Patrick C. Rhinehart

Dynamic and results-oriented Environmental Health and Safety Professional with nearly 20 years of fire, health, and safety experience and over a decade of healthcare facilities management expertise. Proven leader with extensive industry certifications, including Certified Safety Professional (CSP) and Certified Healthcare Facilities Manager (CHFM). Adept at driving performance improvement, managing complex facilities, and ensuring compliance with regulatory standards. Skilled in engineering, construction project management, life safety, and environmental care within a large-scale healthcare organization.

• Healthcare/Life Safety Design
• Emergency Management/Program Development
• Incident Command Experience/Self Starter
• Environment of Care
• NFPA Codes and Standards
• Engineering Facilities Management
• Hazardous Materials Operations
• DOT/GHS/OSHA/EPA
• Detailed Plan Review Experience
• Construction Project Management
• Time Management/Organized/Disciplined
• Fire Safety Training Development and Prevention
• P, IS-00701.a (FEMA)
• Initial developer of ASHE’s Life Safety Risk Assessment eTool
• Presented at ASHE PDC conference on Alternate Care sites during COVID
• Presented at ASHE sponsored FLSA symposium at Atlanta Motor Speedway
• Published in Healthcare Facilities Management magazine several times over the last 8 years
• IS-00800.B (FEMA)
• Initial developer of ASHE’s Life Safety Risk Assessment eTool
• Presented at ASHE PDC conference on Alternate Care sites during COVID
• Presented at ASHE sponsored FLSA symposium at Atlanta Motor Speedway
• Published in Healthcare Facilities Management magazine several times over the last 8 years
• ICS-200 (Department of Homeland Security Completed ISO9001/RC14001 standards and procedures educational

Top Accomplishments

• Initial developer of ASHE’s Life Safety Risk Assessment eTool.
• Presented at ASHE PDC conference on Alternate Care sites during COVID.
• Presented at ASHE sponsored FLSA symposium at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
• Published in Healthcare Facilities Management magazine several times over the last 8 years.

Certification, Licenses, and memberships:

• Certified Safety professional (CSP) - 2015
• Certified Healthcare Facility Manager (CHFM) - 2020
• ASSE Member (American Society of Safety Engineers)
• ASHE Member (American Society of Healthcare Engineers) – 2018
• ASHE CAP RA1 Task Force Member (COVID)
• GHAFM Member - 2018
• SFPE Member (Society for Fire Protection Engineers)
• NFPA 99 Technical Committee Principal Member - 2017
• NFPA 241 Technical Committee Principal Member - 2017
• Associate Safety Professional through the Board of Certified Safety Professionals (BCSP)
• Fire Inspector I (International Code Council & National Professional Qualification)
• Fire Instructor (National Professional Qualification)
• EMT-I85 (National Professional Qualification)
• Health and Safety Officer (Georgia Standards & Training)
• Hazardous Materials Awareness (National Professional Qualification)
• Hazardous Materials Operations (National Professional Qualification)
• Incident Safety Officer (Georgia Standards & Training)
• Firefighter I &II (National Professional Qualification)
• High Angle Rope Rescue Technician (National Professional Qualification)
• Building Construction (Georgia Standards & Training)
• Structural Collapse Rescue Technician (National Professional Qualification)
• Trench Competent Person (Trench Shoring Services)
• Confined Space Rescue Technician (National Professional Qualification)
• Swift Water Rescue Technician (Rescue 3 International)
• IS-00700 (FEMA)
• IS-00701.a (FEMA)
• IS-00800.B (FEMA)
• ICS-200 (Department of Homeland Security Completed ISO9001/RC14001 standards and procedures education)

Position Details

SYSTEM Director of Facilities and Life safety – Promoted to position

Lead a highly skilled team of 17 staff that cover nearly 9 million square feet which includes 642 facilities. Engaged in ensuring facility compliance with grounds, plant operations, maintenance, life safety, and all aspects of the Environment of Care are compliant. My position reports directly to the VP of Risk and Legal and meets biweekly. We have reporting programs and dashboards that report real-time analytics for Facilities, Life Safety, Construction, and EOC that steer system action plans and performance improvement initiatives. My program, supported by Senior Leadership, has been highly successful over the last decade. I have been directly responsible for the Life Safety portion of 14 Triennial Surveys. During that time I can happily say we have only had one condition level survey result. These were different Life Safety Surveyors every time. Our organization has seen 200% growth in 10 years. I’ve been directly involved in decision making for 3 separate hospital campus Master Plans developed over the last 4 years. One of which is a year into the project, one financially approved and breaking ground next year, and the other set to be funded next year. Each one of these are over $600 million.

System EOC Chair/Life Safety System Manager—Promoted to Position

System Chair EOC Committee and Life Safety Manager for the entire system. Work to ensure compliance with all current adopted life safety, emergency management, and environment of care codes and standards. Maintain Life Safety system testing/inspection process for seven hospitals, 22 Ambulatory Surgery Centers, and 54 Medical Office Buildings and over 500 hundred physician practices, imaging centers, cancer centers, etc. Developed a real time analytic dashboard from statistics and trend data that provides analysis and action plans on EOC & Life Safety from semiannual inspections program for over 600 facilities in the Northside Hospital System within the State of Georgia. Manage 16 direct reports. Report biweekly in person to the Vice President of Risk and Facility Operations. Manage all fire and emergency drills for all facilities. Manage all Annual Management Plan reviews. Create and develop QI/EOC Board Report annually. Manage all Life Safety Vendor contracts, inspections, testing, maintenance, and work orders. Deal directly with Joint Commission Life Safety Surveyor. Oversee the participation and completion of emergency drills for our hospitals that involve community partners. Maintain emergency supplies, logistics, incident command, finance and planning for our five hospitals.

