NEW ORLEANS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Louisiana Continuing Care Hospital (LCCH) is the first hospital in Louisiana to implement Xenex Healthcare Services’ ultraviolet (UV) light room disinfection system. The hospital’s latest weapon to fight healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) is a robot resembling R2D2 from Star Wars which uses pulsed xenon to quickly deliver ultraviolet light throughout a room – destroying the DNA and RNA of deadly microorganisms and rendering them harmless.
Studies show that the Xenex room disinfection system is consistently 20 times more effective than standard chemical cleaning practices and effective against a variety of the most dangerous superbugs, including Clostridium difficile endospores (C. diff), MRSA, VRE, CRE and Acinetobacter. In minutes, the device can disinfect a patient room, patient bathroom or operating room by pulsing ultraviolet light, which washes over the surfaces where germs reside
LCCH, which occupies the 7th floor of West Jefferson Medical Center, has been providing services to medically complex patients in greater New Orleans since 1995. Its mission is to specialize in treating critical patients who otherwise would require care in a general hospital’s intensive care unit (“ICU”). Every patient at LCCH has an individualized treatment plan developed and implemented by a physician directed team of skilled professionals. The Xenex room disinfection system is an added layer of protection being used in addition to the hospital’s current stringent cleaning methods.
Xenex devices are friendlier to the environment than cleaning chemicals or UV devices using toxic mercury. Xenex is the only company to offer a xenon-based room disinfection product that is patented, tested, and proven to deliver a germicidal dose of UV-C light capable of killing C. diff in five minutes or less.
“Hospitals with longer stays and a high percentage of immune compromised patients are at higher risk than general hospitals which is why we feel we have a heightened duty to do everything we can to combat infection. It is our goal to be the cleanest and friendliest hospital in the region,” said Stephen Sullivan, Chairman of the Board at LCCH. “In addition to the Xenex system, we are installing a new computerized hand hygiene system to better assure that infections are not carried on the hands of clinicians as they go from patient to patient. The 21st century is an age of great peril but also medical miracles and wonders that allow us to better care for our patients than ever before. Moreover, our plan is to continue to implement new infection protection technology that makes our patients safe against the serious risks CDC has identified.”
“LCCH is raising the bar for patient safety in Louisiana," said Dr. Mark Stibich, Chief Scientific Officer for Xenex. "LCCH has embraced our room disinfection technology as part of their infection control solution to provide their patients with the safest experience possible.”
About Louisiana Continuing Care Hospital
Established in 1995, LCCH is certified by Medicare to operate up to 56 beds. Currently, the hospital is licensed for 33 high acuity beds serving medically complex patients who typically require longer stays than can be offered at general hospitals. All patients have a physician led team of clinicians who develop an individualized treatment plan. The patient’s team routinely meets to monitor progress and agree on changes needed with the goal of returning the patient to his or her maximum capacity for independent living or other appropriate level of care.
About Xenex Healthcare Services
Xenex’s patented pulse xenon UV disinfection systems are utilized for the advanced cleaning of the patient environment in healthcare facilities. Only Xenex uses pulsed xenon and contains no mercury. Xenex’s mission is to significantly reduce the presence of bacteria that cause Hospital Acquired Infections (HAI) that impact the health and lives of millions of patients and their families and become the new standard method for disinfection in healthcare facilities worldwide. For more information please visit http://www.xenex.com.
