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What You Can’t See Can Hurt You!

According to Michael Tebor, V.P. of Air Duct our duct cleaning equip-
Aseptics, clean air ducts and air conditioning ment. We don’t want to
equipment is an essential first step in Medical pollute the indoor air
Providers providing Clean Healthy Air to both during the cleaning
patients and occupants. Over a period of time, process. The objective is
particulates and microbials accumulate on to remove particulates
internal air conditioning (A/C) duct and and micro-organisms
equipment surfaces. These particulates and from the building”.
fungi accumulations can cause musty odors, One of the largest chal-
excess dust, compromise equipment perform- lenges in Medical Facility
ance and harbor infectious biologicals includ- air duct cleaning is pro-
ing mold which can adversely affect patients tecting the patients dur- OPERATING ROOM DUCTWORK
and occupant health. ing the decontamination
Michael states he routinely sees contaminat- process. Michael explained, “Engin ee ring con-
ed ductwork in medical facilities throughout trols are put in place that can allow us to clean “When it
the state. Operating rooms and critical care the air conditioner without causing any ill-effect comes to their
Michael Tebor areas typically have more particulate buildup to the indoor air quality in patient areas. At other
(debris) than found in other portions of a med- times, in critical areas, we will interface with the air ducts and
ical facility. In large part, hospitals to shut down portions of the buildings their air condi-
this is due to the use of and relocate those patients for periods of time
disposable uniform during the cleaning.” tioning systems,
linen fibers used by hos- Michael knows all about the dangers of mold many facilities
pital staff. and dirty ductwork and unclean air. He has been
The uniform fibers in the HVAC cleaning business for almost 30 don’t have them
enter the indoor air and years, and has serviced more than 70,000 busi- cleaned for many
eventually enter the A/C nesses and residences throughout Florida.
systems and accumulate “We see dirty ventilation systems in hospitals, years; but they
on the internal A/C duct but just like everywhere else … out of sight, out
surfaces … This condi- of mind. Hospitals put millions of dollars into are in the breath-
tion worsens over time OPERATING ROOM DUCTWORK cleaning the floors, but when it comes to their air ing zone, and
and can have a negative ducts and their air conditioning systems, many
impact on hospital facilities don’t have them cleaned for many years. that’s where
infection occurrences by This may be a result of out of sight, out of mind, mold can grow.”
offering harborage and however A/C systems deliver the air to the
food for microbial breathing zone, and that’s where mold can
growth and altering ven- growth can occur. -Michael Tebor, V.P. of
tilation rates . Michael is a NADCA Certified Air Cleaning Air Duct Aseptics
Some molds that have System Specialist and Ventilation Systems Mold
been found inside med- Remediator and a Certified Indoor Environ -
ical facilities can cause mentalist; Petrina Tebor is a Florida State
serious human health Licensed Mold Assessor, which makes us multi-disciplined. “We have the
effects. One mold resources that allow us to clean your air conditioning unit; if uncleanable we can
species strain of replace it. As an HVAC remediation company, we clean the HVAC system to
Aspergillus can cause Aspergillosis and Asper gilloma. industry standards and can restore to like–new conditions; as a Florida State
Additionally, molds off-gas microbial volatile organic compounds(MVOCs) Licensed Mold Remediator, we can remediate mold both inside and outside the
which can negatively impact human health. Considering most hospital patients A/C system.”
are already either immunocompromised, and/or afflicted with the diseases that While removing mold is Air Duct Aseptics’ specialty, he emphasizes that not all
hospitals treat, clean healthy air is essential. All hospitals operate 24 hours per day mold is bad. “We’ve got to have mold. If we didn’t have mold, we would not be
with the majority of occupants being ill patients. alive, as falling leaves would be a thousand miles high because mold is what helps
Therefore, he added, there’s more to our work than just cleaning. The particu- to decompose and break them down. We need it for that. It’s also great for making
lates removed must be contained. “Whatever debris is found in an HVAC duct sys- beer, penicillin, and saving lives. But it’s not good to breathe.”
tem is very small in size. In fact, it’s so small that it had to be airborne to get in
there in the first place. So cleaning is number one, and number two is containing Call us at (888) 707-7763 to speak to a professional about your home or facility
the contamination we’ve removed. HEPA filters are used for containment on all of today or visit www.ADAflorida.com.

FAU Opens Its First University-run

Primary Care Physician Practice

Florida Atlantic University has opened its first University-operated primary care
physician practice in Boca Raton. Managed by FAU’s Schmidt College of Medicine,
Palm Beach County’s only medical school, FAU Medicine is dedicated to offering
adult primary care and preventive health services to serve the community. FAU
Medicine is located in a 5,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art medical facility in the
Galen Medical Building in Boca Raton, conveniently located near Boca Raton
Regional Hospital. The practice’s experienced team of physicians combine the latest
innovations in primary care medicine with a personalized, patient-centered approach.
Services provided at FAU Medicine include preventive care and wellness, routine
check-ups, management of acute and chronic health problems, medical and laborato-
ry tests, and specialized geriatric care. As an academic center, FAU Medicine also
offers patients the opportunity to participate in clinical trials and to engage in the lat-
est research studies. FAU Medicine offers a spacious waiting room and comfortable
exam rooms, and is fully equipped with the resources needed for initial consultations,
treatment services, and preventive care. The practice also offers a wide range of on-
site diagnostic services including a full laboratory, EKG, and other services such as
vaccinations, among others.

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