Methodist University Hospital
Shorb Tower Operating Room Optimization
Proving What’s Possible: Optimizing Critical Healthcare Environments Without Compromise
State-of-the-Art Facility.
Never Fully Optimized.
When Methodist University Hospital’s new Shorb Tower opened in 2021, it featured state-of-the-art hardware, advanced controls, and progressive design—yet it was never optimized or commissioned to operate at maximum efficiency.
The hospital partnered with Optimum Energy to optimize 18 operating rooms, four air handling units, and one ventilation air handler in this nine-story, 450,000-square-foot facility.
The project was completed ahead of schedule without a single disruption to patient care or surgical operations, delivering $80,000 in year-one utility savings on a $148,000 project investment—a simple payback of just 1.85 years.
24/7 Occupied Mode Operation
All 18 operating rooms were programmed to remain in “occupied” mode 24 hours a day, 7 days a week—consuming unnecessary energy despite having all the hardware needed for smarter sequencing.
Constant Ventilation Rates
Operating rooms maintained full airflow and temperature control even when vacant, wasting substantial energy during non-surgical hours.
Simultaneous Heating & Cooling
The operating rooms and surrounding areas experienced significant simultaneous heating and cooling—a major red flag indicating control system inefficiencies.
Unrealized Infrastructure Potential
The hospital already possessed state-of-the-art hardware and advanced controls, but these systems had never been commissioned to operate at maximum efficiency.
Key stakeholder perspective: Steven Atkins, Director of Facilities at Methodist University Hospital, identified the constant state of operations in his systems that signaled deeper operational inefficiencies across the facility.
Financial, Operational & Strategic Impacts
The 24/7 occupied mode operation created cascading problems affecting the bottom line and operational effectiveness.
- Wasted Energy Costs: Valuable savings were left on the table from day one of the tower’s operation.
- Unnecessary Utility Expenditures: Running full HVAC loads 24/7 in spaces only utilized during scheduled surgical hours.
- Missed ROI on Capital Investment: The $275M campus transformation included sophisticated systems not delivering their promised efficiency benefits.
- Reduced System Flexibility: Constant occupied-mode operation reduced the HVAC system’s ability to respond dynamically to actual facility needs.
- Maintenance Burden: Continuous operation of air handling equipment accelerated wear and increased maintenance requirements.
- Suboptimal Control Sequences: The Johnson Controls BAS was capable of sophisticated strategies but wasn’t programmed to leverage them.
- As part of Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare’s broader sustainability initiatives, inefficient operation of this flagship facility undermined environmental responsibility commitments.
- Inefficiencies limited the organization’s ability to demonstrate leadership in healthcare energy management and advance decarbonization goals.
Choosing the Right Path Forward
Methodist University Hospital and Optimum Energy evaluated several approaches before landing on the final implementation strategy.
From day one, we knew something wasn’t right—simultaneous heating and cooling in a brand-new facility was a big red flag. Optimum Energy didn’t just identify the problem—they partnered with us to solve it in a way that respected our clinical environment. Their team proved that efficiency and patient safety can go hand in hand.
A New Standard for Healthcare Energy Management
The Methodist University Hospital Shorb Tower operating room optimization project demonstrates what’s possible when healthcare organizations partner with specialized energy service providers to unlock the full potential of existing infrastructure.
By addressing 24/7 occupied-mode inefficiencies through a collaborative, risk-mitigated approach, Methodist achieved meaningful cost savings and improved operational flexibility—without compromising patient safety.
Completed two months ahead of schedule with zero disruption to care, the $148,000 project now delivers $80,000 in annual savings and establishes a strong foundation for continued campus-wide optimization, raising the bar for healthcare energy management.
