Healthcare Facilities Regulatory Update

Join the Association of Medical Facility Professionals (AMFP) Greater New York Chapter Advocacy Committee in collaboration with the AIANY Design for Health Committee for an exploration of healthcare facilities as a community benefit and how the inspections process adds critical value. Regulatory agency officials with jurisdiction over NYC healthcare facilities will discuss updates to the inspection criteria for Certificate of Need (C.O.N.) and other required approvals for design and construction projects. A keynote by Ahmed Tigani, NYC Department of Buildings Commissioner, will offer insight into the DOB's goals and will be followed by a fireside chat and Q&A on the inspection criteria for Certificate of Need.

Agenda

Networking & Light Breakfast

Welcoming Remarks

• Elizabeth Sullivan, AIA
  Principal; Regional Co-Leader of Healthcare, Northeast, HOK
  Co-Chair, AIANY Design for Health Committee
  Chair, AMFP GNY Advocacy Committee
• Lizzie Archer
  Assistant Vice President, McKissack
  Director, AMFP GNY Advocacy Committee

Keynote Address

• Ahmed Tigani
  Commissioner, New York City Department of Buildings (NYC DOB)

Fireside Chat & Certificate of Need (CON) Q&A

Moderator:

• Frank Cicero
  Principal, Cicero Consulting Services

Featured Speaker:

• Oluwatoyin Akindele
  Level 4 Health System Specialist, New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH)

Specialty Session

The Intersection of Innovation and Accountability
Balancing healthcare facility digital twin technology and regulation

Moderator:

• Sean Hutchinson
  National Director of Healthcare & Life Sciences, Ferguson

Panelists:

• Tom Singh
  VP, Environment of Care Compliance & Safety, NY-Presbyterian Hospital
  Life Safety Code Surveyor, The Joint Commission
• Christine Hillman
  Director of Enterprise Asset Management, Montefiore Health System
• Frank Rudilosso
  Senior Director, Maintenance Operations Programs, NY-Presbyterian Hospital

About the Speakers:
Oluwatoyin Akindele is a Level 4 Health System Specialist in LSC Surveillance and Certification for New York State Department of Health where he has worked for more than 11 years. He is also a Life Safety Specialist, a Certified Fire Safety Inspector and a New York State Code Enforcement Official. Akindele attended the University of Lagos from 1999–2004.

Frank Cicero is the president of Cicero Consulting Associates. He coordinates the preparation and submission of all Certificate of Need (C.O.N.) and other applications/grant proposals, and monitoring submitted applications through the governmental review process. Preparation of applications includes drafting programmatic narratives, developing need analyses, developing budgets and other financial projections, and working with architectural and legal professionals to coordinate these sections of applications. During the governmental review process, Cicero coordinates the firm’s interactions with the NYSDOH and other local, regional, State and Federal agencies. This includes attending and presenting at public review meetings, submitting additional project information and meeting with staff of review agencies relative to projects. Additionally, Cicero is involved in the firm’s planning functions. He monitors State and national health care trends and provides the team with information relative to the planning needs of the firm’s clients and is part of the firm’s management and financial analysis team, with specialties in productivity analysis and capital planning. He has also prepared successful managed care RFP responses relative to New York State’s Partnership Plan, Child Health Plus program and Commonwealth/Long Term Care Managed Care program. Cicero is a 1985 graduate of Dartmouth College and a 1993 graduate of the Harvard School of Public Health, where he received a M.S. degree in health policy and management. At Harvard, he interned in the Finance Department of Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center and in the Planning Department of MetroWest Medical Center in Framingham, MA. He also spent a year working for NYC Health & Hospitals Corporation's Finance Department.

Christine Hillman is the Director of Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) at Montefiore Einstein, leading a system-wide digital transformation across thirteen sites, resulting in a unified space and asset management program—the first of its kind in our regional healthcare area. Under her leadership, the EAM team has also unified our clinical, engineering, radiation safety, and fleet assets. The EAM Solution is delivering on Montefiore’s vision of being a premier academic health system with state-of-the-art facilities. Prior to joining Montefiore Einstein, Hillman served at New York-Presbyterian where she played a pivotal role in developing, managing, and optimizing the Facilities Department’s digital transformation. She also led Business Process Engineering with a focus on Facilities Operations, and Design and Construction Project Planning and Management. In addition, Hillman has extensive consulting experience, providing strategic guidance and solutions to various organizations across industries, including supporting the Army Corp of Engineers. She is a strong professional, with New York City roots as a graduate from Fordham University.

Sean Hutchinson is a healthcare design and construction leader with more than 25 years of experience delivering complex, high-performing facilities. As National Director of Healthcare & Life Sciences at Ferguson, he works at the intersection of architecture, engineering, construction, and procurement to help teams make better decisions earlier. A U.S. Navy veteran with a background in engineering and project leadership, Hutchinson is known for fostering collaboration across disciplines to improve constructability, adaptability, and long-term operational value. He is a frequent speaker and moderator on healthcare delivery, prefabrication, and early-stage alignment.

Frank Rudilosso is an accomplished professional with experience in fire protection engineering and healthcare facility management. He holds a Bachelor of Science and Master of Engineering in Fire Protection Engineering from the University of Maryland. Frank's career spans impactful roles at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital in New York City, where he is currently the Senior Director Maintenance Operations Programs. In this capacity, he led strategic initiatives including the development of maintenance and operations strategies, medical gas and plumbing programs, training programs and water management systems across multiple campuses. His responsibilities also encompass managing CMMS and asset databases and ensuring all inspection, testing and maintenance documentation meet rigorous standards. Prior to this role, Rudilosso held key positions at New York-Presbyterian Hospital as Director Maintenance Operations, Manager Life Safety, Manager Fire Safety, and Field Director of Facilities Operations where he played pivotal roles in the opening and operational management of the David H. Koch Center, a prominent healthcare facility in NYC. Earlier in his career, Rudilosso worked as a fire protection/life safety consultant for a global fire protection engineering firm, advising clients on building and fire codes compliance.

Sukhjit Tom Singh, MHA, MPH, CHSP, CHFM, CLSS-HC is the Vice President, Environment of Care Compliance & Safety at New York-Presbyterian Hospital where he has worked for more than 20 years. He has also served as a surveyor for the Joint Commission for the past 10 years. He holds a Bachelors in Microcomputer Systems from St. John's University, an MHA, Health Administration from Hofstra University and an MPH in Environmental & Occupational Health Science from Hunter College.

Ahmed Tigani is the Commissioner of the New York City Department of Buildings (DOB). Commissioner Tigani most recently served as Acting Commissioner at the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD). No stranger to DOB, Commissioner Tigani previously served as Chief of Staff here at the agency from 2019 to 2021, where he led on initiatives to streamline operations, accelerate project review, and strengthen transparency within the agency. Commissioner Tigani brings deep experience in housing, land use, and municipal operations working at multiple levels of city governments. As Commissioner, he'll promote building safety, efficient development throughout the five boroughs, and helping the city deliver much needed housing while protecting both tenants and workers.