by Brianna Crandall — September 21, 2018 — Compass Memorial Healthcare recently announced that it is the first and only critical access hospital in Iowa to deploy a LightStrike Germ-Zapping Robot from Xenex Disinfecting Systems as part of its daily infection control regimen to support its ongoing efforts to provide great patient care. The 25-bed hospital in Marengo, Iowa, formerly known as Marengo Memorial Hospital, says it strives to provide the cleanest, safest environment for everyone who enters the hospital, and that its investment in the Xenex disinfection robot is the most recent example of that commitment to quality.
The pulsed xenon UV device can disinfect a patient room or procedure room in 10 to 15 minutes without warm-up or cool-down times. Image courtesy Xenex
Xenex robots are in over 450 hospitals around the world, and their ability to help hospitals drive down hospital-acquired infection and surgical site infection rates has reportedly been proven in multiple peer-reviewed clinical outcome studies conducted by a number of these hospitals.
Haylee Reif, RN, infection control nurse at Compass Memorial Healthcare, reported:
Hospitals around the world look for new and innovative ways to provide a safe environment for their patients. This robot produces intense pulses of ultraviolet-C light which kill a variety of superbugs that can cause hospital-acquired infections, including but not limited to Clostridium difficile (C. diff), Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE), Acinetobacter, et cetera.
Reif underwent training on the robot along with several other departments to extend its use to multiple areas of the hospital. Reif continued:
Initially we will utilize the robot in the operating room (OR) and med/surg unit after every discharge and transfer during the day to get the maximum use of its disinfecting capabilities.
The pulsed xenon ultraviolet (UV) device can disinfect a patient room or procedure room in 10 to 15 minutes without warm-up or cool-down times, says Xenex. It is operated by hospital environmental services staff and can be used in any department and in any unit within a healthcare facility, including isolation rooms, operating rooms, general patient care rooms, contact precaution areas, emergency rooms, bathrooms and public spaces.
Reif added:
Being the first critical access hospital in the state to have the LightStrike technology is very exciting for us. When we were in the process of evaluating its performance and expected outcomes, we presented the Hospital’s Foundation with the information. After a brief demonstration and discussion, the members voted unanimously to help with the purchase of the germ-fighting robot.
Barry Goettsch, CEO of Compass Memorial Healthcare, stated:
We feel that the implementation of this technology both provides us with an additional tool to use in our efforts to provide an optimal environment for our patients to receive care in as well as our team members to perform their duties in. Furthermore, it serves as yet another example of our organization’s commitment to our patients’ well-being and our pursuit of being the healthcare provider of choice for our communities. We are most certainly proud to have a Foundation Board that embraces the vision and philosophy of their organization and supports its efforts 100%. Their contribution towards the purchase of the robot is greatly appreciated, as has been their support in the many projects and purchases the hospital has made over the last several years. We are incredibly fortunate.
For more information on Xenex LightStrike Germ-Zapping Robots, visit the company’s website.
