Alternate Care Sites – Utilizing Highly-Engineered Quick-Ship Modular Products for Current Isolation Environment Demands

Speakers: 

Kyle Weisman, AIA, NCARB, Project Manager, HGA Architects and Engineers
Jeff Harris, PE, LEED AP, Director of Engineering, HGA Architects and Engineers
Krista McDonald Biason, PE, Vice-President, Senior Healthcare Electrical Engineer, HGA Architects and Engineers

With the constantly evolving criteria required to address the surge of patients impacted by the COVID-19 virus, there are many options that health care organizations will explore and deploy. Options consist of revising existing clinical spaces, to renovating nonclinical spaces like hotels and conventions centers, to bringing temporary tents and structures on-site to house patients. When the need for true airborne infection isolation rooms (AIIRs) is required, a prefabricated, modular and scalable option is a viable alternative. The design team will share the concept of a self-sufficient, quick-ship free-standing hospital and the kit of parts architectural and engineering systems required to support this mission that meets the intent of the CDC recommendations.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify the clinical requirements of a true AIIR and when and why these types of facilities are necessary during a pandemic.
• Discover the role the patient room environment (IAQ, light, patient room layout) plays in the healing process and staff safety, and the engineering systems’ significant impact on positive outcomes.
• Discuss the advantages and limits of a modular, kit of parts approach to provide a rapidly constructed temporary high-quality patient environment.