Eisenhower Center in Jacksonville Puts Patient Safety First, Exceeds State Generator Mandate
The Jacksonville campus of The Eisenhower Center upgraded their patient safety systems thanks to the installation of a 400 kilowatt backup power system. The facility, that treats traumatic brain injuries for former NFL players, veterans, and first responders, had the system installed to meet a Florida mandate for assisted living facilities. Eisenhower Business Operations Manager Richard Mecks describes the system as more than just meeting the minimum mandate.
Touchdown! The new generator is carefully placed by American Electrical Contracting crew and crane. The generator’s positioning is then tweaked within inches, to ensure proper alignment.
“Some of our patients require specialized care, so it’s vital they not be moved, especially during a sudden storm evacuation,” said Mecks. “This system will support our campus at full capacity, ensuring ongoing care for current patients and allowing us to host patients from facilities in flood evacuation zones.”
The Eisenhower Centers are based out of Ann Arbor, Michigan and also treat no-fault, auto accident clients. The company has two other Michigan campuses, in Manchester and Houghton, and had to overcome new challenges coming from Michigan to Florida. “We know how to do patient care in the cold winters. We’ve been doing it for more than 15 years. When it came time to plan for patient safety in the hot summers, though, we needed to find the right partner.”
American Electrical Contracting in Jacksonville designed and installed the backup power system, and safety is what the company has become known for. Their team maintains a “violation-free company” status, now for over 18 years.
American Electrical Contracting Project Manager Justin Collins says extensive planning went into every aspect of the project prior to installation. “We created an in-depth analysis of usage, individual systems and circuit configurations. The goal was to deliver a system that will cut over to backup power without fail. With patient safety as the goal, we couldn’t have anything less.”
“A lot of planning and resources goes into a project like this,” added Mecks. “It’s not something you want to have to do over again. So the system you put in place has to be reliable and effective. We did vendor research, worked closely with American on system design, and we could not be happier with the outcome.”
The backup power system includes a 1,600 Amp generator and 2,000 Amp transfer switch. Both systems required the use of a crane for installation. “This is definitely on the larger side when it comes to generators I’ve overseen,” said Collins. “It’s a delicate procedure, that’s for sure. You have to be within inches on a piece of equipment weighing thousands of pounds.”
The Florida mandate for generators was a result of the deaths of 12 patients during Hurricane Irma in 2017. A Broward County facility lost air conditioning for several days, creating a dangerous environment for patients. The deadline for the mandate was extended by 6 months this past December, and Mecks said even though they completed installation before the new deadline, it was a serious undertaking.
Collins added, “To do a project like this requires size, experience, and a focus on safety all around. There really is no substitution for any of those factors.”