Sean Gouvin
Director of facilities planning and engineering operations, Baystate Health (Springfield, Mass.)

Who he is: As director of facilities planning and engineering for the not-for-profit healthcare system, Gouvin oversees planning, design, maintenance, and construction for approximately 4 million square feet of facility space, including Baystate Health’s four hospitals, outpatient medical practices, and reference laboratories. He’s built a collaborative facilities planning and engineering team—including engineers, architects, designers, electricians, mechanics, plumbers, fire protection specialists, systems administration, and facility maintenance technicians—to drive Lean processes, innovation, and technology enhancements on a daily basis. Gouvin also stays busy supporting the organization’s 15-year master facilities plan.

Year in review: Gouvin was part of a research team that included Steffian Bradley Architects and Spatial Story Studio, which focused on pediatric design and challenging traditional medical office approaches. Their work yielded a new direction, with adaptable spaces for multidisciplinary teams that address today’s needs and provide future flexibility for Baystate Children’s Specialty Center in Springfield, Mass. He also built a comprehensive building automated controls team that gives Baystate greater control and flexibility within its physical environment and increased the quality on the commissioning and retro-commissioning of buildings. As part of the health system’s master planning efforts, he was involved in the build-out of 96 new patient rooms and an inpatient pharmacy. He also led efforts that resulted in more than $10 million in grants put toward 50 sustainability projects.

What’s next: Gouvin’s plate is full with several projects, including a new 60,000-square-foot surgery center and a new emergency department. He’ll also continue Baystate’s sustainability efforts through the design development of a new combined heat and power plant to reduce energy costs and greenhouse gases, as well as oversee data collection and analysis on the patient experience through a weekly patient care rounding process.

 

The HCD 10:

  • Architect: Paul Strohm, senior vice president and director of healthcare, HOK (St. Louis)
  • Researcher: Upali Nanda, vice president and director of research, HKS (Houston); executive director of the Center for Advanced Design Research and Education (CADRE)
  • Interior designer: Christine Hester Devens, associate principal and interior project designer, AECOM (Minneapolis)
  • Association/foundation executive: Jennie Evans, 2013-2014 president, Nursing Institute of Healthcare Design (NIHD)
  • Facility manager: Sean Gouvin, director of facilities planning and engineering operations, Baystate Health (Springfield, Mass.)
  • Educator: George Mann, Ronald L. Skaggs, FAIA, Endowed Professor of Health Facilities Design, College of Architecture, Texas A&M University (College Station, Texas)
  • Provider: Matthew Gutwein, president and CEO, Health & Hospital Corp. of Marion County, and Dr. Lisa E. Harris, CEO, Eskenazi Health (Indianapolis)
  • Building professional: Sam Moses, superintendent, Balfour Beatty Construction (Dallas)
  • Rising star: David Grandy, associate vice president and managing director of strategic innovation, HDR (Omaha, Neb.)
  • Organization of the year: ZGF Architects LLP