Improve indoor air quality in hospitals and schools

Healthcare environments require a higher standard of air filtration than most other building types because airborne pathogens, bacteria, and fine particulate pose direct risks to patients whose immune systems are already compromised. Proper filtration is part of infection control, with direct implications for patient health and safety. Standards like ASHRAE 170 and requirements from accrediting bodies such as The Joint Commission establish specific filtration and ventilation requirements for different areas of a healthcare facility, from patient rooms to operating suites to waiting areas.

ASHRAE Standard 170, Ventilation of Health Care Facilities, is the primary reference standard for healthcare HVAC and filtration. It specifies minimum filter efficiency requirements by space type. Operating rooms, for example, require higher efficiency filtration than administrative areas. Facilities also need to account for guidelines from the CDC, CMS conditions of participation, and the requirements of any accrediting body they operate under. Because requirements vary by space and use, a single program across an entire facility won’t meet every standard. Hyland’s audit process maps filtration specifications to the distinct areas of your facility.

The pandemic put school indoor air quality on the radar of administrators, parents, and regulators in a way it hadn’t been before. Many districts used ESSER (Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief) funds to upgrade HVAC systems and filtration, and the CDC and EPA both issued guidance recommending MERV 13 or higher filtration in school buildings where systems can support it. Beyond the funding window, the expectation has remained: parents and school boards now ask about air quality in ways they didn’t before COVID. For school facilities directors, a documented filtration program is both a health measure and a community trust issue.

For schools, the CDC and EPA guidance points to MERV 13 as a target where HVAC systems can accommodate it, as this level of filtration captures a meaningful portion of airborne virus-sized particles. For healthcare facilities, requirements vary by space type under ASHRAE 170, with some areas requiring MERV 14 or higher. In both cases, filter efficiency must be matched to what the existing HVAC equipment can handle. A filter that is too restrictive for an older system will reduce airflow and can compromise air quality rather than improve it. Getting that balance right is where the audit process matters most.

Older buildings — and both sectors have a lot of them — often have HVAC systems designed to older standards that may lack the capacity to support the higher-efficiency filtration now recommended. Ductwork integrity, equipment condition, and the number of air changes per hour a system can deliver all affect how much filtration can realistically accomplish. Hyland’s audit accounts for building age and equipment condition, and we develop programs around your facility’s actual infrastructure.

Yes. Accrediting bodies and state health departments review HVAC maintenance records as part of facility inspections. Gaps in filter change-out documentation, wrong-spec filters in critical care areas, or systems running outside the parameters required by ASHRAE 170 can all generate findings. Maintaining a documented, scheduled filter service program with records showing what was installed, when, and where is part of demonstrating ongoing compliance well in advance of a survey.

Hospital spaces carry different filtration requirements depending on their use. Operating rooms and procedure areas typically require the highest level of filtration and the most stringent air change rates. Patient rooms, ICUs, and isolation rooms each have their own specifications. Administrative and common areas may be held to a lower standard but still contribute to the overall infection control environment. A program that applies the same filter spec across an entire facility is almost certainly out of compliance somewhere. Hyland maps specifications to each area of your facility based on applicable standards and the equipment serving those spaces.

Consistent, scheduled filter service with documented change-out records gives administrators something concrete to point to when air quality questions come up at a board meeting or in a parent communication. Hyland provides service records showing what filters are in use across your buildings, what specifications they meet, and when they were last changed. That documentation demonstrates that the district is managing the issue actively and to a standard, which is often what parents and board members need to see.

Yes. Multi-building operations, whether a district with a dozen school buildings or a health system with multiple facilities, benefit from coordinated service that maintains consistent specifications, synchronized change-out schedules, and unified documentation. Hyland can work across your portfolio with standardized programs where appropriate and location-specific customization where buildings or equipment differ.