• ASHRAE Announces 'Healthcare Design Professional' as First Certification

    March 1, 2007
    A program to certify healthcare facility design professionals is being launched by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning

    A program to certify healthcare facility design professionals is being launched by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE). The first examination to earn the credential will be held on June 28 in Long Beach, Calif., immediately following ASHRAE’s Annual Meeting there. Subsequent examinations will be Web-based at testing facilities nationwide.
    ASHRAE’s Healthcare Facility Design Professional (HFDP) certification will designate understanding of a body of knowledge identified by ASHRAE as being critical to successful facility design.
    The technical content for the healthcare facility design certification exam was developed in conjunction with the American Society for Healthcare Engineering (ASHE) of the American Hospital Association (AHA). ASHRAE will work with other industry organizations to develop additional certification programs, including sustainability, commissioning, and building operations and management.
    Persons interested in earning the certification must meet certain eligibility requirements and submit a completed application. Membership in ASHRAE is not required to participate.
    The first offering on June 28 consists of a two-hour, multiple choice, 100-question written exam. Participants will receive their scores within six weeks. Each exam program will have its own recertification or renewal requirements, potentially including such professional development activities as attending meetings or taking courses sponsored by ASHRAE and other organizations.
    Optional resources, such as online sample exam questions, are available to help candidates prepare for the exam. Other resources include the ASHRAE publication HVAC Design for Hospitals and Clinics and two short courses will be offered at the 2007 ASHRAE annual meeting: Healthcare Facilities Best Practice HVAC Design Considerations and Criteria and Healthcare Facilities Best Practice Applications of HVAC Systems.
    For more information, visit www.ashrae.org/certification or e-mail [email protected].