.7 million in Medicaid payments since January 1, 2025.
Fifteen state enforcement actions were taken against providers based on MFWR referrals, representing approximately $46.2 million in Medicaid payments since January 1, 2025.
Seven of these providers were subject to both federal and state action, meaning that 50 unique providers have been identified, representing approximately $203.3 million in Medicaid payments since January 1, 2025.

“The Medicaid Fraud War Room is what modern program integrity looks like: federal and state partners working off the same data, in real time, to stop bad actors before more taxpayer dollars go out the door,” said CMS Deputy Administrator and Chief Operating Officer Kim Brandt. “Fifty providers and $203 million in just 88 days is not a coincidence — it’s the result of tighter coordination, better analytics, and a workforce that treats fraud prevention as core mission work, not an afterthought.”

The MFWR was established in coordination with the White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud and brings together CMS, OIG, state Medicaid agencies, and federal law enforcement partners to identify and rapidly address high-risk providers.

Building on the success of CMS’s Medicare Fraud Defense Operations Center, the MFWR uses advanced analytics to identify suspicious billing patterns, generate investigative leads, and coordinate rapid enforcement actions across federal and state partners.

ASHE Region 3 Newsletter Summer 2026

Darian Swiger SASHE, CHFM, CLSS-HC — Fri, 17 Jul 2026 19:03:35 GMT

Terracon News : Bridging the Gap between Site Selection to Construction

Darian Swiger SASHE, CHFM, CLSS-HC — Thu, 16 Jul 2026 16:12:59 GMT

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The gap between choosing a project site and beginning construction can be filled with questions about the potential impact of contaminants, studying and addressing the presence of historical and cultural resources, or planning for future operational use. These challenges are distinct from each other, but the path to the right solutions is the same - and starts here.

Terracon's national network of professionals helps you navigate each of these challenges and more, so they won't detour you on the path to construction.

Here's how we clear the way

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Building Environmental Sciences (BES)
Some buildings stand - make yours stand the test of time

Hazardous and regulated building materials - such as asbestos, lead-based paint, and others - pose serious risks to the health of people and project schedules alike if they're not properly identified and understood.

Blending environmental science, program management, and engineering expertise to improve building systems performance, we help make your occupants safer and your investments perform like a dream. Here's how.

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Archaeology and Historical Resources Science, teamwork, and care combine on special project

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Terracon archaeologists recently traveled to Germany to participate in the recovery investigation for a B-17 crew member missing since a 1944 mission.

Here at home, our cultural resource teams bring the same expertise to help clients nationwide plan for federal, state, and local compliance requirements to support project success and preserve our shared history.

Learn more about this unique project.

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Site Investigation and Remediation
Bringing understanding and clarity to PFAS questions

Concerned that PFAS might impact your project site? Get the expertise and partnership you need to navigate identification, source differentiation, and planning for these chemicals.

With our deep environmental experience, anywhere along the project lifecycle, you gain clarity, compliance, and peace of mind at every step of your PFAS Journey. Find out more.

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Unique solutions set solid foundation for healthcare facility

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Test borings for a new 632,000-square-foot critical care building for Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center – its largest expansion in 138 years – revealed an unwelcome surprise. Our team’s long history with the site was key to developing cost-saving solutions on what became an award-winning project. Learn more.

HFM Magazine Digital Editions Available

Darian Swiger SASHE, CHFM, CLSS-HC — Wed, 15 Jul 2026 14:57:20 GMT

ASHE Publications - The Facilities Management Handbook

Darian Swiger SASHE, CHFM, CLSS-HC — Mon, 13 Jul 2026 14:16:47 GMT

Modernize your approach to protect patients, preserve physical assets and maximize uptime

The new Health Care Maintenance and Operations: The Facilities Management Handbook from ASHE helps healthcare facilities leaders take a more proactive, data-informed approach to maintenance and operations

ASHE Sustainability Newsletter Q2 2026

Darian Swiger SASHE, CHFM, CLSS-HC — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 19:01:10 GMT

ASHE HFM Article

Darian Swiger SASHE, CHFM, CLSS-HC — Mon, 22 Jun 2026 01:31:49 GMT

Check out this HFM Insider article : "CMS sharpens oversight for survey noncompliance."

