For healthcare facilities, reliable power is more than an operational requirement. It is a critical part of maintaining essential services in an environment where aging infrastructure, limited budgets, and increasing demands continue to challenge facility managers and engineers. These concerns were among the topics discussed at the 2026 New England Healthcare Engineers' Society (NEHES) Fall Conference, held October 4–7 at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Connecticut.
Industry professionals discuss aging infrastructure, emergency power reliability, and the value of long-standing partnerships.
Representing Milton CAT Power & Energy, Scott McGee, Power Generation Engineering Consultant and Healthcare Account Manager, and Gary Rudman, Sales Representative, connected with healthcare professionals, design engineers, architects, and facility representatives from across New England.
Scott McGee (right) and Gary Rudman (center) of Milton CAT Power & Energy engage with an attendee at the 2026 NEHES Fall Conference.
For McGee, the conference provided an opportunity to better understand the challenges facing healthcare facilities and discuss how Milton CAT's power generation capabilities can help address their needs.
Aging Infrastructure, Growing Challenges
Among the attendees was Daniel Hurley, Senior Vice President at WSP, an engineering firm involved in healthcare, life sciences, and laboratory projects. Hurley identified aging infrastructure as one of the industry's most pressing concerns. “The infrastructure is aging dramatically,” he explained, noting that funding limitations often leave facilities relying on temporary solutions rather than comprehensive upgrades.
David Bourassa, Healthcare Market Leader for AEI Boston, described similar challenges. Healthcare facilities, he explained, are dealing with limited funding, staffing shortages, aging infrastructure, and competing priorities as they balance infrastructure improvements with renovations that directly support patient care.
A CAT generator is lifted into position at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, highlighting the complexity of power generation installations in healthcare facilities.
For engineering professionals responsible for specifying emergency power systems, those pressures make equipment reliability and long-term support especially important.
Reliability Goes Beyond the Equipment
Bourassa emphasized that selecting an emergency power solution involves more than evaluating the generator itself. Product reliability, uptime, technical expertise, and continued service all contribute to the decision. Equally important is knowing that the equipment provider will remain available to support the facility long after the engineering and design teams have completed their work. That ongoing relationship is something Bourassa has experienced firsthand.
Having worked with Milton CAT for more than two decades, he recalled that McGee has served as his engineering representative for much of that time. “Scott McGee has been our engineering rep for many years. I know that Milton Cat's always going to be there when we are in a pinch.” said Bourassa. Whether his team needs assistance sizing a generator or diagnosing an issue at a customer's facility, Bourassa said Milton CAT has consistently been available to help. “One word to describe Milton Cat, I would say trusted partner. Really, reliability is really where it comes down to, for me and Milton Cat.” he concluded.
A Milton CAT customer attends the 2026 NEHES Fall Conference, which brought together healthcare engineering and infrastructure professionals from across New England.
Hurley, whose relationship with Milton CAT spans more than 30 years, also emphasized the importance of technical support, service, and transparency. He highlighted Milton CAT's willingness to provide straightforward answers about equipment capabilities and delivery timelines, explaining that this honesty helps engineering firms make commitments they can stand behind.
For professionals whose recommendations directly affect their clients, that confidence matters.
Building Relationships That Last
Beyond the technical discussions, the NEHES conference offered an opportunity to strengthen relationships and exchange ideas with professionals responsible for healthcare infrastructure throughout the region.
For Rudman, those conversations are an important part of understanding customer needs. The event provided opportunities to reconnect with existing customers, meet new contacts, and hear firsthand about the challenges healthcare facilities are facing. The value of those relationships was echoed by both engineering professionals interviewed at the conference.
Scott McGee of Milton CAT (left) connects with Daniel Hurley, Senior Vice President at WSP, during the 2026 NEHES Fall Conference.
Hurley described Milton CAT as an extension of his firm's ability to serve its clients, while Bourassa emphasized the confidence that comes from working with an equipment provider that stands behind its products and remains accessible when support is needed.
As healthcare facilities continue to navigate infrastructure challenges, the conversations at NEHES reinforced an important point: dependable power solutions require not only reliable equipment, but also the expertise, responsiveness, and relationships needed to support them over time.
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