PE, vice president, facilities and construction

Mount Carmel Health System, a Member of Trinity Health (Columbus, Ohio)

Mission statement: “My team’s role is one of enabling—we don’t provide the direct touch or care to patients, but we enable the caregivers to provide the best service possible. Our ability to provide a renovated or new work/care space is very fulfilling and personally rewarding.”

Who he is: Cozier managed highly complex logistical projects during his 24 years of active service with the U.S. Navy’s Civil Engineer Corps, where he built military installations around the globe. He next set his eyes on healthcare, taking a post at Cleveland Clinic leading construction efforts for the health system. For the last six years, he’s been at Mount Carmel Health System, where he oversees a range of major new construction and campus transformation projects, including facility planning, design, construction, and coordinating physical plant operations and maintenance. As a registered professional engineer, he’s also active with several industry organizations, including the American Society for Healthcare Engineering, Builder’s Exchange, and Construction Owners Association of America.

Year in review: In early 2015, Mount Carmel embarked on a significant capital investment program centered on two major projects: a $307 million modernization of Mount Carmel East and a $360 million greenfield replacement hospital at its Grove City, Ohio, campus. Cozier led construction efforts, activation planning, equipment planning and procurement, and budget and schedule management for both. In June, a new 128-bed tower opened at Mount Carmel East, while the Mount Carmel Grove City hospital is scheduled to open by the end of the year. Additionally, Cozier spearheaded implementation of capital project management software that centralizes the tracking and management of the nearly 500 projects executed each year by the facilities and construction team. As a result of his efforts, the system was adopted at all five Mount Carmel campuses and then across Trinity Health’s entire portfolio.

Industry impact: Cozier employed a collaborative team approach to both capital improvement projects and coordinated design and construction “sameness,” resulting in operating rooms, patient units and rooms, equipment, and other elements in common at both locations. This allowed Mount Carmel’s staff to benefit from improved efficiency and reduced training as they move between campuses. Project costs were also reduced through higher volume purchases and common design elements. He also implemented a process to document design decisions, aiding in timely design and construction execution and continuity in the projects, even as individuals and team members changed. Throughout the projects, Cozier has contributed to system learning within Trinity Health, as well, with a goal of developing and refining standards, guidelines, processes, and benchmarking for Trinity. In addition to transforming Mount Carmel, Cozier has also empowered facilities management staff to implement energy-efficiency and water-safety programs, such as LED lighting retrofits and reduced water-treatment chemical consumption.

What’s next: In the coming months, Cozier will focus on ambulatory projects to position care sites closer to patients, hospital infrastructure upgrades and replacements, and continuous improvement in facilities maintenance services.