MADISON, Wis. — A lot of work — much of it unnoticed — goes into making sure patients and staff are safe from COVID-19.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, hospitals across the country, including UW Hospital, have made noticeable changes to their operations. From screenings at building entrances to increased PPE use and testing, many of the changes are obvious to the outside observer.
The spaces inside of a hospital need to change, too. Engineers, architects, carpenters, electricians, safety workers, and countless others at UW Hospital have made major changes to the building’s interior to make sure it’s safe for everyone inside.
“We think of ourselves as the stagehands of the play here at the hospital,” said Michael McKay, director, Planning Design and Construction, UW Health. “You’re not supposed to see us, but the show can’t go on without us.”
One of the major changes implemented early on is the creation of special rooms that limit the spread of the coronavirus. By using negative air pressure to their advantage, facilities crews have been able to pump potentially contagious air out through filtered air ducts while pumping air from the hallway into the rooms. The process effectively seals rooms which prevents COVID-19 infected air from entering other parts of the hospital.
Other tactics, like rewiring equipment in COVID-19 units so they’re readable from outside of the room, have helped health care workers preserve PPE while still checking their patients’ vitals and performing wellness checks.
Facilities teams have also created spaces that allow and encourage physical distancing, helped build a testing site for patients and employees and more.
“UW Health has been working for years to create the safest, cleanest environment using creative solutions within our space,” UW Health’s director of maintenance and engineering, James Harrod, said. “We will have to continue to be nimble to support the great work our nurses and doctors have been doing in the face of the unknowns associated with COVID-19.”
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