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Archive for 2014

News Story

Holy Cross Germantown Hospital: Photo Tour

The first new hospital built in Montgomery County, Maryland, in 35 years, Holy Cross Germantown is also the first hospital constructed on a community college campus. This partnership between Montgomery College and the Trinity Health/Holy Cross system will expand training opportunities for healthcare workers while bringing healthcare to residents who had previously traveled 20 miles […]

Blog Post

Cx Monitor: System Documentation for Operations Grows in Breadth and Complexity

Facility owners are becoming more in tune with the fact that 90% of a building’s lifetime cost is tied to operating cost, while only about 10% is dedicated to construction. This realization is driving owners and building professional organizations to compile increasingly sophisticated levels of facility operation and maintenance documentation. The amount of documentation required […]

News Story

Resolute Health awarded LEED Silver certification

It’s not always easy being green — but Resolute Health is being recognized for achieving just that. Resolute Health hospital has earned the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. The certification is given to organizations whose buildings are proven to be environmentally-conscious. The designation makes Resolute […]

Blog Post

Compliance News: ECRI Institute Lists Top 10 Health Technology Hazards for 2015

Hospitals are expected to identify risks that can adversely affect the safety of patients and others.  As an example, under TJC’s Standard EC.02.01.01, Element of Performance 1 lists examples of both internal and external sources of information on probable risks.  The annually updated ECRI list of Top 10 Health Technology Hazards is not listed but […]

News Story

Citizens have questions for Murfreesboro

The City of Murfreesboro plans to present the first chapter of Murfreesboro 2035, a comprehensive plan designed to help the growing city prepare for the future.  Chapter 1, Planning Context, will be presented to the community on December 9th, at 5:30 p.m., at Oakland Middle School Auditorium. Smith Seckman Reid, Inc. is focused on utilities infrastructure capacities […]

Industry Article

Smarter Integration of Building Controls

Automation system innovations lead to advanced applications The capabilities of building automation systems (BASs) have expanded significantly over the past several years. New systems are more complex and smarter than ever. BASs are being used to monitor and control HVAC equipment, lighting and occupancy in hospitals. Energy management also is a big focus today and […]

Press Release

Two SSR Health Care Projects Recognized by ENR as Regional Best Projects

Memorial Hermann Healthcare System’s East Tower and Methodist Olive Branch Hospital received Award of Merit recognition  Smith Seckman Reid, Inc. (SSR) a leader among engineering firms in designing, consulting, and commissioning projects is proud to announce that two of its projects have been recognized by Engineering News-Record’s Regional Best Projects 2014, a program that honors […]

Blog Post

Compliance News: New ASHE Monograph Addresses Hospital Emergency Power Issues

ASHE just published a new 80+ page management monograph detailing a comprehensive program for managing hospital emergency power systems.  This document addresses recent lessons learned, best practices, and new regulatory issues.  Readers who have questions on the content of the monograph are invited to email the author at DStymiest@ssr-inc.com. Entitled Managing Hospital Emergency Power Systems: […]

Blog Post

Clinical Consulting: Ebola: Designing Solutions for an International Crisis

Resources for information on Ebola Preparedness The World Health Organization (WHO) declared Ebola to be a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) on August 8, 2014. This extraordinary event has created worldwide awareness and panic of the threat of such an epidemic. Generations of the past have been touched by such epidemics as yellow […]

Blog Post

Cx Monitor: Green Building Codes: A New Unifying Standard

The design and construction industry has made great strides in the past decade towards creating more sustainable and higher performing buildings. Building owners pursue green buildings for many reasons: operational cost effectiveness, marketing, ethics, occupant health, natural resource conservation, among others. Several industry organizations have formulated standards or rating systems to guide the development of […]

Blog Post

Compliance News: Alternate Equipment Management (AEM) Requirements Alter Existing Processes

The new AEM program requirements can represent a sea change in hospital utility system management. The new requirements can affect a multitude of existing processes as laid out in a hospital’s current Plans, Policies or Procedures (PPPs). This article briefly discusses a few of those processes. We previously discussed the driving CMS 2014 Survey & […]

