RICHMOND, Ind.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Reid Health is the first hospital in Indiana to deploy a new LightStrike® “germ-zapping robot” to disinfect surgery and patient rooms as part of its multifaceted arsenal to reduce risk of infection.
“We are always evaluating the latest technologies available to help make our facilities as safe as possible,” said Jennifer Ehlers, vice president and Chief Quality Officer for the health system. She said the fight against infection-causing pathogens has been elevated nationally as infection-causing microorganisms have become more resistant to traditional disinfecting methods. “We are focused on and committed to patient safety, and we see this technology as another innovative way to help protect our patients.”
Kim Schneider, BSN, RN, with Reid Health Infection Control, said “Xenex’s LightStrike® Germ-Zapping Robot® uses pulsed xenon ultraviolet (UV) light to disinfect rooms without leaving chemical residue or toxic fumes. Hospitals and health systems using the technology have reported significant decreases in infection rates.” Schneider emphasized Reid Health has an excellent track record in infection prevention, partly because of being open to investing in the latest prevention technologies.
The Xenex robot, named “Rosie” by Reid Health team members, uses Full Spectrum™ pulsed xenon ultraviolet (UV) light that is hundreds of times more intense than sunlight to quickly destroy bacteria, viruses, fungi and bacterial spores. The portable disinfection system is effective against even the most dangerous pathogens, including Clostridium difficile (C.diff), norovirus, influenza, Ebola and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, better known as MRSA. Their DNA is fused, rendering them unable to reproduce or mutate, effectively killing them on surfaces.
Jeff Cook, Director of Engineering and Environmental Services at Reid Health, said his team “wants to do everything within our means to provide a clean environment at our facilities to reduce the risk of healthcare associated infections. Some superbugs have become resistant to cleaning chemicals. That’s why new technology like the LightStrike disinfecting robot is so important. This investment is significant and underscores our commitment to patient care and the communities we serve.”
Julie Garrett, Manager of Environmental Services at Reid Health, said the robot has been used daily since it arrived about a month ago. “The staff loves our Rosie and are doing an excellent job at deploying her in patient rooms and operating room suites,” Garrett said. “The portable Xenex system can disinfect a typical patient or procedure room in five minute cycles without warm-up or cool-down times. So far we have successfully trained 24 plus team members to work with Rosie.”