"CMS Newsroom" - CMS Ensures Accrediting Organizations Uphold Trust in Standards and Oversight

Darian Swiger SASHE, CHFM, CLSS-HC — Fri, 12 Jun 2026 15:08:47 GMT

CMS Ensures Accrediting Organizations Uphold Trust in Standards and Oversight

Final Rule Reduces Burden and Strengthens Patient Safety

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is taking steps to improve healthcare quality and patient safety through enhanced oversight of Accrediting Organizations (AO). Today’s final rule, Strengthening Oversight of AO and Preventing AO Conflicts of Interest, ensures that the organizations responsible for the oversight of more than 9,000 healthcare providers and suppliers use Medicare standards, and creates greater consistency between State Survey Agencies (SAs) and AOs in their respective survey processes. These changes will reduce provider burden, strengthen survey policies, and increase transparency.

“The work accrediting organizations do is vital, but it also raises an age-old question: who watches the watchmen? The answer is, we do,” said CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz. “With this new rule, CMS is advancing its commitment to upholding rigorous standards for accrediting organizations and ensuring the health and safety of American patients.”

Today’s final rule is designed to:

Ensure AO accreditation standards continue to meet or exceed those of the Medicare program.
Align accreditation and survey processes with CMS requirements.
Confirm AO enforcement of CMS requirements.
Reinforce that all accredited entities must deliver safe, effective care.
Prevent AO conflicts of interest that may arise from related consulting services.

Additionally, the rule creates a brand new process for monitoring AO performance; establishes consistent standards, processes, and definitions; updates validation and performance systems; requires AO surveyors to take the same CMS training as SA surveyors; and reduces burden on SAs, AOs, and providers by streamlining the CMS AO validation process.

Certified facilities, whether surveyed by state agencies or AOs, must meet the same rigorous health and safety standards. The rule requires accreditation surveys be conducted without advance notice, ensuring consistency with previously established CMS policy.

The rule addresses longstanding concerns by prohibiting AOs from conducting mock surveys for providers they accredit before initial surveys and within 12 months of re-accreditation. This prohibition helps ensure consulting activities do not compromise the objectivity and integrity of the accreditation process. Additionally, variability in accreditation standards has led to inconsistent survey findings and enforcement across Medicare-certified facilities. This rule establishes clear, uniform requirements to eliminate ambiguity. By applying Medicare conditions and requirements as the baseline standards, CMS ensures the application of consistent safety requirements across facilities.

"CMS Newsroom" : CMS Takes Bold New Approach to Stewarding Medicaid Demonstration Project Spending

Darian Swiger SASHE, CHFM, CLSS-HC — Thu, 11 Jun 2026 15:03:38 GMT

CMS Takes Bold New Approach to Stewarding Medicaid Demonstration Project Spending

Plans to Update Section 1115 Medicaid Demonstration Budget Neutrality Policy Will Strengthen Accountability and Protect Federal Taxpayers

With nearly one-third of all federal Medicaid dollars flowing through demonstration projects, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is issuing new guidance about its plans to strengthen budget neutrality standards for Medicaid section 1115 demonstrations. While states use demonstrations to test innovative ways to deliver care and improve health outcomes, the bounds of what is considered “budget neutral” have expanded over time to reflect evolving policy priorities and increased section 1115 demonstration spending. This new guidance previews CMS’ plans to propose a rule that would ensure consistent oversight and clear budget neutrality requirements for proposed demonstration projects, which will help states cost-effectively enhance programs and ensure fiscal integrity, while lowering costs and improving outcomes.

“Medicaid works best when states can innovate and are held accountable for results,” said CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz. “The budget neutrality requirements we plan to propose are designed to ensure that testing new ideas doesn’t cost taxpayers more than current approaches, while improving health outcomes for the people we serve. We're committed to making this transition smooth for states.”

Part of the Working Families Tax Cut (WFTC) legislation requires the CMS Chief Actuary to certify that Medicaid section 1115 demonstrations are budget neutral, meaning they will not cost the federal government more than running Medicaid programs the usual way. Beginning January 1, 2027, CMS will not approve new demonstrations, demonstration renewals, or demonstration amendments unless the CMS Chief Actuary certifies that the demonstration project is not expected to increase federal spending compared to the state’s Medicaid program without the demonstration.