Press Release

Cox Health Reveals New Project

Cox Health Branson reveals new Emergency Department and Critical Care Unit In early September 2014, Cox Medical Center Branson in Branson, MO hosted a tour and a ribbon cutting ceremony, revealing the new, three-story, $30 million Emergency Department and expanded Critical Care Unit (CCU). CoxHealth recently opened a state-of-the-art addition to their hospital in Branson, […]

Press Release

Two SSR Projects Recognized by Modern Healthcare

Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital receives Award of Excellence; Owensboro Health Regional Hospital takes home Honorable Mention Smith Seckman Reid, Inc. (SSR) a leader among engineering firms in designing, consulting, and commissioning projects is proud to announce that two of its projects have been recognized by Modern Healthcare’s 2014 Design Awards, a program that recognizes excellence in […]

Press Release

Connect with SSR at Events in October

With fall in full swing, the month October is packed full of conferences, tradeshows, and symposiums that we would like to connect with you at. SSR and SSRCx will be traveling across the country with thought leaders and personnel speaking and exhibiting from Washington D.C. to San Francisco. September 29th – October 1st Clay Seckman […]

News Story

Business Energy Magazine Features SSRCx Engineers on Ways to Improve Energy Efficiency in Healthcare Facilities

Healthcare facilities are thinking outside the box when looking for ways to cut costs and improve energy efficiency. In the latest issue of Business Energy magazine, SSRCx’s Rick Ziegler, PE, and Clark Denson, PE, CEM, BEMP, LEED AP BD+C, discuss new opportunities available to facility directors that go beyond the traditional lighting and HVAC systems. […]

Blog Post

Cx Monitor: Why Continuous Commissioning?

Since the passage of the Affordable Care Act, the healthcare industry has evolved and will continue to for the foreseeable future. Hospitals have been tasked with becoming more efficient, with fewer resources, and adapt to the new marketplace. However, buildings are decaying, becoming more inefficient, and costing more to operate year-after-year. When buildings and equipment […]

Blog Post

Compliance News: TJC Discusses Equipment Inventories

In a new Clarifications and Expectations article entitled “Revised Equipment Maintenance Standards for Hospitals” published in the September 2014 issues of Environment of Care News and TJC Perspectives, TJC Director of Engineering George Mills provided guidance regarding the enhanced TJC equipment maintenance requirements that took effect on July 2, 2014. We previously discussed the driving […]

Blog Post

Cx Monitor: Working in the Cloud: Benefits of Building Start

In late spring 2012, SSRCx began utilizing a cloud based database, Building Start, to execute the commissioning process for all new construction projects. Building Start is mobile workflow management software that merges a cloud based project management platform with a mobile, offline workflow and audit trail system. This unique combination allows the assignment and sequencing […]

News Story

The Mississippi River Finally Meets Beale Street

A floating dock and helical ramp will help revitalize Memphis’s waterfront. “We’re a river city,” says Benny Lendermon, the president of Memphis’s Riverfront Development Corporation (RDC), a nonprofit organization that the city has tasked with overseeing the development of the waterfront with an eye toward reconnecting the city with its river. “You can see the […]

Industry Article

Maintaining Power Systems

Electrical equipment upkeep as a compliance issue Most hospital facilities professionals realize that power system maintenance is an important reliability issue and the impact of robust inspection, testing and maintenance programs cannot be underestimated. But, behind these best practices are a set of regulatory issues and industry guidelines of which health facilities professionals also must […]

News Story

Tennessee Air National Guard Building Cited for LEED Green Design

The Tennessee Air National Guard’s civil engineering building at Memphis International Airport has received the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED Gold certification for environmentally friendly design. The $7.3 million building, dedicated in December 2012, was the final piece of a $245 million, multiyear project to relocate the base within airport property and free up space […]

Press Release

Caterpillar Financial Center Awarded LEED Gold Recertification

First LEED for Existing Buildings Project in Tennessee to Achieve Recertification Smith Seckman Reid, Inc. (SSR), a leader among engineering firms in designing, consulting, and commissioning projects announced that Caterpillar Financial Center has achieved LEED Gold® recertification. Caterpillar Financial Center is an 11-story, 324,000 SF Class A office building in downtown Nashville, Tennessee. In March […]

