Hospitals & Healthcare

How Does A Healthy HVAC System Help Patients?

There are a number of ways that a well-running HVAC system helps patients in a hospital setting. The main benefits to patients include:

1. Infection Control: A well-maintained HVAC system is vital for infection control by filtering out airborne germs and preventing the spread of contaminated air. Many HVAC systems that are neglected can develop mold growth and your hospital will be in need of mold removal. Hospitals with high-efficiency filters, such as HEPA (High-Efficiency Particulate Air) filters, can capture small particles like viruses, bacteria, and allergens, significantly reducing transmission risks.
2. Faster Patient Recovery Times: Clean, temperature-controlled environments may help patients recover more quickly. By eliminating dust, pollen, and mold, a functioning HVAC system creates a more stable and comfortable environment, allowing for faster patient recovery.
3. Temperature & Humidity Regulation: Maintaining ideal temperature and humidity levels is crucial in healthcare settings. Temperature fluctuations can cause discomfort and exacerbate certain medical conditions, while high humidity can lead to mold growth, which can trigger respiratory issues. Properly calibrated HVAC systems ensure stable conditions, improving overall patient comfort.
4. Reducing Airborne Contaminants: HVAC systems are designed to remove harmful contaminants found in hospitals, such as chemical fumes from cleaning agents and medical gasses. Keeping the system maintained ensures a safer environment for both patients and healthcare staff.

Preventative Maintenance For Healthcare Buildings

One of the best things you can do for a hospital building is to have preventative maintenance. Preventative care and attention to the HVAC system in your hospital can help to protect your facility and, most of all, your patients. When PROAC manages your preventative HVAC care, we will catch potential problems before they arise.

Just imagine what a hospital building would be like if the air conditioning was broken for a week, or if it is winter, imagine the heating and ventilation failing due to the system being neglected. Additionally, preventative maintenance will save you money by allowing for your building’s HVAC to last longer and work more effectively.

Preventative HVAC Maintenance Schedule For Hospitals

Regular maintenance is essential to ensuring that hospital HVAC systems operate efficiently and reliably to provide clean air. Below are some of PROAC’s key recommendations:

• Monthly Filter Inspections: Inspect and replace HEPA or ULPA filters to maintain optimal air filtration. Learn how often you should change your HVAC air filters.
• Quarterly System Checks: Inspect ventilation, airflow, and temperatures to ensure proper function, especially in sensitive areas like ICUs and operating rooms.
• Biannual Deep Cleaning: Clean ductwork and vents twice a year to remove dust, mold, and other contaminants.
• Annual Full System Review: Conduct a comprehensive system inspection annually to ensure components such as air-handling units, thermostats, and humidifiers are functioning correctly.

Services PROAC Provides Hospitals & Healthcare Facilities

While air and environmental quality and HVAC cleaning are essential, there are so many more things PROAC provides to healthcare buildings. Below are a few of the primary services we provide to healthcare businesses:

• Healthcare Indoor Air and Environmental Quality Testing: Test your Hospital’s air quality for toxins, chemicals, allergens, or any variety of environmental quality issues. Hospitals regularly have their facilities tested to prevent the spread of airborne toxins or allergens.
• Hospital Coil Restoration: Sometimes your HVAC coil loses airflow, underperforms or breaks and the hospital operations come to a grinding halt. Don’t let your location go another day without proper airflow and the HVAC running as designed, contact PROAC.
• Hospital Mold Removal Services: Most people do not think of mold when they think of a hospital, doctors office, or urgent care, but impacted cooling coils, water build up or condensation can happen in any of these buildings and the mold removal and testing needs to be done by a professional.
• Hospital Cafeteria Kitchen Hood & Exhaust Cleaning Services: If your hospital has a cafeteria, it is likely your kitchen has a hood and exhaust setup. Your kitchen exhaust and hood is required to be cleaned regularly to prevent fires and exhaust smoke and odors from the cooking process.
• Healthcare Industrial Cleaning Services: Industrial dust build up is uncommon for hospitals, including latex dust. On construction sites and in the basements of the hospital buildings we have seen dust build up that allows for contaminants to build up. Get our industrial cleaning services.
• Healthcare Cooling Tower Repair & Refurbishment: Ensure your hospital or pharmaceutical facility maintains optimal cooling tower function. Regular maintenance prevents air conditioning loss and curtails Legionella and biofilm growth. Legionella can cause Legionnaire’s lung disease, and biofilm hampers efficient heat transfer in the system. Chemical treatment alone falls short; opt for our essential mechanical, probiotic cleaning, and refurbishment services to uphold a safe and efficient healthcare environment.
• Healthcare Commercial Duct Cleaning: Hospitals, like other commercial buildings, accumulate dirt, dust, bacteria, and mold in HVAC ductwork over time. Exhaust systems limit airflow, analogous to adding water to a full container. Ensure a hygienic hospital environment by maintaining clean and sanitary HVAC ductwork.
• Healthcare HVAC Video Inspection Services: Sometimes, an HVAC system will start running improperly or produce a bad smell. Our video inspection services will find out what the issue is quickly.

Compliance With Industry Air Quality Standards

Hospitals must comply with regulations set by organizations like ASHRAE, CDC, and EPA to ensure proper air quality and patient safety. Hospital air quality testing is vital for your facilities. All of our hospital HVAC services help your facility stay in compliance with these regulations.

• ASHRAE Standard 170: Specifies ventilation and air filtration requirements.
• CDC Guidelines: Focus on infection control through proper air handling, filter maintenance, and humidity management.
• EPA Standards: Provide guidance for controlling airborne pollutants in healthcare settings.

Contact PROAC For Your Healthcare Building Solutions

We help healthcare-related businesses manage their building. Some places we have worked with are hospitals, medical centers, urgent cares, doctors offfices, nursing homes, and more. Contact us for our services today!