Higgins General Hospital, part of Tanner Health, has achieved a first for the state of Georgia and nationwide: becoming the only hospital with an engineering team fully staffed by professionals holding either Certified Healthcare Facility Technician (CHFT) or Certified Healthcare Facility Manager (CHFM) credentials from Institute for Healthcare Facilities Engineering Advancement (IHFEA) or The American Society for Health Care Engineering (ASHE) respectively.
This milestone underscores the hospital’s unwavering commitment to excellence in healthcare operations and patient care. The certification takes one year to complete followed by an exam that tests the applicant’s practical and situational knowledge about the course material.
The engineering team at Higgins General Hospital includes Daniel Richards, engineering manager; Tim Green, director of engineering; Keith Barker, HVAC technician; Hal Waters, electrician; and Jonathan Talley, HVAC technician.
Richards, who is also the recipient of Georgia Hospital Association’s 2025 P.J. Wise Award for Engineer of the Year, praised his team’s dedication and collaborative spirit.
“My team didn’t just meet the requirements — they exceeded them,” said Richards. “By testing each other and working together, we’ve become a stronger team. You can’t force anyone through this and it especially wouldn’t have been possible without buy-in from leadership or the technician level.”
That drive for excellence is something Daniel models every day. As a leader, he pushes his team to go beyond expectations — not just to succeed, but also to grow together.
“Daniel wants us to be a step beyond,” said Barker. “We’re really proud of these certifications, and it’s exciting to achieve this together. We would pop out flashcards for each other to study. If we passed it wasn’t because of memorization it was because we learned to problem solve and address issues which is what we do daily.”
The value of mentorship and teamwork is especially meaningful to younger staff.
“Being the youngest, I’m still learning a lot,” said Talley. “By going through this certification, I know exactly who to go to with questions. These guys have helped me every step of the way. You gain so much knowledge and really get to know the ins and outs of the work you do.”
For Waters, the achievement brought a new level of purpose to the work.
“It’s really exciting to me to know the ‘why’ behind what we do,” said Waters. “Because what we do impacts patient care and safety, too. This also was a new trade for me. I’ve learned a lot by taking this course and I continue to learn even after. I like learning and it helps me grow.”
Adding to the achievement, the engineering team at Higgins General Hospital was also recently honored with the Excellence and Innovation Award at the GHA Facility Managers Annual Conference, recognizing their forward-thinking solutions and team-oriented environment.
These successes reflect the team’s steadfast dedication to continuous improvement, innovation and excellence in patient care. Higgins General Hospital is proud to set a new benchmark for healthcare facilities management across Georgia and beyond.