Industry Article

Energy Recovery Systems: Airside and Waterside

Energy recovery is an option for organizations using a direct exchange system that’s increasingly being written into building codes and ASHRAE standards. There are two basic types: airside and waterside. According to Ron Holdaway, an engineer at Smith Seckman Reid, airside energy recovery is the process of using the building’s exhaust air to pre-condition the […]

Industry Article

Energy Recovery Systems Can Cut Energy Use Significantly

Energy recovery in buildings today is a true paradigm shift from traditional practice of 20-30 years ago, because the technology to accomplish it didn’t exist. ‘”It is now commonplace to expect some type of energy recovery incorporated into the building’s HVAC system,” says Ron Holdaway, an engineer at Smith Seckman Reid. “Rather than throwing away […]

Blog Post

Compliance News: Changes to The Joint Commission’s Standards

The Joint Commission recently issued numerous changes to its Hospital Accreditation Standards (HAS) Environment of Care (EC) and Life Safety (LS) chapters. TJC accredited hospitals should closely review all changes within the HAS book itself. TJC’s Prepublication Requirements issued June 20, 2014 identified the below-listed EC chapter changes that took effect July 2, 2014. There […]

News Story

Chance Of A Lifetime

By Ted J. Rulseh Ken Reynolds welcomed a challenge and led his team through a transition from an aging conventional plant to a sophisticated membrane facility. On one hand it wasn’t easy switching from an old, familiar conventional water treatment plant to brand-new technology. On the other hand, it was an opportunity that comes along perhaps […]

Press Release

Smith Seckman Reid Founding Member of Energy Management Association

Smith Seckman Reid, Inc. (SSR), a leader among engineering firms in designing, consulting, and commissioning projects has become a founding member of the Energy Management Association (EMA) and has one of the first Energy Management Professionals. EMA is dedicated to advancing the quality of energy management products and services for the benefit of building owners. […]

Blog Post

Cx Monitor: Effective Use of Building Enclosure Mock-ups within the Commissioning Process

The building enclosure (envelope, skin, etc.) represents one of the highest risk elements of construction. Water intrusion, air leakage, and increased energy consumption are common consequences of poorly designed and constructed building enclosure systems.  An effective building enclosure commissioning (BECx) and testing program can reduce these risks along with associated long term effects such as […]

Industry Article

Know the Intent, Changes of NFPA 99-2012

NFPA 99: Health Care Facilities Code was completely overhauled and rewritten from the 2005 edition to the 2012 edition and was changed from a “standard” to a ”code.” J. Patrick Banse, PE, Smith Seckman Reid Inc., Houston Health care delivery and administration has changed over the years and continues to evolve, not just for reimbursement […]

Blog Post

Cx Monitor: LEED v4- Commissioning Changes in the USGBC’s Newest Green Building Rating System

Project teams pursuing certification under the LEED® v4 Building Design and Construction rating system should carefully examine their commissioning process and scope, as the updated rating system includes several new requirements and options for building commissioning. Following is a selection of significant changes in commissioning requirements, based on information currently available within the LEED v4 […]

News Story

Career Profile: Informatics in Design/Architecture

by Debbie Gregory, RN, BSN, Senior Clinical Consultant, Technology Planning Group at Smith Seckman Reid How did you get started in informatics? I began working for the Technology Planning Group at Smith Seckman Reid in 2010 as the Senior Clinical Consultant. We plan the technology infrastructure and systems for new healthcare construction and renovations. It […]

News Story

Broadway Street Depot Plans 90 Percent Complete

By Lindsey Shelton NATCHEZ – Plans for the renovation of the downtown railroad depot could be ready for review by the Mississippi Department of Transportation next month. Natchez Community Development Director James Johnson said Smith Seckman Reid, the company with which the city has contracted, is approximately 90 percent finished with plans and specifications for […]

