This webinar was sponsored by the Academy of Architecture for Health (AAH) on September 10, 2019 from 2–3pm ET.
This presentation is a primer on Operating Room (OR) Turnover Time and its impact on the design, planning and operation of the HVAC systems that serve Operating Rooms. The intent of this presentation is to show how the design and operation of an OR HVAC system is impacted by the various stakeholders, starting with the users (i.e the OR staff), consultants and up to the C-Suite. It is not unusual for these stakeholders to have divergent perspective an what the OR HVAC System should do or how it should be designed. This presentation will provide examples with perspectives from the various stakeholders.
Healthcare organizations across the country are struggling to identify opportunities to save cost through improved operational efficiency, and perhaps no healthcare area is more scrutinized through research and analytics than the surgery department. As one of the most labor intense and costly areas in any healthcare environment, it makes sense to streamline process, physical design and staffing to limit “down time” in this area. Research shows that one minute lost in operating room utilization can cost as much as $20 per minute. Oddly though, one area that has little research to support operational improvement and cost savings in surgery is the impact of mechanical system design on operating room turn over time (TOT). When every minute counts for the physician, patient and visitors that are waiting for an operating room to turn over, it makes sense to design heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems that support flexibility and limits down time. This presentation will also cover the OR HVAC system design criteria described in ASHRAE 170 and ASHRAE Healthcare Design guide.
Moderator: Yvonne Nagy, HOK
Speakers: Cindy Beckham, Principal, Health Studio Leader and Ionel Petrus, Principal, Mechanical Engineer - SmithGroupA recording of this webinar is available to stream on the AAH vimeo channel: https://vimeo.com/channels/1248268