November Program: Health-Associated Infections and Indoor Air Quality

As new research clarifies how essential the built environment is to patient healing and employee health and productivity, Dr. Taylor will communicate clear and up to date research on how indoor air management relates to patient healing, length of stay, and hospital profits. Given the exorbitant cost of healthcare, the frightening increase in antibiotic resistance, and the epidemic of patient harm from new infections, these insights offer exciting new tools that cannot be ignored. In addition, this study shows that the current focus on hand hygiene and surface disinfection to decrease transmission of infections will never be adequate without considering the added dimension of indoor management. For those still unconvinced about the value, the business case for these interventions will be presented. Best of all, these findings apply to all building types, not just hospitals.

Presenter: Stephanie Taylor, M.D., M. Arch

Dr. Stephanie Taylor received her MD from Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts in 1984. For the next several decades, she practiced clinical medicine and did academic research in cellular growth mechanisms.

During this time, she became increasingly concerned about patients who were harmed by new infection during their in-patient treatment. Determined to gain a better understanding of the impact of the built environment on patient well-being, she returned to school and obtained her Master’s Degree I Architecture and Engineering from Norwich University in Northfield, Vermont. After working for several years in a healthcare design architecture firm, she founded Taylor Healthcare Consulting, Inc., in order to focus on designing, building and maintaining hospitals to better support patient healing. She quickly learned that many of the building and indoor air characteristics that affect people in hospitals also influenced the health of all people in buildings.

Dr. Taylor is currently working at the intersection of architectural design, indoor air management, the microbiome of the built environment and occupant health. She finds the impact of buildings on our health startling! Managing the built environment and indoor air with the goal of decreasing diseases from acute infections to chronic inflammation to cognitive impairment, is a very underutilized yet powerful approach to disease prevention. She finds that her physician insights and biological research helps her understand the science behind the interaction of buildings, human physiology and energy consumption.

Dr. Taylor has designed hospitals globally, from the United States to Papua New Guinea to Vietnam. In addition to her Taylor Healthcare Consulting work, she is a member of the Harvard Medical School Incite Health Fellowship. This program brings together multidisciplinary teams from across the US, trains them in design thinking and entrepreneurship, and gives them the tools and resources to guide the future of medical care.

To communicate her work and understanding about the fascinating convergence of human health, microbiology and architecture, Dr. Taylor writes monthly columns and bi-annual feature articles for Engineered Systems Magazine and publishes in other healthcare journals. She is an active member of ASHRAE, ASHE and national and international medical associations. When not working elsewhere, Dr. Taylor lives in beautiful Stowe, Vermont with her husband and eight dogs. One of her favorite activities is skydiving, which she finds is great practice for staying outside of her comfort zone!

Details

Date:    Wednesday, November 18th, 2020
Time: 5:00-6:30 PM CST
Cost:     Free
Place:    https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/717461861
You can also dial in using your phone.
United States: +1 (312) 757-3121

Access Code: 717-461-861

New to GoToMeeting? Get the app now and be ready when your first meeting starts: https://global.gotomeeting.com/install/898824517

Missed a webinar? No problem! Check out the CTTC YouTube page where this year’s CTTC presentations will be uploaded: https://youtu.be/32etfoTXPB4

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ASHRAE La Crosse History for 2020 CRC

The La Crosse chapter of ASHRAE has a long tradition and we want that to be on display for everyone to see, even if they can’t come see our display in person this year. So, this post contains our most recent chapter history display and a presentation on the history of Trane TRACE software that was later published in a paper in ASHRAE Transactions, authored by our previous chapter historian, John Sustar. Enjoy!

2019 ASHRAE La Crosse CRC History display

Link to “History of Trane TRACE Software” presentation


Photos from “History of Trane TRACE Software” presented at ASHRAE Winter Conference 2020

Link to ASHRAE Transactions article.

