Key Factors:

• Medical
• 17 locations
• Varied equipment

Challenges:

CentraCare operates multiple medical service locations throughout Central Minnesota. With an active internal maintenance staff and varied equipment, the struggle was to keep up with the demand of maintenance and improvements throughout the facility. Response time to high priority repairs and time sensitive installations is critical for a medical facility and had become laborious for the staff.

Equipment:

Being a medical facility, there are different types of equipment at each location that require different levels of attention. Boilers, chillers, air handlers, remote condensers, packaged rooftop units, humidity control, and snow melt are some of the considerations when providing service in the medical industry. Other priorities include air balancing and Indoor Air Quality.

Evaluation:

McDowall Company’s commitment to communication saw the most immediate result. When initiating the equipment inventory and evaluation for preventative maintenance, CentraCare was provided a detailed equipment list and condition report for each location. This has helped decision makers identify areas of priority and plan future equipment improvements.  

Solutions:

The importance of HVAC for medical facilities goes beyond comfort. HVAC systems are designed to create and maintain comfortable environments for the buildings occupants. CentraCare sees the value in employee and patient comfort, beyond that, the need for safety and reliability are paramount. McDowall Company has been able to provide more efficient filtration options for improved air quality, and been able to establish an ongoing preventative maintenance program customized to each location based on need. We have been able to establish timelines for repairs based upon season and budget and freed the internal staff to concentrate on the day-to-day operations of the facilities.

Results:

CentraCare has seen a decrease in the number of trouble calls, realized energy savings, and proactively planned for repairs and future projects based upon need.

Beyond preventative maintenance measures, McDowall has been able to work with CentraCare on filtration improvements and Indoor Air Quality measures. During the Pandemic, CentraCare was looking for additional suggestions for air purification to ensure patient safety. After evaluation, we were able to recommend GPS Needlepoint Bi-polar Ionization devices for spaces that needed additional attention. Improved filtration and air exchanges were implemented in lesser occupied areas.