To say that medical facilities, like hospitals and clinics, have unique HVAC maintenance requirements would be a vast understatement. Facility managers not only keep equipment running smoothly, they help their staff stay focused on top priorities, and balance requests from patients, staff, doctors, and visitors.
When it comes to juggling these responsibilities, and ultimately achieving better patient care, how can medical facilities utilize HVAC service partners to complement and strengthen their existing capabilities? Read more to learn how a 923-bed medical center serving Northern Virginia did just this.
Complex is an Understatement
Medical facilities are fast-paced environments with specialized HVAC design, repair, and maintenance requirements. Unlike other facilities, these heating and cooling systems must be capable of operating 24/4/7, providing comfort to patients, staff, and visitors. Maintaining a system this complex can put a great deal of pressure on an organization whose priority is patient care.
HVAC management procedures are rarely straightforward. Medical facilities experience an increased level of demand for resource allocation and frequent staff turnover. Moreover, time constraints can make it difficult to maintain complete records on a facility’s equipment inventory and the condition it’s in.
This is why many medical facilities look to mechanical service partners to fill in the gaps created by overtaxed internal operations. With their expertise and team of technicians, service partners like Trimark Mechanical can help support, map out, or guide an HVAC maintenance plan unique to your medical facility.
Trimark Mechanical Steps in to Close the Gaps
One of our clients is a 923-bed medical center in Northern Virginia serving the Washington DC Metro community and beyond. Initially, our team was asked to replace filters on a regularly scheduled basis, but in time, and as they continued to fight to effectively balance internal resources with their HVAC maintenance and repair requirements, they requested Trimark Mechanical come on as a recurrent partner to provide HVAC repair and replacement services. By enlisting our help, they aimed to keep up their HVAC running smoothly as well as tackle some larger-scale issues.
One such issue was wrangling the nitty-gritty details on their entire HVAC system. As a result of decades of expansion, the client’s HVAC systems were highly segmented and scattered throughout the facility. Part of the work that needed to be done was to gather an accurate inventory of the facility’s equipment and evaluate its condition. Not only would this help with plans for maintenance and repair, but it would also help in situations where spaces needed to be repurposed to adapt to new needs. This exact situation happened when an old space was converted into a doctor’s office and ductwork had to be extended from existing equipment.
Additionally, having an accurate inventory of equipment was a critical step in institutionalizing maintenance history. Setting up a central source of information like this would be a way to seamlessly communicate a holistic view of their HVAC system with the entire team. This way, knowledge wouldn’t be limited to only one or two staff members.
If handling resource allocation, employee turnover, and administrative changeover weren’t enough, our client was also managing requests from different stakeholders and how to prioritize work accordingly. Again, Trimark was asked to help amplify the client’s abilities in order to keep all parties involved comfortable, as efficiently as possible.
To date, we’ve helped the client not only with maintenance but repair and replacement projects such as:
Replacing motors and compressors.
Installing and extending ductwork and adding or repairing in-line duct heaters.
Replacing steam coils in air handler units.
Replacing mission-critical computer room HVAC equipment.
Over the last four years, we’ve established a trusted partnership with our client. They have the confidence that we can maintain a sophisticated HVAC system, but more importantly, they know we’re there to help navigate the challenges they face.
While many medical facilities share common challenges, no two facilities are ever the same. If you’re considering making some changes to how your team keeps your HVAC running smoothly, here are a few key questions to ask:
Are the gaps in your current capabilities? Based on your staffing levels and other specific challenges, you can assess if there are areas of repair or maintenance that could be handled by an extension of your team, like Trimark, so that you can focus on top priorities.
Who in your facility is comfortable and happy, and who isn’t? Helping your medical facility achieve its mission involves balancing needs of various stakeholders. It could be that some added “muscle” would help quickly tackle requests or simply assist with task overflow.
What equipment is on the verge of repair or replacement? If you’re knowledgeable about some or all of your system’s equipment, figure out which are the closest to needing a repair or replacement and if you’ll need guidance or help.
By asking questions like these, many medical facilities come to the conclusion that it’s beneficial to find a mechanical services partner to complement their existing workflow. From there, it’s a matter of finding a company to work with that can do just this: adapt to shifting needs, fill in where staff needs help, and, if necessary, help inform decisions on major equipment replacement.
An Extension of Your Own Staff
Our client’s experience revealed that partnering with a mechanical service provider helped them achieve better patient care. There’s not a ‘one-size fits all’ solution for medical facilities, and we’re happy to discuss just how joining forces can help keep patients, doctors, and staff comfortable and happy.