COVID-19 Q&A: Certus experts discuss health care business trends

Here is an excerpt from the article:

CSE: What might other engineers/building professionals need to know when tackling COVID-19 projects?

Certus: Some suggestions:

• Assemble a steering team day one to establish goals and parameters.

• Do not come in with a preconceived solution. Ask questions and listen. Our mutual clients need a design and construction team that can help them work through their specific situation and develop the right solution for them. We must think beyond engineering and construction — think about our client’s operations, infection prevention procedures, etc. and then apply engineering toward a solution.

• Our clients can read ASHE and ASHRAE papers on their own. There is not a “COVID cookbook.” Engineers do not have all the answers. Engineers know how to help find the answers with the input of the medical professionals. We think like engineers, understand the needs of the hospital and that is what we are hired for.

• Be careful about the “do the best we can” mentality. When tents are being built all around the country, engineers may be asked to give a hospital “something better than a tent” in designing a suite within an existing hospital. Yes, it is an emergency situation. However, we must always still consider basic hospital and life safety code compliance. We have an obligation to keep all occupants safe. We as engineers cannot lose sight of that focusing only on the “pandemic suite.”