News Story

Methodist Olive Branch Hospital first to earn new LEED certification

Rob Robertson Staff writer- Memphis Business Journal Methodist Olive Branch Hospital is leading the way in building green. The hospital is the first in-patient health care facility in the United States to achieve a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) for Healthcare Gold Certification. Methodist Olive Branch is also one of six LEED for […]

News Story

Bold Leadership, Smart Design

Designed and built a the height of the recession, the 90-bed satellite hospital opened its doors Dec. 18, 2013 – on schedule, despite 63 rain days during construction, and several million dollars under budget, The medical center’s entire design and construction team, led jointly by Martin Health System, HKS Inc. and Balfour Beatty Construction, was […]

Press Release

Methodist Olive Branch Hospital achieves LEED for Healthcare Gold certification

Smith Seckman Reid, Inc. (SSR) announces that Methodist Olive Branch Hospital (MOBH) is LEED® Gold certified, making it the first LEED for Healthcare Gold certified inpatient facility in the world.  The LEED rating system, developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), is the foremost program for buildings, homes and communities that are designed, constructed, […]

Blog Post

Compliance News: TJC Announces CMS-driven Restrictions on Relocatable Power Taps

According to a new press release from AAMI, TJC Director of Engineering George Mills announced new restrictions on the use and application of Relocatable Power Taps during his speech at the AAMI 2014 Conference in Philadelphia on June 1, 2014. According to Underwriters Laboratories (UL) relocatable power taps, often also called outlet strips, are listed […]

News Story

Franklin’s Harpeth River treatment plant likely staying

FRANKLIN – After years of debate, Franklin leaders seem ready to keep the city’s longtime connection to the Harpeth River and upgrade its 62-year-old water treatment plant. But how much Franklin leaders spend on improving the Lewisburg Pike plant and, in turn, how much the city’s 17,000 water customers eventually pay in higher water rates […]

Blog Post

Compliance News: TJC Clarifies Medical Gas Cylinder Storage Requirements

TJC Director of Engineering George Mills clarified TJC’s requirements for safe storage of medical gas cylinders in the February 2014 editions of both TJC Perspectives and EC News. The TJC articles, both entitled Maintaining Medical Gas Safety and located within the Clarifications and Expectations portion of each periodical, referred to NFPA 99-1999 section 4-3.5.2.2(b). Section […]

News Story

Urban Land Institute Nashville picks top projects

The Urban Land Institute Nashville District Council awarded six middle Tennessee development projects with Excellence in Development Thursday during a ceremony at the Omni Nashville Hotel. ULI Nashville’s Excellence in Development Awards celebrate design, creativity and vision in land use and real estate development, and commitment to the middle Tennessee community. “Together, the 16 submitted […]

News Story

2014 CSE 40 Under 40: Eric A. Sheffer, LEED AP

Congratulations to Eric Sheffer, LEED AP BD+C, on being named one of the recipients of Consulting Specifying Engineer’s 2014 40 Under 40 award. The award is given to 40 building industry professionals age 40 and younger who stand out in all aspects of their lives. To read a profile of each winner, visit www.csemag.com/40under40.

News Story

Jackie Robinson Seeking to Bring NBA Franchise to All Net Arena

LAS VEGAS–(BUSINESS WIRE)– In December, businessman and former UNLV and NBA player Jackie Robinson, Chairman, All Net Arena, LLC, announced plans to develop a $1.3 billion privately-funded resort and arena located on the Las Vegas Strip and scheduled to break ground late this summer. The massive project boasts a powerful team including China Construction America […]

Blog Post

Compliance News: CMS Changes Hospital Equipment Maintenance Requirements

CMS recently issued Survey & Certification Letter S&C:14-07-Hospital, which changed the requirements for hospital equipment maintenance. The new requirements apply to utility systems equipment as well as medical equipment. The CMS letter can be found at http://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Provider-Enrollment-and-Certification/SurveyCertificationGenInfo/Downloads/Survey-and-Cert-Letter-14-07.pdf, and hospital facility directors should obtain and review a copy of it. That letter also includes as Appendix […]

