Air conditioning troubles continue at Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital

For several weeks, problems with the air conditioning at Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital have led to stuffy conditions in five intensive care units.

“It is fair to say that it is noticeably warmer in the [affected] areas, though not warm enough to be dangerous for patients,” Carilion spokesman Eric Earnhart wrote in an email Tuesday.

Repairs to the system should be completed by Thursday night, Earnhart said.

About two weeks ago, one of three cooling coils in the hospital’s HVAC system became blocked, causing reduced air flow to intensive care units on five floors of the hospital’s Mountain Pavilion, the newer section of the building encased in glass.

Eighteen portable air conditioning units have been installed in the areas, and cooled air from other parts of the building is being directed into the intensive care units.

There are 60 beds in the five affected units. No patients have been moved as a result of the problems, Earnhart said.

While hospital officials usually cool the rooms to about 70 degrees, the temperatures have ranged from between 73 and 76 degrees during the partial outage, Earnhart said.

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