With more than 12 million sq. ft. of facility space including 13 regional hospitals and nearly 20 healthcare clinics, Cleveland Clinic is recognized as one of the world’s largest and most respected healthcare providers. Maintaining a sterile environment in 215+ operating rooms 24/7 was expensive; and so the organization set out to reduce costs without compromising patient safety.

Goals

To ensure a sterile environment medical gas is cycled through operating rooms at 20 changes per hour – all day every day. Cleveland Clinic sought to lower energy consumption by reducing air changes to 6 changes per hour during extended downtimes. This would cut costs dramatically while at the same time allowing safety and sustainability goals to be met.

Challenge

• The OR staff needed assurance that a procedure would never begin in a room with less than 20 air changes per hour.
• Doctors were concerned that air quality monitoring equipment would be complicated and an unwanted distraction.
• Infection Control needed assurance of a sterile environment.
• The solution had to effectively monitor air conditions, be easy to use, and interface with controllers and building management system.

Solution

Bridging the needs of facilities with those of the staff hinged on the ability to easily and effectively monitor air quality conditions. Following a 6 month evaluation of every major environmental airflow monitoring and controls solution providers, AEB Technologies together with Critical Room Control (CRC) environmental air-flow monitors and controls were selected. From a trial installation through project implementation, AEB was there every step of the way to help design, test, and validate the new system.

Results

While enterprise-wide implementation remains underway, its safe to say that the initiative is already delivering measurable results.

• Reducing air change-over during extended downtimes was done safely without affecting the sterile OR environment.
• Monitors are easy to use and allow air quality conditions to be confirmed at a glance.
• Energy use was slashed from 432 kbtu/ft2 to 425 kbtu/ft2.
• Energy savings associated with fewer air change-overs, fan horsepower, heating/cooling costs is resulting in a cost savings of approximately $12,000 each year per OR.

“We’re extremely pleased with the results and AEB was great to work with,” explained George Thomas, Enterprise Building Automation Manager at Cleveland Clinic. “The CRC system integrates seamlessly with our multiple controllers including Siemens, JCI and others while interfacing seamlessly with Tridium Niagara – our building management system.”