Mennonite Christian Hospital Hualien - Achieving Intelligent and Sustainable Operations with a Smart Hospital Management and Visualization Platform
Date: 12/12/2024 12:00:00 AM
In response to the global sustainability movement, healthcare facilities — often considered major carbon emitters—are actively integrating energy conservation and reduction into their core operations. Serving the Hualien region for 76 years, Mennonite Christian Hospital in Hualien has implemented Advantech's WISE-IoT diverse solutions in three new buildings: the Yongai Building and Nianhua Building in the Ji'an Long-Term Care Campus, and the Health Management Center Building in Meilun. These solutions enhance energy management and optimize the utilization of medical resources, establishing a smart hospital that emphasizes environmental consciousness, social responsibility, and strong governance.
Building a Visualized Management Platform through Advantech's Comprehensive Solutions
Wen-Hsin Chang, CEO of Mennonite Medical Juridical Person Subsidiary Institutions Resources Development & Management Center, stated that the hospital has set a goal of "increasing the number of patients or service volume per kilowatt-hour to make electricity usage more efficient," advancing environmental sustainability. To achieve this, Mennonite has implemented energy-efficient equipment, such as magnetic levitation centrifugal chillers, and installed green energy systems, such as rooftop solar panels that generate 240,000 kWh of green energy annually. Additionally, it has adopted Advantech's diverse solutions, including the IoTSuite low-code development platform with tools like InsightAPM for equipment asset performance management and VisualSuite for visualization. The hospital also employs the WISE-IoT Smart Energy Management Solution (iEMS) featuring ECOWatch for energy management and Patrol Inspection for dispatch and inspections, all contributing to the creation of a smart hospital management platform.
Chang explained that the smart hospital management platform integrates data from various systems, including power supply and distribution, HVAC, drainage, security monitoring, and access control. The platform visualizes data analysis results on intuitive charts, enabling administrators to remotely monitor energy usage and equipment status across the Ji'an and Meilun buildings. These insights support data-driven decision-making, such as comparing energy consumption metrics to assess the effectiveness of newly implemented energy-saving equipment or measures.
Additionally, the VisualSuite 3D visualization tool within the IoTSuite management platform is integrated with a Building Information Modeling (BIM) 3D model customized to Mennonite's infrastructure. In the future plan, in the event of an abnormal incident, the system leverages the 3D model to issue alerts, allowing relevant personnel to identify the event's location and quickly access relevant information through the platform to make swift decisions and take action.
Pao-Chung Kuan, Senior Specialist at Mennonite Medical Juridical Person Subsidiary Institutions Resources Development & Management Center, noted that traditional building management platforms primarily focused on integrating building facilities, catering mainly to engineering or facilities departments. The new smart hospital management platform, however, consolidates all data into a single system, transforming it into a versatile tool that serves not only engineering and facilities teams but also other departments, such as IT and long-term care services. For example, the IT team can use the platform to monitor power, temperature, and humidity fluctuations in data centers.
Advantech Empowers Mennonite with Three Key Benefits
Overall, Advantech’s diverse solutions have brought three significant benefits to Mennonite’s building and energy management.
1. Mennonite no longer needs to dispatch personnel to various sites for effective management, significantly reducing workforce requirements, management costs, and time. Chang explained that the Ji'an Long-Term Care Campus is about a 10-minute drive from the Meilun General Hospital. Before implementing the smart solution, Mennonite had to station staff at the Ji'an campus to conduct on-site inspections and operate equipment. In the future plan, with the smart platform enabling remote monitoring and management, staff at the main hospital can use BIM models to identify malfunctioning equipment and take appropriate action.
2. Tailored Energy Data Analysis and Management
Guan Bao-Chung emphasized that, due to its geographical location and the unique nature of its operations, Mennonite requires non-standard data to analyze energy management efficiency. For example, while air conditioning efficiency is typically evaluated by energy use per unit area, Hualien’s sparse population and large spaces mean this metric insufficient. Instead, energy usage must also be analyzed in relation to the number of service visits or the volume of services provided. Advantech’s ECOWatch solution comprehensively collects energy consumption data, helping Mennonite achieve its energy-saving goals.
3. Proactive Equipment Replacement to Avoid Energy Waste
By monitoring the operational status of high-energy-consuming equipment such as water pumps, the system enables the facilities team to identify when equipment needs replacement before it fails. This proactive approach avoids the inefficiencies of outdated equipment, preventing unnecessary energy waste caused by reduced performance.
Partnering with Advantech to Bring Medical Resources to Remote Areas
Chang and Ching-Yao Lien, Director of Development & Planning Dept., Mennonite Medical Juridical Person Subsidiary Institutions Resources Development & Management Center, noted that as a professional and socially responsible enterprise, Advantech not only provides expert solutions and services but also actively engages in charitable collaborations to enhance Mennonite’s medical service capabilities. For example, Mennonite equipped a mobile medical vehicle, donated by Advantech, with ophthalmic examination, transforming it into an eye-screening van that travels to mountainous areas to provide eyesight check-ups for residents.
“Looking ahead, Mennonite will continue collaborating with Advantech, leveraging its comprehensive solutions to make Mennonite’s smart healthcare services more robust and accessible to more Hualien residents,” Chang concluded affirmatively.
Company Profile
- Established: 1948
- Industry: Healthcare
- Headquarters: Taiwan
- Corporate scale: Local enterprise
Case Benefits
- Reduced workforce requirements
- Automated certain processes, enhancing operational efficiency
- Customized energy data analysis and management to meet specific needs
- Early replacement of inefficient equipment to prevent unnecessary energy waste
Advantech's WISE-IoT Solutions
- IoTSuite, a cloud-native and low-code IoT tool platform, can assist various industries with data collection, IT/OT integration, analysis, and management.
- WISE-IoT iEMS is a one-stop solution that equips enterprises with effective tools for carbon asset emission management, energy management, and key equipment energy consumption management.
- Patrol Inspection dispatches workers when an inspection is required.
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