Health Facility Construction Plan
Reviews and Onsite Inspections
PDF Version of BQA 06-007 (PDF
33 KB)
Date: May 15, 2006 -- DDES-BQA 06-007
FROM: Jane Walters, Deputy Director, Bureau of Quality Assurance
Via: Otis Woods, Director
The purpose of this memorandum is to provide notice of interim measures
the Bureau of Quality Assurance (BQA) has implemented to ensure a timely
response to construction and remodeling plans submitted for approval. The
recent retirement of three BQA life safety code and plan review staff has
seriously compromised our ability to respond to, and/or approve, all
construction and remodeling projects. While two of the three positions
have been filled, challenges remain in timely plan review and response. We
are currently in the recruitment process to fill the remaining vacancy.
Current assignments for facility remodeling and new construction plan
review are as follows:
Nursing Home Plan Review and Survey Staff
- Northeast Region (Green Bay) - Kevin Joyce, P.E.
- Northern Region (Rhinelander) - Kevin Joyce, P.E. and Romaine
Anderson, R.A.
- Southeast Region (Milwaukee) - Keith Weitner, R.A.
- Southern Region (Madison) - David Beyer, P.E.
- Western Region (Eau Claire) - Romaine Anderson, R.A.
Hospital and Hospice Plan Review and Survey Staff
- Southern and Southeastern region surveys and plan review workloads:
Ganesh Shrestha, P. E., Rich Batchelder, R.A., and William Lauzon,
P.E.
- Northeastern, Northern and Western regions survey and plan review
workload: Tom Ankeny, R.A., Lynn Wallace, P.E.
End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) facilities, Ambulatory Surgical
Centers (ASC) and Freestanding Clinic Plan Review and Survey Staff
- ESRD, ASC, and freestanding clinic plan reviews are
"courtesy," i.e., they are done without administrative code
authority and with no corresponding plan review fee. During this time
BQA engineers are not conducting "courtesy" plan reviews.
- Providers and suppliers are encouraged to ensure that the firms,
which with they contract to design their facilities, are complying
with the WI Commercial Building Code and all other applicable
construction codes.
Community Based Residential Facilities (CBRF) and Adult Family Homes
(AFH)
- All BQA engineering staff are conducting CBRF and AFH plan reviews.
Direct inquiries into the status of CBRF or AFH plans to:
Lyle Buchberger, (608) 243-2088, buchbla@dhfs.state.wi.us.
Lyle will notify callers which BQA engineer to contact regarding plan
review status.
Because of these staff shortages and continued heavy construction plan
submission, BQA has had to prioritize its workload. Consistent with past
practice, BQA has prioritized engineering workload to first complete
surveys, then construction plan reviews, followed by onsite construction
inspections.
Effective immediately, BQA engineers will continue to conduct critical
construction inspections, but will be scaling back onsite construction
inspections. In general, onsite inspections for major projects will occur
prior to installation of final finishes (ceiling and walls) and again when
the facility is ready for the final occupancy inspection. Construction
verification for smaller remodeling projects may be handled via paper
submittals to the assigned BQA engineer from the design or construction
firm, and there may be no onsite construction inspection. This will vary
by project.
BQA is appreciative of the positive working relationships between its
staff, and providers, and design and construction firms. We are cognizant
of the importance of timely construction plan reviews to both facilities
and designers/construction firms in meeting deadlines and schedules. BQA
is aware of the value that stakeholders place on more frequent periodic
onsite construction inspections. When workload permits, BQA engineers will
have additional flexibility for more frequent onsite, construction
inspections.
Please share this information with your design and construction firms.
Thank you for your cooperation and patience as BQA orients new
engineering staff. If you have any questions, please call Cremear Mims,
HSS Section Chief at (608) 243-2028 for hospital and other non-LTC
provider projects; Paul Peshek, RCRS Section Chief, at (608) 267-0351 for
nursing home or ICF/MR projects; or Kevin Coughlin, Assisted Living
Section Chief, at (920) 448-5255 for CBRF projects.
PDF: The free Acrobat Reader®
software is needed to view and print portable document format (PDF) files.
Learn more. |
