KFI Engineers, LifeWings Peak Performance to brief long-term care officials on how indoor space initiative makes reopening safer amid pandemic
Health, science and engineering experts say healthcare providers need to revamp their buildings to maximize risk prevention and not just aim for meeting minimum regulatory standards.
WASHINGTON, June 14, 2021 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- An alliance built on a science-based foundation of medical and engineering expertise announced today that it is revamping schools, healthcare facilities, government properties, and other buildings by the hundreds toward offering safer breathing environments so these indoor spaces can remain open even as the COVID-19 pandemic persists and vaccine rollouts continue.
KFI Engineers is teaming up with LifeWings Peak Performance and implementing the "2021 Improved Air Initiative" in their mission to make indoor air healthier to breathe so millions of Americans can better pursue normalcy during the pandemic.
The evidence is overwhelming that indoor air is the most threatening factor in contracting COVID-19. Through the "2021 Improved Air Initiative," building owners and operators can tap the hundreds of billions of dollars in federal coronavirus mitigation aid and assess what needs to be done structurally for properties to remain open and profitable and keep occupants protected.
AMDA – The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine is hosting a virtual education session on June 22 at 7 pm ET. https://apex.paltc.org/local/catalog/view/product.php?productid=659
Medical directors, chief medical officers, and other LTC providers will learn from the foremost experts what must be done to indoor environments to improve air quality and reduce hazards associated with coronavirus and other highly infectious respiratory diseases.
"We must start designing buildings and their systems with optimal risk reduction in mind as opposed to just hitting federal regulatory targets that often fall short of what is needed while offering a false sense of comfort," said session panel member Dr. Mark Weir, an engineering and environmental researcher, microbial risk modeler, and faculty member at The Ohio State University.
"We need to be more prepared for the next virus and the next run of respiratory illnesses because they are coming," Weir said. "We have to understand building environments must be properly retrofitted for optimal air quality."
Weir, who received his doctorate from Drexel University in Philadelphia in 2009, added, "Understanding what your system is capable of, what your system is doing currently, are your critical first steps. Next is understanding what your risk tolerance is and mitigation investment options. There is no such thing as we need to stop playing. Understanding risk, removal, or elimination of risk are viable possibilities."
This crisp-paced 35-minute session promises to be especially valuable for physicians, administrators, and decision-makers in health care delivery, community center operations, and governmental institutions.
Dr. Scott Altman, a LifeWings consultant from the Chicago area and also a session speaker, said the addition of Dr. Weir "takes us down an exciting path in the biology of all this. The ultimate message that we are conveying is that there is no one solution. You can't trust fate. He brings the hard-core science to the discussion, and now we can say that while there aren't solutions that can eliminate risk, we can greatly mitigate the risk of the virus' spread indoors."
Businesses of all kinds, especially restaurants and bars, have closed for good or are on the verge of locking their doors because of well-intentioned government mandates. Families are incredibly anxious about getting care centers fully reopened and safe.
"There continues to be the skilled nursing, long-term care, and senior housing because of staff, residents and patients and teachers who are concerned," said LifeWings Senior Vice President Richard Doss. "The science has told us that you must have a comprehensive view of your building, its geometry, the airflow system, patient and staff movements. And this message is strengthened by the science part of biology."
Since the pandemic began, KFI Engineers has provided hundreds of building assessments to schools, colleges, hospitals, correctional facilities, and other public facilities on ways to improve air quality levels for indoor spaces so occupancy can resume sooner rather than later.
Specifically, KFI handles interior improvements from start to finish, including testing the air and assessing and making the needed upgrades, followed by air quality monitoring that identifies any required adjustments.
"Part of the process is providing recommendations and implementing what needs updating to improve air quality," said KFI Engineers Senior Project Manager Maria Pfeffer.
The tools available include increasing the filtration efficiency and reviewing outside air ventilation and existing indoor airflows. KFI also turns to use new technology such as UV lighting and humidity adjustments to improve indoor air.
"This pandemic isn't going away completely," Pfeffer said. "There is a potential to be reinfected, new virus strains and whatever the next virus is out there. People think there's going to be an end to the need to improve indoor air quality with the vaccine, but there's not."
Attention producers, editors, and reporters – All the 2021 Improved Air experts showcased in this press release are available to be booked for interviews. To make coordinating schedules and calendars easy and hassle-free – contact publicist Robb Leer at 612.701.0608
About KFI Engineers:
KFI Engineers of Roseville, Minn., is an industry leader in process and facility infrastructure design and performance. We serve clients throughout the United States, Canada, and Central America, with capabilities not commonly found in traditional engineering firms. Managing projects end to end gives us a deep understanding of our work's engineering and business side. From identifying obstacles early to designing systems that make sense for your business, we drive projects to successful completion for you. We created Minnesota's first LEED-certified workplace and continue to refine upon that accomplishment. Our clients enjoy fresh ideas that work and are based on real-life experience. We have operations in Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin, Iowa, Arizona, and North Dakota, with a team of more than 150 professionals. For more information, visit https://www.kfi-eng.com/.
About LifeWings Peak Performance:
LifeWings Peak Performance LLC, based in Minneapolis with additional offices in Miami, comprises an exceptional team of physicians, nurses, pilots, engineers, and healthcare executives. It relies on commercial and military aviation and cutting-edge manufacturing methodologies to assist healthcare organizations in creating safe, efficient, and high-performing hospitals and clinics. Our team has more than 400 years of combined experience designing and implementing high-reliability communication, operations, and payer systems for hospitals, clinics, and insurance carriers. For more information, visit https://www.LifeWingsPP.com/.
Media Contact
Robb Leer, Leer Communications & Consultants, 6127010608, [email protected]
SOURCE KFI Engineers
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