From their offices on Cleveland Clinic’s Main Campus, Building Automation Systems (BAS) Technicians keep a watchful eye on the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems in Main Campus buildings to ensure they are functioning properly. They can also monitor these systems in Cleveland Clinic facilities across town, across the country and across the ocean.  

Jessica Smith has been a BAS Technician for the past year. “The Cleveland Clinic facilities use automation for the HVAC systems,” Jessica says. “There are computer systems and programs that manage those systems to make them run smoothly.”

Cleveland Clinic relies on such innovations to ensure that it is efficient and effective and lives out the values of quality and safety. In her role, Jessica receives alarms whenever a potential issue arises. “When an alarm is generated, the system sends me an e-mail, and it’s my job to triage the alarms as they come in,” she says. “We’ll often get numerous alarms at the same time, and we have to prioritize which ones take precedence. For instance, we handle anything having to do with operating rooms or surgeries first.”  

And though they are based in Cleveland, Jessica and her team can check in on any room or building across the entire enterprise to look for facilities maintenance issues. “We can start the troubleshooting process for Las Vegas or in Weston, FL, all from our offices on Main Campus. We work with the local technicians to see if it’s either a mechanical issue or a programming issue.”

An interest and opportunity in cyber security 

Jessica came to Cleveland Clinic two years ago, after a six-year stint in the Coast Guard. She started in the Facilities Engineering Department inventory storeroom (which is across the hall from her current office) while pursuing her bachelor’s degree in cyber security and information technology.  

“I learned about the cyber security aspect of building automation,” she says. “Everything is connected to the Internet, so it has to be secure. There was an opening on the cyber security team, so I talked to a couple of guys on the team and thought it would be a good fit for me, especially since I had just got my bachelor’s in cyber security.” 

A welcoming environment 

Jessica enjoys the environment in which she works, and she especially appreciates the opportunity to benefit from her fellow caregivers’ experience. “Our team culture is definitely very fun, very uplifting, very encouraging,” she says. “If you ever have any questions, everyone is happy to educate and show you. A lot of the team members have been in the department for a long time, and they’re very eager to share their knowledge base. 

“The entire Facilities Department has always been super welcoming,” she says. “I’m used to being in male-dominated work forces, because the military was very male-dominated. But for any women wanting to do this type of work, I say just go for it. Everyone’s happy to help and believes that you are just as capable as anybody else.” 

Support from the organization 

Jessica also acknowledges the support that has come from the entire Cleveland Clinic enterprise. Now that she has a fulfilling position within the BAS team, she sees it as a springboard to a longer career at Cleveland Clinic.  

“Cleveland Clinic is such a large enterprise, and there are so many different aspects to it, that you can basically find any job field within it,” she says. “And so, there’s a lot of opportunity for growth.” 

This opportunity also inspired Jessica to finish her degree. “Working at Cleveland Clinic definitely pushed me to pursue my higher education,” she says. “I had been here for about six months before I decided to go back to school and finish my degree.  

“So, I pursued my bachelor’s and was able to become a building automation technician. And from here I can continue to grow and expand my knowledge base for that field. I think the world of opportunity that Cleveland Clinic offers really helps encourage that.”

Jessica and her fellow BAS caregivers are among the heroes behind the scenes at Cleveland Clinic. They are not the typical frontline caregivers that you think of in healthcare, but their services are vital to the smooth and safe operation of the entire hospital system.