News Story

Memorial Hermann to kick off $650M project in the Texas Medical Center

Memorial Hermann Health System — Houston’s largest health care system — will soon begin a $650 million expansion and renovation of its Texas Medical Center campus. Construction on the Memorial Hermann-TMC Master Plan project is scheduled to begin this summer and conclude in 2018. Houston-based WHR Architects Inc. is the architect of record for the project. […]

News Story

Project Leadership Gold Award Winner: Methodist Olive Branch Hospital

DeSoto County, Mississippi, has experienced tremendous growth over the past two decades. To ensure the county’s burgeoning population has access to high-quality healthcare services, Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare (MLH) built a 100-bed, full-service, faith-based hospital in the city of Olive Branch. The 208,000 square-foot facility includes four operating rooms, 18 emergency department exam rooms, an […]

Industry Article

SSR Ranked on ENR’s List of Top 500 Design Firms

The design profession has been hit hard over the past six years. By some estimates, as many as 40% of architects were unemployed during the height of the recession, in 2009. Engineers fared better but not by much. Everybody did more with less. Now, after several fits and starts over the past few years, the […]

News Story

Guthrie Corning Hospital Counts Down Days To Opening

Guthrie Corning Hospital is counting down the days until its patients are moved into a new facility in East Corning, N.Y. Patients will be transferred into the new hospital on July 12. The new hospital features 65 private rooms and five large suites in the maternity unit–each named after the Finger Lakes. The upper floor, […]

News Story

2014 Grand Award Winners

Wolf River Boulevard Connector The final segment of Wolf River Boulevard consists of approximately two miles of four lane roadway with shoulders and bike lanes, two bridges with protected pedestrian crossings, five oversized box culverts, one pedestrian underpass, and two new traffic signals. Wolf River Boulevard is enrolled in Audubon International’s Silver Signature Sanctuary green […]

News Story

Pyramid, Wolf River road connector receive engineering awards

The Pyramid project, completed by Geotechnology Inc., has been honored with a Grand Award in the special projects category at the Tennessee Engineering Excellence Awards competition, sponsored by the American Council of Engineering Companies of Tennessee. The Wolf River Boulevard Connector project, completed by Smith Seckman Reid, Inc., has also been recognized with a Grand […]

News Story

Announcing the 2014 Capstone Award winners

Twenty-eight of Kansas City’s most significant development projects were honored Friday, March 7th, at the Kansas City Business Journal Capstone Awards luncheon. Teams of engineering, architecture, construction and development firms and others gathered at the Sheraton Overland Park to be recognized for outstanding projects, for reasons ranging from the architectural design to green building practices to community […]

Industry Article

Engineers…Quietly Making a Difference

By David Bradford,  Memphis Business Journal They are the little-known heroes. When buildings are christened, bridges are celebrated and intersections are made more efficient, these men and women are content to sit quietly on the sidelines and savor the accomplishment of a job well done. They are engineers and their hands touch every part of […]

Industry Article

Designing Laboratory Ventilation Systems

By J. Patrick Banse, PE, and Chris St. Cyr, in the January / February 2014 issue of Consulting Specifying Engineer. Proper ventilation of laboratory settings is required to promote and maintain laboratory safety and protection to life and property. Items such as fume containment, worker safety, proper cleanliness through pressure  relationships, filtration, air changes per […]

Blog Post

Compliance News: TJC MODIFIES EMERGENCY POWER TEST INTERVALS FOR 2014

The 2014 TJC Hospital Accreditation Standards include wording changes in Standard EC.02.05.07, EP-4 (generator test intervals) and EP-6 (transfer switch test intervals) that tweak the required test intervals a little. The new 2014 test interval language in both EPs states “At least monthly, the hospital tests ….” This is a change from the 2013 TJC […]

Industry Article

Smart Money: Making the case for hospital infrastructure funding

Many health facilities managers would like to be more successful in obtaining depreciation dollars to fund maintenance and infrastructure capital renewal adequately. Gaining access to depreciation funding often involves being more successful at selling the maintenance mission and requires a multifaceted approach. The rules of engagement include such disparate approaches as communicating with budget committees […]