In the complex landscape of healthcare commissioning in Arkansas, one name resonates profoundly – Tom Hanlon. Armed with a wealth of experience and a relentless dedication to optimizing healthcare facilities, Tom’s journey is marked by a trail of success stories that redefine the very essence of healthcare engineering.
The healthcare sector operates within exact standards and inspections that demand diligence and precision.
“Standards for healthcare are much more narrowly defined and specific,” Tom said. “From air change rates to pressurization requirements to cleanness standards, healthcare facilities face rigorous scrutiny unlike other building types.”
Tom’s legacy is etched in healthcare projects that stand as testament to his expertise. One such project in his career prior to Cromwell involved retro commissioning a hospital within the Mercy system in Ft. Scott, Kansas. The facility’s staggering energy consumption compared to its design intent prompted intervention by Tom’s team. Investigating and implementing solutions, the team orchestrated a drastic reduction in energy consumption from $850,000 per year to just over $500,000 per year.
The impact of Tom’s expertise can be seen with projects with Sentara Health in Virgina. His retro commissioning efforts performed with a prior firm resulted in substantial savings, earning statewide accolades for energy conservation.
For Tom, understanding clients and aligning them with their healthcare standards are pivotal.
“Pushing back on standards gets you nowhere,” Tom said. “They aren’t arbitrary; they’re rocks.”
These standards were pivotal for the transformation of the Public Health Command Europe Laboratory facility in Landsthul, Germany. Tasked with salvaging a dysfunctional facility, Tom and the Cromwell team spearheaded the commissioning process to improve the safety and containment in this facilities laboratory environments. Confronted with systems failing to maintain proper pressure relationships, Tom’s expertise ensured a functional, safe environment, reinstating user confidence and facility occupancy.
At White River Medical Center in Batesville, Ark. Tom introduced incremental energy-conserving measures, partnering with Harrison Trane. The outcome was resounding – reduced energy consumption, improved performance, and ongoing implementation of conservation strategies.
Tom’s commissioning angle revolves around verification and operations, emphasizing the crucial role of staff orientation and training. Recognizing the significance of compliance, he instituted annual training systems at White River, educating staff on systems, plus Joint Commission compliance.
“There’s no substitute for orienting and training the staff on systems and emphasizing the importance of good quality operations,” Tom said.
COVID-19 prompted Tom into devising strategies to transform patient care spaces into fully exhausting infectious isolation rooms, showcasing his adaptability and responsiveness to evolving healthcare needs.
Continuous commissioning, remote control monitoring, and an emphasis on data gathering tools is what Tom believes will be the future of commissioning for healthcare facilities.
“We can’t really do a thorough job without good operational data,” he said, highlighting the significance of analytics in healthcare recommissioning.
