Medical Construction & Design

JUL-AUG 2015

Medical Construction & Design (MCD) is the industry's leading source for news and information and reaches all disciplines involved in the healthcare construction and design process.

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Products applications, case studies & best practices Grand Lake Mental Health Center, Inc. in Nowata, Oklahoma, is a nonprofi t corporation serving northeast Oklahoma since 1979. Its eight clinics provide mental health services to adults, children and families. GLMHC purchased what is now its Ottawa County Clinic, Miami, Oklahoma, in 2009. The facility was GLMHC's entree into integrated care, providing both physical and mental health services. Creating the OCC facility involved gutting the 20,000-square-foot building that originally served as a bar and dance club. When designing HVAC for the new space, Larry Smith, chief operating of cer, GLMHC, said, "a big concern was economy. We were looking for a system that would save on utilities." The R2-Series Variable Refrigerant Flow zoning system from Mitsubishi Electric US, Inc. Cooling & Heating Division (Mitsubishi Electric) delivered that economy while also providing the patient privacy and zone control essen- tial to health and wellness facilities. Patient privacy is essential to health and wellness facilities, in particular, VRF zoning system of ers privacy, savings for health and wellness facility Ideal HVAC Design for Integrated Care HVAC SOLUTIONS because of the sensitive nature of the conversations taking place. Smith said, "A risk in a therapeutic environ- ment where return air systems are tied together is that voices carry. You can't have that." Bill Kite, executive director, Air Conditioning Contractors of America -Oklahoma (at the time the vice president of CDL Electric Heating and Cooling), reiterated this concern as the project's contractor, noting the challenge of "fi nding an HVAC system that provides comfort without any air movement between rooms." VRF zoning technology was an obvious solution to the privacy issue given its reduced ductwork. The technology also appealed because of its "ef ciency, comfort level and lack of noise in patients' rooms," said Kite. "VRF has it all and the ef ciency levels are tremendous compared to traditional systems." The team selected a system from Mitsubishi Electric because "they are the ideal candidate with VRF systems. Mitsubishi [Electric]'s record is not just about ef ciencies but warranty and service issues. They are the best equipment on the market." Installation began and proceeded smoothly: "The labor for the HVAC system wasn't that involved," said Kite. "It's a labor-saving system." The results have greatly pleased GLMHC. "That risk of voices carrying … ," said Smith, "that is not happening with the Mitsubishi [Electric] system. The design of the system allows for privacy." Smith said the zoning technology also allows regulation of individual areas based on the business they're providing. Patients undergoing exams in one part of the facility can be kept warm while patients working out can be kept cool. The zoning technology also ensures that the onsite pharmacy's medicines are kept cool despite the surrounding heat-producing equipment. Any area not in use can be shut of entirely to avoid unneeded cooling and heating, furthering the cost savings. "It's very impressive," said Smith. GLMHC is also satisfi ed with the system's sound and aesthetics. "You don't even notice the indoor units," said Smith. "You don't hear them." The two outdoor units are "large enough to handle a 20,000-square-foot building but not so large that you can't take a 6-foot chain link fence and encapsulate them. Mitsubishi [Electric] designed them to be attractive." Smith also reported that the air is cleaner. "The building smells fresher. People come from all over Oklahoma to see the facility. It's the ideal design for integrated care. Everyone that visits makes a remark about the freshness. And this was an old bar with a dance fl oor." Keeping utility rates low — the original criterion for the new system — has also been successful. Kite said OCC's utility rates are one of the lowest among all of their locations on a square-foot basis. For more information, visit mehvac.com. Grand Lake Mental Health Center Nowata, Oklahoma EQUIPMENT INSTALLED (15) PLFY 4-way ceiling-recessed cassette indoor units (40) PMFY 1-way ceiling-recessed cassette indoor units (5) PEFY ceiling- concealed ducted indoor units (4) PURY- P120TJMU-A R2-series outdoor units (4) CMB 16 Branch (MAIN BC controller) (2) GB-50ADA-A central controllers Common area at Grand Lake Mental Health Center, Inc. in Nowata, Oklahoma. Images: 12Eighty-One MCDM AG.COM | J U LY/AUGUST 2015 | Medical Construction & Design 59

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