The goal of that money is to build, buy or rehab facilities that can deliver everything from crisis stabilization to longterm residential care.
So far, the state has awarded $ 3.3 billion for various projects, and we’ ve been partnering with healthcare systems and facility owners to prepare the pre-design documentation needed for the grant applications. Some of these applications have already received grants, and those facilities are going into design soon.
How does the MEP design you work on for facilities help healthcare providers treat their patients?
When we design MEP systems for healthcare facilities, we’ re not just thinking about pipes, wires and ducts. We’ re engineering the invisible backbone for patient care. Our systems are built to do some heavy lifting, from infection control to HEPA filtration systems, UV systems for disinfection, and maintaining the precise air pressure in isolation rooms that prevent the spread of airborne pathogens. We also ensure that backup power systems like Uninterruptible Power Supplies( UPS) and emergency generators kick in instantly during an outage, keeping lifesaving equipment running without interruptions.
Through HVAC design, we help regulate temperature and humidity to create a comfortable healing environment, while advanced plumbing systems deliver medical gas that saves lives. So patient comfort and system reliability aren’ t just the nice to have. They are essential to safety, recovery and healing in the treatment environment.
The system will also include HEPA filtration and continuous monitoring to maintain compliance and protect both patients and personnel. It’ s not just about comfort, it’ s about safety, compliance and 24 / 7 reliability.
A big topic for healthcare providers who have hospitals in California is meeting new seismic compliance requirements by 2030. Considering these upgrades take years, most systems are well on their way to achieving compliance. Have you( or individuals in your groups) been active in studies and projects for hospital seismic compliance? What can you tell us about the process?
Designing hospitals in California isn’ t just about healing, it is about surviving and being capable of providing ongoing services after a major earthquake. With the state’ s 2030 seismic compliance deadline looming, healthcare systems are racing to upgrade their facilities to meet strict structural and non-structural safety standards set by HCAI.
We’ re currently working on design projects for nearly 70 facilities across the state, and every one of them is part of a multi-year, phased effort to secure building permits and meet these critical deadlines. The process is complex; it involves everything from structural retrofits under the SPC, or Structural Performance Category, to non-structural upgrades under NPC 4 and 5. That means bracing and anchoring mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems, and ensuring hospitals have 72 hours of on-site backup water, sewer, and fuel to keep generators running after a major quake.
What are some specific design strategies or types of mechanical systems that you’ re delivering to clients recently?
I’ ll give an example. We’ re currently designing a specialized mechanical system for a state-of-the-art compounding pharmacy within the hospital. Those are called USP 800 compounding suites. The suite will handle hazardous drugs and substances that can pose serious health risks to healthcare workers if not managed properly. So those are spaces with compounding hoods and where they’ re mixing medications underneath. Those suites are almost like a cleanroom environment. According to the USP 800 guidelines, environments where these drugs are prepared must meet stringent standards for containment, ventilation and environmental control.
That’ s why the mechanical system is absolutely critical. Our design includes a dedicated stand-alone air handling unit that operates independently from the hospital’ s main HVAC system. It will provide precise control over temperature, humidity and pressure. This ensures that the negative pressure in the hazardous drugs preparation areas prevents contamination.