Facilities Management/Training

• Position was developed and awarded to revamp current EC/LS safety program/process.
• Lead the Environment of Care for our system to include Agendas/Minutes/PIs/Management Plans/Meeting schedules/AHJ communication/etc…
• Fire Warden training program created with behavior-based approach helping to change processes to ensure those responsible understand their role their behavior plays in a Hospital setting. 80%+ return on Fire Warden Participation. Seen as “Best Practice” by Joint Commission.
• Oversee Facility and Environmental compliance for five hospitals. Web based smart sheet developed to track all Environmental and Hazardous Material and Waste requirements.

Project Management

• Conduct plan review and participate in several hundred-million-dollar construction projects for the system, attending preconstruction meetings to review plans pertaining to NFPA, IBC, IFC, OSHA, EPA, and all other safety and health standards for 5 hospitals and over 500 remote locations.
• In charge of overseeing all Life Safety systems installations. Manage $6 million dollar budget for compliance-related issues found internally or externally throughout the system to include service contracts as well as staff labor costs.
• Managed multiple projects each year including leading ICRA/ILSM/PCRA kickoff meetings, project timelines, contractors, subcontractors, and ensuring project deadlines are met and turned over in a compliant state.
• Currently assisting with Master Planning for two separate campuses.

Risk Assessment, Inspections, Audits

• Deep knowledge of OSHA/DOT/HAZMAT, emergency response, truck and railroad EHS requirements, able to define and implement DOT/OSHA safety processes.
• Complete initial inspections for all proposed new facilities purchases as due diligence inspector ensuring systems are up to date and expenditures needed to bring up new facilities to code—heavy influence in procurement of property. Provide statistics from inspection reports that determine areas for improvement
• Acknowledged as current NFPA and OSHA regulations and standards expert, serving as OSHA/EPA/NFPA in house consultant.

Cost Containment

• Saved millions of dollars in change orders thorough plan review process.
• Significantly saved on fire alarm/sprinkler system planning through recommendation of a cost effective installation method in line with all fire/ life safety standards.

Life Safety Compliance Specialist 2013 to 2014

Turned around dysfunctional inspection processes for this large healthcare organization, ensured worker/patient safety through hazard analysis, risk assessment, and completion of routine inspections of each facility. Managed Northside's internal audit program for 280+ locations for Environment of Care related issues. Revamped and ensured stringent adherence to internal audit processes for each location and obtained administration support—kept current in compliance with EHS auditing standards.

• Spearheaded turnaround of basic inspection processes and stepped in with no internal training to organize and improve all safety inspections that garnered promotion to EOC/Life Safety System Manager.
• Directly involved with the creation, implementation, and oversight of the new Contractor Safety Program organization-wide, ensured current processes and maintenance records of life safety systems were accurate and updated for all facilities.
• Provided OSHA training to the Engineering department including HAZMAT spill response, MSDS (DS), ERG, and DOT requirements, confined space, lockout/tag-out, fall protection, fire prevention, hands-on extinguisher training, etc.
• Recommended ROI standards that continued to save on long-term operational expenses and develop policies/procedures for onsite construction safety that kept construction projects on time and in compliance.

Fire Protection Engineer

• Planned and reviewed life safety systems for warehouses storing hazardous materials and other structures including high rises, educational institutions, construction sites, personal care facilities, business offices, and manufacturing facilities.
• Reviewed FPE, CIH, and PE analysis reports relating to codes and standards for accuracy and planned reviews/audits on fire alarms, sprinkler, and tank systems, clean agent systems, and new construction—continued to push for excellence in fire safety standards.

Life Safety Fire Inspector I 2011

Managed daily regulatory compliance issues, reports, documentation, and enforced code compliance through written violation notices, citations, and court summons.

Firefighter/EMT-I85/Rescue Technician

• Responded to emergency incidents in all weather and critical situations, monitored air quality in confined spaces, structure fires, and HAZMAT incidents; managed incident case files, documenting and record keeping.
• Perform daily inspection of personal protective gear and equipment, completed maintenance as needed and implemented SCOTT SCBA's safety equipment as one of the few selected to test this new equipment and provide detailed information for possible SCBA county purchase totaling $2 million.

2006 to 2007: DeKalb County Fire and Emergency Services

Firefighter/EMT-I85

Provided critical firefighting expertise and support, continued to increase knowledge through acquisition of FEMA certifications of IS-00700, IS-00700.a and IS-00800.b and other related certifications for overall EHS and fire safety.

Firefighter/EMT

Served as a firefighter for various residential and commercial structures, responded to emergency fire and personal injury incidents; inspected personal protective gear and equipment and performed maintenance as needed.