In This Issue
Quick Links

Subscribe

 News

More About Us

Our Partners 

Learn About the Life Safety Code

 

How Does a Fire Damper Work?

 Fire Alarm Systems
THE ARCHITECT'S ANGLE
October 2016
Greetings!  

In this issue we discuss Infrastructure differences between Private Medical Practices and Medicaid Reimbursed Clinics. Our companion article centers on how to add supplementary HVAC Systems to bring a health facility "up to code".  This is the last in our three-part series. We have enjoyed bringing you this three-part series and hope it has helped to bring some clarity to what can be a daunting and intimidating process.
Medicaid Reimbursed Clinics vs.
Private Practices
Infrastructure Differences
(Third in a Three-Part Series)

We have gotten a lot of positive feedback on the first two installments of our series comparing construction standards of Medicaid reimbursed Diagnostic & Treatment Centers (D&TCs) to those of private medical practices.
 
Our first issue focused on ADA compliance. The second installment discussed the programmatic space differences between D&TCs and Private Practices. In this third and final installment, we will examine what happens behind the walls and above the ceilings of a D&TC by taking a look at Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing and Fire Protection requirements (MEPs).
 
In our second installment, we identified the Facility Guidelines Institute (FGI) "Guidelines for Design and Construction of Health Facilities" as one of the primary codes governing the design and construction of D&TCs. When addressing fire safety and environmental issues, FGI adopts certain national model codes by reference. The most important of these are the National Fire Protection Association family of codes (NFPA).  
  
Supplementary HVAC Systems:
A Cool Solution
 
As existing programs are expanded and new services added, facilities must upgrade their heating, ventilating and air conditioning systems (HVAC) to keep pace.
 
The location and configuration of such alterations to a large degree, dictates the type and configuration of the HVAC solution. One of the first decisions that needs to be made involves the existing HVAC systems that are in place. The efficiency of the existing equipment should be evaluated to determine if it is in need of replacement or can be upgraded and optimized. A balancing report should be commissioned to verify the quantity or air being delivered to the spaces being altered/expanded. This balancing report will reveal how much additional conditioning is needed to serve the new or expanded programs and spaces.
   
We hope you enjoyed this three-part series. Do you have questions or feedback about the information provided or regarding your facility that we can answer?  Contact us at info@jwbarch.com and we will be happy to provide you with any additional information you may need.  We want to continue to offer content that interests you, our readers. Please drop us a line and let us know what topics you might want to learn more about. As always, we love hearing from you.

Sincerely,

John W. Baumgarten, RA, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP
Principal & President

Michael A. Sciara, RA, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP
Principal & Vice President