To aid state planning efforts, CMS is publishing this guidance to provide states with early notice regarding the changes to budget neutrality that CMS intends to propose to implement this new requirement. CMS expects to begin applying the approach described in this guidance to new demonstration, amendment, and renewal approvals until a final rule is effective, in light of the statutory language requiring the Chief Actuary’s certification for these demonstration approvals on or after January 1, 2027.

Medicaid section 1115 demonstrations have long served as policy laboratories through which states might modify coverage or test new care models, subject to required evaluation standards. Although CMS has historically required budget neutrality as a condition of its approval of demonstrations, budget neutrality has never been required in statute, and CMS has applied shifting methodologies to determining budget neutrality over time. Our planned guidelines would establish a more rigorous, transparent, and consistent quantitative framework for evaluating budget neutrality before demonstrations are approved.

The requirements we are developing are expected to:

Implement the statutory requirement for an independent certification of a demonstration’s budget neutrality by the CMS Chief Actuary;
Ensure states clearly demonstrate how proposals will be budget neutral through improved beneficiary health outcomes;
Maintain state flexibility to test new approaches within defined fiscal guardrails; and
Strengthen accountability and support careful stewardship of federal dollars to deliver measurable value for patients and taxpayers.

CMS recognizes that these changes could affect states differently based on where they are in the demonstration approval and renewal process. States with demonstrations up for renewal in 2027 may need to take additional steps. CMS is committed to offering technical assistance to support a smooth transition as well as providing information on the updated review methodologies to be proposed in future rulemaking.

ASHE Advocacy Alert

Darian Swiger SASHE, CHFM, CLSS-HC — Thu, 11 Jun 2026 01:27:00 GMT

PDC News - Designing pediatric facilities for regulation and resilience

Darian Swiger SASHE, CHFM, CLSS-HC — Thu, 28 May 2026 01:20:20 GMT

WVSHE Announces

Wed, 25 Feb 2026 14:45:13 GMT

I am so completely proud to announce that WVSHE will pay for your Training and Certifications. At our Annual Conference last year it was voted to approve a Reimbursement program for WVSHE Active Voting Members and Associate Members. To qualify you need to meet a simple criteria...

You must be an Active Member or Associate Member with Paid Dues.

You must have attended One WVSHE event in the last Year.

You must provide proof of the Training or Testing that you took with a valid receipt.

West Virginia Society for Healthcare Engineering News

ASHE HFM Insider Article

WVSHE ANNOUNCES - Member Reimbursement Program!

With this Criteria met, WVSHE will reimburse you for the cost of the Education or Certification!!

Proedge FM Newsletter August 3 2026

STI Firestop SYNC Announced!

"CMS Newsroom" - CMS Medicaid Fraud War Room Stops More Than $203 Million in Improper Payments During First 88 Days

ASHE Region 3 Newsletter Summer 2026

Terracon News : Bridging the Gap between Site Selection to Construction

Building Environmental Sciences (BES)Some buildings stand - make yours stand the test of time

Archaeology and Historical ResourcesScience, teamwork, and care combine on special project

Site Investigation and RemediationBringing understanding and clarity to PFAS questions

Unique solutions set solid foundation for healthcare facility

HFM Magazine Digital Editions Available

ASHE Publications - The Facilities Management Handbook

ASHE Sustainability Newsletter Q2 2026

ASHE HFM Article

"CMS Newsroom" - CMS Ensures Accrediting Organizations Uphold Trust in Standards and Oversight

"CMS Newsroom" : CMS Takes Bold New Approach to Stewarding Medicaid Demonstration Project Spending

ASHE Advocacy Alert

PDC News - Designing pediatric facilities for regulation and resilience

WVSHE Announces

With this Criteria met, WVSHE will reimburse you for the cost of the Education or Certification!!

Building Environmental Sciences (BES)
Some buildings stand - make yours stand the test of time

Archaeology and Historical Resources
Science, teamwork, and care combine on special project

Site Investigation and Remediation
Bringing understanding and clarity to PFAS questions