Summary: Boston Medical Center Health System won the 2024 FM Excellence Award from ASHE for converting a 1960s nursing home into the Brockton Behavioral Health Center, a state-of-the-art, net-zero energy ready facility. This project emphasizes mental health, sustainability, and innovative design, benefiting the Brockton and greater Boston communities.

Key Takeaways:

  • Award Recognition: The FM Excellence Award highlights Boston Medical Center Health System’s innovative approach to optimizing the health care physical environment and improving patient care.
  • Sustainable Design: The Brockton Behavioral Health Center is the first net-zero energy ready behavioral health facility in the U.S., utilizing geothermal heating, on-site solar energy, and sustainable building materials.

The American Society for Health Care Engineering (ASHE), a professional membership group of the American Hospital Association, announced Boston Medical Center Health System as the winner of the 2024 Excellence in Health Care Facility Management (FM Excellence) Award.

Award Significance

Each year, the FM Excellence Award recognizes individuals or facilities management departments that implement new or innovative programs or processes to optimize the health care physical environment and improve patient care. Boston Medical Center Health System officials will be presented the award in Anaheim, Calif., at the inaugural Health Care Facilities Innovation Conference (formerly the ASHE Annual Conference & Technical Exhibition) taking place July 21-24.

Project Overview

The award is presented to Boston Medical Center Health System for its extraordinary efforts in establishing the Brockton (Mass.) Behavioral Health Center. Opening to the public in October 2022, the project converted an out-of-service nursing home built in the 1960s into an 80-bed, state-of-the-art behavioral health facility that now provides crucial access to inpatient behavioral health care in Brockton and the greater Boston area.

The facility incorporates evidence-based design practices, such as calming spaces characterized by nature-inspired materials as well as access to natural light and outdoor areas, that support the hospital’s aim of a highly inclusive and trauma-informed approach to care.

Sustainability Achievements

The Brockton Behavioral Health Center is also distinguished as the first net-zero energy ready behavioral health facility in the United States, according to ASHE. The project team improved the building’s envelope and leveraged a combination of geothermal heating and on-site solar energy production to ensure the facility operated with optimal energy efficiency and relied primarily upon renewable energy sources. The project team also prioritized the use of non-toxic, sustainable building materials that comply with the American Institute of Architects’ Materials Pledge.

Award Criteria and Selection

“Brockton Behavioral Health Center was chosen as the winner of this year’s FM Excellence Award for many factors, including its emphasis on mental health, sustainability and unique design components,” says Robert L. Baird, CHFM, CHC, CHSP, FASHE, director of facility operations for University of Florida Health and a member of ASHE’s Awards and Recognition Task Force.

“All the award candidates had worthy goals and outcomes, but Boston Medical Center Health System stood out for meeting its objectives from the design phase and providing a sustainable facility for an underserved population. This focus will serve its community well for decades to come,” Baird adds.