Duke Raleigh Hospital

Photo from N.C. Healthcare Engineers Assocaition

Most patients at Duke Raleigh Hospital will never meet Director of Engineering Gary Milewski, but he’s working hard – behind the scenes – to ensure they have a good experience. From the parking lot to the waiting area to the doctor’s office, all the physical facilities at Duke Raleigh fall under Milewski’s purview and watchful eye. Safety is a big part of everyone’s job at Duke Raleigh, but it’s Milewski’s lifeblood.

Physicians and nurses make regular rounds, and so does Milewski. But he’s checking the safety of our facilities. He is a certified healthcare facilities manager (CHFM), certified healthcare engineer (CFE), healthcare safety professional (CHSP) and is the president of the N.C. Healthcare Engineers Association. In addition to his vital role at Duke Raleigh, Milewski has also, for the past nearly three years, served as intermittent life safety code surveyor for The Joint Commission, an independent, nonprofit organization that accredits and certifies more than 18,000 healthcare organizations and programs in the United States.

In that role with The Joint Commission, he reviews the assigned functions in life safety, environment of care and emergency management at hospitals throughout the United States and determines their degree of compliance.

Milewski, who has been with Duke Raleigh for nearly seven years, was front and center recently when he was among honorees at the American Society for Healthcare Engineering (ASHE) 50th Annual Conference July 21-24 in Atlanta. ASHE is an arm of the American Hospital Association dedicated to improving the health care physical environment. Milewski earned the rank of SASHE, which is a senior member of the society.

Milewski said, “The patient experience – especially from a safety standpoint – is vital to all of us at Duke Raleigh. My team and I make sure our facilities are as top-notch as our physicians and staff. It’s nice to be recognized for our contribution to the patient-centered experience.”

Read the full press release here.

ASHE is a personal membership group of the American Hospital Association with more than 11,000 members interested in professional development, industry information and advocacy, including representation on key issues that affect their work in the physical health care environment.