Ideal HVAC Solution for Hospice

Two hours south of Little Rock and 15 miles from the Louisiana border, El Dorado is the county seat of Union County and home to the world headquarters of the Murphy Oil Corporation, Deltic Timber Corporation and Lion Oil Refinery. With a 2006 population of 20,467, the city hosts South Arkansas Community College, as well as a symphony and arts center.

Life Touch Hospice House
Owned and operated by the SHARE Foundation, Life Touch Hospice House opened in March 2007. Designed by Tom Mullinax, AIA, Hospice Design Resource, Hilton Head Island, S.C., the 34,000-square-foot facility includes 16 patient suites each with a fireplace, family room, private bath and a shared patio. Common areas include a large living room with stone fireplace, sunroom, library, chapel, family kitchen, dining room, children’s play room, courtyard and gardens. The Hospice House and Administrative Building sit on a 12-acre campus and are joined by a covered marquee.

HealthWorks – VRF Zoning Precedent for Life Touch​
Two miles away, SHARE’s state-of-the-art, 50,000-square-foot fitness center, HealthWorks, was the first venue in El Dorado to experience the capabilities of a Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) zoning system from Mitsubishi Electric Cooling and Heating Solutions, Suwanee, Ga.  Introduced to him by Glenn Mechanical, Inc., El Dorado, Ark., Executive Director Michael Dupuis selected a VRF system because of the demanding HVAC challenges of dehumidification and multiple load issues presented by the Aquatics Center, therapy pool, Jacuzzi, locker and shower rooms, natatorium, six-lane lap pool and water- slide. “Over the past two years, the VRF equipment and technology have performed flawlessly,” Dupuis said. “With the complexity of equipment and range of environments in this fitness center, we have never had an HVAC problem or need for a service call concerning the VRF zoning system! That’s quite a statistic in this industry!”

A Perfect Match for Life Touch
Following the HealthWorks installation in July 2005, Dupuis called Glenn Mechanical into a meeting with architect Tom Mullinax and Life Touch Hospice House Executive Director Linda Swart. “For as long as I can remember, Linda dreamed of building a first-class, state-of-the-art facility to provide the highest level of care for terminally ill patients in a home-like setting,” said Brent McDiarmid, vice president, Glenn Mechanical.

Swart had visited 29 hospice facilities in 11 states to develop a checklist of what she wanted for her own facility. Her list included simultaneous cooling and heating, a central HVAC control system, individual room controls, indoor air quality and ventilation in each patient suite. By fall 2005, she had the funds needed to begin construction.

Dupuis selected Glenn Mechanical to manage the HVAC portion of the job including all the piping and wiring. Because of the multiple environments and variable load factors involved— especially the simultaneous cooling and heating needs of the patients—Dupuis decided that the VRF zoning technology would be a perfect HVAC match for Life Touch.

Design Quality
Dupuis agreed with Glenn Mechanical that the technology found in Mitsubishi Electric’s VRF systems is a marvel of engineering and delivers a capability for simultaneous cooling and heating unique to the industry. “After a quarter century of experience with VRF zoning systems in Asia and Europe, we are delighted that Mitsubishi Electric decided to bring this technology to America,” McDiarmid said. “In fact, we like their systems so well, we decided to become a certified Mitsubishi Electric installer.”

Installation Quality
Glenn Mechanical sent Project Manager Jack Lann and two other technicians to attend a Mitsubishi Electric VRF zoning training class designed for HVAC engineers at the Atlanta Training Center, Suwanee, Ga. “It is by far the finest training class I ever experienced,” said Lann. “Needless to say, when it came to installing the VRF zoning system at Life Touch, the training paid off handsomely. The directions were simple and clear, and all the piping, wiring and equipment went into place without a hitch, a real class act.”

Comfort
Swart’s number two design essential was to have a home-like environment for both patient and family. She was determined to make sure nothing would have the slightest look, feel or smell of a nursing home or hospital.

She was impressed with the fact that Mitsubishi Electric VRF zoning systems had a heat pump feature. She told Glenn Mechanical, “In the final hours of a person’s life there is a strange kind of chill that falls over a room, especially felt by the family. I knew the system controls would provide warmth and comfort in the rooms.”

Lann recalls a month after the administration building opened, the outside temperature dropped into the 20s. “We simply turned on our system’s heat mode and the entire 8,100-square-foot building was comfortable in no time. That was impressive.”

Control
Swart said, “Another feature I especially admire is the advanced controls network. I have control of each indoor unit from my office computer. From there, I can bump the temperature up or down in each patient suite keeping everyone happy. Furthermore, Glenn Mechanical can control the entire network by remote access in an emergency or in the middle of the night. This feature gives me a great level of comfort.”

Environmental Impact
Swart was amazed at how eye-catching her little 12-acre campus turned out to be. Trees, year-round flowers and beautiful landscaping provide a quiet, peaceful, loving setting so important for the final days or weeks of one’s life. The last thing she wanted to see and hear was loud, intrusive HVAC equipment. She likes the fact that the Mitsubishi Electric VRF outdoor units have such a small footprint, and she loves showing visitors that one can walk right up to the outdoor units and not even hear them operating!

Unique Challenges Resolved
Swart said it was the system’s ability to provide simultaneous cooling and heating that really sold her. “The last few days of one’s life are just as important as the first few days after birth.” She told Glenn Mechanical that a dying patient may be emaciated and needs the room hot—as high as 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Quite often they will be in a room next door to a patient who needs it very cold—as low as 60 degrees Fahrenheit. She said having the flexibility to heat one room and cool another was her number one design essential, and she credits Mitsubishi Electric VRF zoning systems with helping to make her long-time dream come true.