Harney County Health District receives $1.3M Congressional…

HARNEY COUNTY HEALTH DISTRICT HVAC INFRASTRUCTURE RENOVATION PROJECT - HARNEY COUNTY HEALTH DISTRICT REQUESTS $1,250,000 IN CONGRESSIONAL DIRECTED SPENDING (CPF/CDS) FUNDING THROUGH THE HEALTH RESOURCES AND SERVICES ADMINISTRATION (HRSA) TO COMPLETE A COMPREHENSIVE HVAC INFRASTRUCTURE RENOVATION PROJECT AT HARNEY DISTRICT HOSPITAL, LOCATED IN BURNS, OREGON. HARNEY DISTRICT HOSPITAL IS A CRITICAL ACCESS HOSPITAL AND THE PRIMARY PROVIDER OF EMERGENCY, INPATIENT, OUTPATIENT, SURGICAL, DIAGNOSTIC, AND SPECIALTY HEALTHCARE SERVICES FOR THE RESIDENTS OF HARNEY COUNTY AND THE SURROUNDING FRONTIER REGION OF SOUTHEASTERN OREGON. THE HOSPITAL'S EXISTING HEATING, VENTILATION, AND AIR CONDITIONING (HVAC) SYSTEMS HAVE REACHED THE END OF THEIR USEFUL LIFE AND REQUIRE REPLACEMENT TO ENSURE RELIABLE OPERATION AND MAINTAIN APPROPRIATE ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS THROUGHOUT THE FACILITY. AGING MECHANICAL EQUIPMENT HAS BECOME INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN, CONTRIBUTES TO HIGHER OPERATING COSTS, AND PRESENTS RISKS TO PATIENT CARE THROUGH INCONSISTENT TEMPERATURE CONTROL, VENTILATION, AND HUMIDITY MANAGEMENT IN CRITICAL CLINICAL AREAS. THE PROPOSED PROJECT WILL MODERNIZE THE HOSPITAL'S MECHANICAL INFRASTRUCTURE THROUGH THE REPLACEMENT OF OBSOLETE HVAC EQUIPMENT AND ASSOCIATED BUILDING SYSTEMS. MAJOR PROJECT ACTIVITIES INCLUDE ENGINEERING AND DESIGN SERVICES, PERMITTING, DEMOLITION AND REMOVAL OF EXISTING EQUIPMENT, SITE WORK, ELECTRICAL AND MECHANICAL UPGRADES, INSTALLATION OF NEW ROOFTOP HVAC EQUIPMENT, REPLACEMENT OF AIR HANDLING UNITS, DUCTWORK MODIFICATIONS, INSTALLATION OF OPERATING ROOM HUMIDIFICATION SYSTEMS, REPLACEMENT OF COOLING TOWER EQUIPMENT, UPGRADES TO PUMPS, VALVES, REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS, BUILDING EXHAUST SYSTEMS, AND HEATING AND COOLING EQUIPMENT SERVING PATIENT CARE AND SUPPORT AREAS. THE PROJECT ALSO INCLUDES TESTING, ADJUSTING, BALANCING, COMMISSIONING, AND FINAL INSPECTIONS TO ENSURE ALL SYSTEMS OPERATE IN ACCORDANCE WITH HEALTHCARE FACILITY STANDARDS. THE TOTAL PROJECT COST IS $1,250,000, WHICH INCLUDES EQUIPMENT, CONSTRUCTION, SITE WORK, DEMOLITION AND REMOVAL, ENGINEERING, TESTING AND BALANCING, PERMITS, AND A CONSTRUCTION CONTINGENCY. ALL REQUESTED FUNDS WILL BE USED FOR ELIGIBLE CONSTRUCTION-RELATED EXPENSES. NO FUNDING WILL BE USED FOR OPERATING EXPENSES, STAFFING UNRELATED TO PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION, ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORD SYSTEMS, OR OTHER UNALLOWABLE COSTS. UPON COMPLETION, THE PROJECT WILL PROVIDE RELIABLE, ENERGY-EFFICIENT HVAC SYSTEMS THAT IMPROVE INDOOR AIR QUALITY, TEMPERATURE AND HUMIDITY CONTROL, VENTILATION, AND OVERALL ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS THROUGHOUT THE HOSPITAL. THE RENOVATED MECHANICAL INFRASTRUCTURE WILL ENHANCE PATIENT SAFETY, SUPPORT INFECTION PREVENTION PRACTICES, IMPROVE OPERATIONAL RELIABILITY, REDUCE MAINTENANCE REQUIREMENTS, AND STRENGTHEN THE HOSPITAL'S ABILITY TO PROVIDE UNINTERRUPTED HEALTHCARE SERVICES TO RESIDENTS OF ONE OF OREGON'S LARGEST AND MOST GEOGRAPHICALLY ISOLATED FRONTIER COMMUNITIES. THE PROJECT WILL ENSURE HARNEY DISTRICT HOSPITAL HAS MODERN, RESILIENT BUILDING INFRASTRUCTURE CAPABLE OF SUPPORTING HIGH-QUALITY PATIENT CARE FOR YEARS TO COME.