Installing HVAC units into the new Medical Center

The quality of a medical center’s indoor environment plays an important role in patients’ healing process, and the efficiency of the thousands of people who work in the facility.

To meet the challenge of efficient distribution of air for comfort and air quality throughout the new Loma Linda University Health Medical Center and Children’s Hospital towers, a sophisticated system of heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) units have been placed on the fourth floor of the new building’s podium section.

Each of the 117 HVAC units that make up the air conditioning system was raised by crane over the Children’s Hospital tower and then lowered through an opening in the podium’s roof. Once on the fourth floor, workers position each unit by size, weight and capacity to reinforced preinstalled pads. Depending on the size and capacity of the units, each one weighs between 7,500 and 12,000 pounds.

The new Medical Center will house 320 beds for adult patients, while the new Children’s tower will give Children’s Hospital a total of 373 licensed beds. The new facilities will also be a place where 4,700 Loma Linda University students and 700 residents will progress in their education.

The massive construction project is a part of Loma Linda University Health’s Vision 2020 – The Campaign for a Whole Tomorrow. New buildings for both hospitals will meet and exceed California’s upcoming seismic requirements for hospitals.

We're sharing photographic updates of the hospital construction work on a periodic basis. Watch for special emphasis on some of the behind-the-scenes-views and untold stories at the Vision 2020 website.

This vignette is adapted from a blog by Dennis E. Park, which appears on the website www.docuvision2020.com.