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September Virtual Program: Indoor Agriculture

Indoor Agriculture

Presenter: Eric Sturm

Please join us this month while we kick off our 2020-2021 La Crosse Area ASHRAE virtual program schedule. We have spent some time this summer putting together an exciting list of presenters and topics for the upcoming year that our audience can enjoy from the comfort of wherever they choose.

In this presentation, Eric will provide an overview of indoor agriculture and juxtapose it with comfort cooling. He’ll also review common load calculation methodologies and the determination of proper supply air conditions. Finally, he’ll review several common HVAC systems and their advantages and drawbacks.

About the Presenter

After graduating from the University of Wisconsin – Platteville in 2006 with a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering, Eric began his career at Trane. In his current role as an applications engineer, Eric’s areas of expertise include acoustics, airside systems, indoor agriculture, and indoor air quality. Prior to joining the applications engineering team, Eric spent several years in the Customer Direct Services (C.D.S.) department as a marketing engineer and product manager for the TRACE™ 700 load design and energy simulation application. As a C.D.S. marketing engineer, he supported and trained customers globally.

He is currently involved with ASHRAE as a representative on Members Council and member of the “indoor agriculture” and “sound and vibration” technical committees. Eric is the recipient of a Young Engineers in ASHRAE Award of Individual Excellence for service to the La Crosse Area Chapter and nationally recognized with an ASHRAE Distinguished Service Award.

Date: Wednesday, September 16th, 2020

Time: 12:00–1:00 PM

Place: https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/669611989

Cost: Free

New to GoToMeeting? Get the app now and be ready when your first meeting starts: https://global.gotomeeting.com/install/669611989

Posted in: AnnouncementTagged in: ASHRAE La CrossegreenhousegrowHVACindoor agriculturesupply air

Iowa Chapter Webinar on Viral Transmission Mitigation in Schools

Date: August 6, 2020 at 12 pm

Title: HVAC System Strategies to Mitigate Airborne Viral Transmission Risks in K-12 Schools

Presenter: Corey Metzger, PE

Summary: This presentation will provide a brief update on the status of guidance provided by the Schools Team of the ASHRAE Epidemic Task Force for reopening buildings, along with some background on the recommendations provided as part of this guidance. Discussion will be held on specific strategies that may help to mitigate the buildup of airborne viral particles in occupied spaces. Finally, information will be provided on current work of the Epidemic Task Force and expected updates to guidance moving forward.

Please register for Iowa Chapter Meeting on Aug 6, 2020 12:00 PM CDT at:

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/2949059919112625935

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

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March Program

HVAC Rules of Thumbs for Troubleshooting
Presenter: Erich Binder, ASHRAE Distinguished Lecturer

This presentation will provide some common Rules of Thumb for Troubleshooting HVAC&R Systems.

Rules of Thumb are abbreviated short cuts, time savers, and approximations.
Each is a quick estimation of what most systems should do most of the time, but remember that none of these numbers are infallible.
The rules are not cast in concrete.
Rules of thumb usually assume certain normal design and operating criteria, which are not always present.
The rules are not to be used for system design purposes. Rather, they are the result of carefully studying good system designs.
Technicians and engineers, can benefit from using Rules of Thumbs for estimating and solving operational problems.
They do not always apply to every system, nor do they work in every circumstance.
It is expected that the engineer or technician using them is a professional who can use reason and exercise caution in their application.

About the Presenter

Erich Binder is an independent engineering consultant with extensive experience in the sustainable design of commercial, institutional, industrial and cold climate heating ventilation & air conditioning (HVAC), plumbing, fire suppression & specialty mechanical systems. Erich is also a certified risk manager with over 20 years of process safety, loss prevention, industrial hygiene, health & safety engineering and auditing experience.

Erich has extensive experience engineering mechanical systems for a variety of cold climate applications and has engineered HVAC systems for support facilities for various industrial projects.

Date: Monday March 9th, 2020

Time: 11:30– 12:30 PM

Place: Trane Bldg. 13

Large Group Meeting Room

1700 Horton Street

La Crosse, WI 54601

Lunch: Bring your lunch (optional)

Cost: Free

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