Arif R. Khan has been named vice president of support services for Southcoast Hospitals Group. An electrical engineer with a doctorate in business administration, he was most recently senior director of operations and clinical technology for the University of Maryland Medical System. Khan will oversee facilities and maintenance, food services, environmental services and clinical technology.
PBN: What is your background?
KHAN: I have always had an interest in health care. My father, an internal medicine physician, served as chief operating officer and then CEO of a 2,000-bed hospital overseas. … My playground as a child was, literally, the hospital grounds. During graduate school, I worked for Marriott International and took a job in the health care field utilizing my electrical and mechanical engineering skills. … I discovered my passion for customer service or serving others, and knew that the medical field would be a perfect fit.
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PBN: How do your decisions affect the operation of the three hospitals?
KHAN: My department … must work seamlessly with the caregivers and help to maintain the infrastructure of the facilities. It is our goal to offer a healing and holistic environment. At the same time, the facilities and day-to-day operations must reflect the quality of the organization, support its life safety standards and embrace patient satisfaction.
PBN: What changes do you have planned?
KHAN: [First, I will create] a Master Facilities Plan that encompasses the utilization of space inside and outside the organization, the efficiency of the real estate and operations of the organization; provides standards for specific areas of the hospital, such as patient rooms, operating rooms, waiting rooms and the lobbies; and continuously maintains the infrastructure. … A simple concept I would like to implement that stems from the hospitality field is direct access to support services. If there is a problem with a light or chair … allowing the patient or family member to report the problem directly eliminates the middle person and frees the nurse to provide direct care.
