CannonDesign launches REALIZE Life Safety Solutions

In response to changes to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Life Safety Code, CannonDesign has launched REALIZE Life Safety Solutions — a suite of services and software solutions focused on helping healthcare facilities teams assess their compliance with life safety code standards related to CFR 482.41 — Condition of participation: Physical environment — without operational disruptions.

Named the No. 4 facility management provider within an A/E firm by the “World Architecture 100,” CannonDesign created REALIZE Life Safety Solutions to help clients navigate through CMS’s most recent Final Rule, which adopted the National Fire Protection Association’s 2012 edition of the Life Safety Code (NFPA 101), as well as provisions of the NFPA’s 2012 edition of the Health Care Facilities Code (NFPA 99). All health facilities that participate in Medicare and/or Medicaid must comply with these code changes.

“The Final Rule presents a considerable update to the life safety directives most healthcare systems have become accustomed to,” says Joe Cassata, principal at CannonDesign. “The last time a change in the Life Safety Code was made was in 2003 when CMS adopted the 2000 edition. Sorting through the new changes and understanding how they apply to individual facilities is a daunting task, which is why we’re launching this offering.”

With experience assessing more than 200 million SF of space, life safety is not a new service area for CannonDesign. However, REALIZE Life Safety Solutions packages the firm’s life safety services into an easily customizable offering focused on three primary areas:

1. Life Safety Current State: Life safety drawings review, field verification, and key findings report of current Life Safety for owned or leased facilities.
2. Code Review: Review and report of physical conditions based on 2012 Life Safety Codes.
3. Corrective Action Plan: Corrective action report containing prioritized deficiencies, cost estimates and recommendations for remediation.

“Most health systems have received a life safety deficiency,” adds Cassata. “Sometimes the deficiencies are minor and easily fixed, while other times they require significant facility modifications to prevent steep fines, possible terminated Medicare/Medicaid reimbursements, and even possible closure. Regardless of the scenario, we have the knowledge and expertise needed to get our clients to a place where can have absolute confidence in their Life Safety Code compliance.”