Garage Lighting Improves User Experience at Trauma Center
Presence Saint Francis Hospital, a Level 1 trauma center in Evanston, Ill., encourages family involvement in the patient healing process through an open visitation policy. With 24/7 visitation, the parking facility at Presence Saint Francis has a steady flow of vehicle and pedestrian traffic.
The garage is always open but has not always been well lit. It originally had yellow high-pressure sodium (HPS) fixtures, which did not provide adequate lighting for visitors. The inadequate lighting reduced visibility in many areas and did not convey the sense of a safe environment. The HPS fixtures also required ongoing maintenance to keep up with bulb and ballast replacements. The maintenance costs included replacement products as well as the electrician's time and an on-the-ground staffer to monitor the garage traffic while the electrician was working above.
The hospital began evaluating lighting options, looking initially at retrofitting the existing fixtures with an LED lamp. But the look of the fixtures and the quality of the light was disappointing. A final solution was found with Cree VG Series parking structure luminaries and Cree Edge area LED luminaires.
The Cree LED lighting solution provided excellent color rendering and illumination. Right away, the security manager commented that security camera footage was much clearer and the white light made reading license plate numbers and viewing other details around the garage easier. Hospital staff also reported feeling safer walking to their cars during second and third shifts.
The luminaires reduce operations costs and deliver energy savings as well. Light maintenance in the garage has gone from ongoing to minimal, which has freed up the maintenance staff for other projects and improved operational efficiency.
The hospital also benefits from the multi-level sensor they chose for the VG Series LED luminaires, which lowers output from 100 percent to 25 percent after seven minutes of no occupancy detection and qualified the Presence Saint Francis project for a large rebate from ConEdison.