The project: IMEG provided the building systems needed to support an anticipated surge in COVID-19 patients.

The goal: The project aimed to convert the top floor of the 265,000-sf Bellevue Medical Center to accommodate critical isolation rooms.

Project amenities: The newly converted isolation rooms are equipped with state-of-the-art air filtration and negative pressure systems to safely manage COVID-19 patients while maintaining hospital functionality. The hospital’s entire mechanical system was reconfigured to ensure optimal air flow and pressure control.

Design approach: IMEG worked closely with Nebraska Medicine’s facility and engineering teams to assess the existing mechanical systems and implement modifications. This involved reprogramming the mechanical system controls to achieve critical negative pressure in the isolation rooms, ensuring safety for patients and staff. IMEG also coordinated with the hospital’s facilities team to maintain proper air balancing throughout the rest of the building to avoid disruptions to other areas.

Challenge: Ensuring critical negative pressure within isolation rooms without overloading existing HVAC systems. Solution: IMEG optimized the existing mechanical infrastructure, reprogramming the system controls and making key adjustments to the air handling units, which allowed the isolation rooms to meet the necessary negative pressure requirements while keeping the rest of the hospital balanced.

Project outcome: The successful conversion provided Nebraska Medicine with the necessary building systems to manage a surge in COVID-19 patients. The modifications to the mechanical systems ensured patient and staff safety while maintaining the hospital’s operational efficiency.