CON Process - Final - bLUE VERSION - Flipbook - Page 6
DOH ARCHITECTS
When people refer to the DOH architects, they are talking about the staff of The Bureau
of Architecture and Engineering Review (BAER). The team is not necessarily comprised
of architects. Even if they are, they may not have had healthcare design experience
before working for DOH. They gain their knowledge by constantly checking documents.
Everyone knows the DOH “architects” review the project design and construction cost.
Over the years, the BAER has had strong leaders who are architects with much
healthcare design knowledge. Tom Jung led the Department for many years, then Udo
Ammon took over for approximately a decade. Shannon Khun is currently leading the
Department.
These people have a wealth of knowledge, given their daily work. They have seen every
type of project in every environment and participated in national committees such as
the FGI Guidelines. Thus, they are busy. As mentioned earlier, the experienced architect
will do everything possible to make their lives easier – by providing the information they
require in the format they request. And when there is a question on the architectural
submission, BAER is the ultimate decision‐maker.
When we had a significant or complicated project for review/comment during the
schematic design phase of projects, our firm reached out to both Tom Jung and Udo
Ammon. By doing so, we received not only their knowledge of the CON process but also
their knowledge of what is happening nationally in healthcare design. This also paves
the way for a smoother review, and if the staff has any questions or there is a gray area
of the Code, they will go to the Head to get their opinion on it which will be the final
decision.
All the DOH architects we have worked with throughout the years were good people
doing a good job.
We benefitted from knowing several of the staff professionally before their tenure at
DOH.
Remember, they are not your enemy. Establish a good relationship with them. Respect
their comments. This will speed up the review process. Remember: DOH has a process
they must go through and cannot take shortcuts or approve something that does not
comply with regulations. They have a checklist and must ensure all items are on the Life
Safety Code and FGI Guidelines requirements list ‐ they do not interject their own design
or Code thoughts.
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