Krista McDonald Biason, PE, SASHE, is a Senior Electrical Engineer specializing in healthcare design at HGA. She is nationally recognized for her industry expertise and opening pathways for new talent through her leadership in the office, on-site with clients, and on industry committees.
Krista is active on several professional committees responsible for updating national building codes and healthcare industry standards. She recently was elevated to Senior status of the American Society for Health Care Engineering (ASHE). She additionally publishes regularly in industry journals and presents at conferences, including ASHE PDC Summit.
In the following, Krista discusses her career goals and highlights opportunities within the engineering industry for professionals across career paths.
What inspired you to become an electrical engineer?
I was good at math in high school but never actually considered engineering until my brother suggested one day, “Hey, did you think about being an engineer?” I initially said no, but then started looking into engineering and learning more about the different disciplines within the field. Electrical seemed the most interesting and my grandfather was an electrician, so it just made sense.
I went to the University of Iowa on a full music scholarship and studied electrical engineering as a backup career, earning a double bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering and music performance with a concentration in clarinet. Music added balance to my world, providing a creative side to the technical side of engineering. Even today, music still provides a balance as I play clarinet with the Minnetonka Symphony Orchestra.
How did this double concentration impact your work today?
A lot of my work processes and ethical standards are based on what my father taught me—and not just what I learned in college. My father was an advisor in the College of Education at Northern Illinois University (NIU). He advised students on navigating their coursework, staying in school, and developing a well-structured curriculum to achieve their academic and career prospects. He helped students when they were struggling in their classes and helped them discover their strengths and evaluate the opportunities college offered.
He showed me how to systematically progress through challenges to be successful and provided a foundation that stills inspires me. I balance that structure and rigor with the collaborative nature of an orchestra, where every part is important—no matter how large or small. Each voice is necessary to create the music, just like everybody’s efforts are required in the architecture and engineering field to successfully create a complete design.
What opportunities (or obstacles) did you perceive when entering the profession?
There were not a lot of women engineers when I started at HGA in 1992. I began in lighting design—something I didn’t know anything about and was never taught in school. But I soon connected with a colleague who saw my potential and mentored me in power distribution, with a focus on healthcare facilities. He believed in me, supported me through some early rough patches, and helped me pursue my current career path. He took a chance on me, provided me with opportunities, and challenged me to push my abilities.
So, having a mentor is important?
Yes, it’s important to have someone help you see choices and who believes in you. A mentor provides a support system—guiderails—to make sure you can be successful and won’t fail. And if you do fail, you’ll fail in a safe surrounding. Everyone needs to have the opportunity to make their own mistakes, learn from those mistakes, and move on. Having a mentor gives you that opportunity, that safety net, and that support.
When I work with emerging professionals, I try to create opportunities for them to have a leadership role within our internal teams and with clients. This allows them to take ownership of their efforts, even if I’m in the background watching over things (i.e., the safe failing concept). This strategy allows them to receive recognition for their own work and helps elevate their presence with our internal and external clients.
Do you find mentoring can provide mutual exchange of ideas and learning?
Absolutely. Together, we can come up with new ideas. It can’t just be one person who’s been doing it one way for 30 years making all the decisions. There’s value in someone with 30 years’ experience saying: “Okay, great idea. Let’s try that.” You need to leave yourself open to learning throughout your career.
You sit on several building code committees. Tell us about your role.
I am on the Hospital Revision Committee for the Facility Guidelines Institute (FGI) 2026 Health Guidelines Revision Committee-Hospital Document Group and also had served on the previous review cycle.
I’m also on the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 70 National Technical Committee-Code-Making Panel 13, which updates the National Electrical Code (NEC) articles for emergency power systems, in addition to NFPA 99, Health Care Facilities Code, as a subject matter expert for Chapter 6 – Electrical Systems.
Why it is important to review codes on a regular cycle.
Energy regulation, distribution, medical technology, facility standards, construction techniques, and care delivery models are continuously changing. COVID accelerated a lot of changes, from the way we design patient rooms to how caregivers provide care. When you combine these variables with the limited availability of commodities, it makes us rethink design and how we can address these needs within the structure of our codes and guidelines.
I often work on the frontline of these changes. I must be aware of where the industry is trending, as well as understand what is permitted today. It is important to continuously evaluate codes to make sure we are moving the industry forward—while still mitigating unnecessary risks. Also, the engineering industry is becoming increasingly interdisciplinary. We are no longer working in siloes and hoping the pieces fit together. Codes are part of an interdisciplinary design and construction process.
It is important that every healthcare project team includes an expert in code compliance. Healthcare facilities are complex machines with many parts. Codes impact the final design and patient safety and the ability to occupy a building and receive reimbursements.
Are buildings codes mandated nationally?
Codes serve as requirements that public agencies adopt at the national, state, and local levels. Each state or jurisdiction may adopt a different edition of codes and standards and may have their own individual amendments. Because many code committees are on different cycles, it is also necessary to regularly review codes and standards to ensure they align with other applicable codes and standards in this fast-changing building industry.
What advice do you have for emerging professionals?
If you think you know the answer, always double check and validate your decisions. Don’t just trust your memory. I also would say, work as a team because your team can make you better. And be sure to ask for opportunities, ask for help, ask questions. Don’t be afraid to not know something. You learn by acknowledging that you don’t know. And to those who have more experience, give the emerging professionals opportunities—they may just surprise you with their abilities and insights.
Finally, if not an engineer, what would you be?
If you had asked me this 10 years ago, I would have given you a different answer. But aside from just lying on the beach by the ocean (or on the rocks by a lake), I like where I am in my career right now, although my focus is different today than it was earlier in my career. These days I’m not focused on making myself more important and visible. I’m more focused on passing knowledge onto the next generation so that people can easily take over where I left off when I retire. I want to leave a knowledge base that others can build on and continue to move forward in their own way. It’s about empowering people, bringing them up through the ranks. It’s a process of continuously mentoring the next generation.
More . . .
To learn more about Krista Biason’s research in code compliance, download her whitepaper, “Electrical Receptacles in Patient Care Areas: Determining Quantities, Location, and Code Compliance for Operationalizing Patient Care,” co-authored with Terri Zborowsky of HGA and industry colleagues, published by Facility Guidelines Institute (FGI).