MARENGO, Iowa--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Compass Memorial Healthcare recently announced that it is the first and only Critical Access Hospital (CAH) in Iowa to deploy a Xenex LightStrike™ Germ-Zapping Robot™ as part of its daily infection control regimen to support its ongoing efforts to provide great patient care. Compass Memorial Healthcare strives to provide the cleanest, safest environment for everyone who enters the hospital, and its investment in the Xenex disinfection robot is the most recent example of that commitment to quality. 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 been proven in multiple peer-reviewed clinical outcome studies conducted by a number of these hospitals.
“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,” reported Haylee Reif, RN, Infection Control Nurse at Compass Memorial Healthcare. Reif underwent training on the robot along with many various departments to extend its use to multiple areas of the hospital. “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,” continued Reif.
The pulsed xenon UV device can disinfect a patient room or procedure room in 10-15 minutes without warm-up or cool-down times. 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.
“Being the first Critical Access Hospital in the state to have the LightStrike technology is very exciting for us,” continued Reif. “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’ wellbeing 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.”
Compass Memorial Healthcare (formerly Marengo Memorial Hospital) is a 25 bed Critical Access Hospital located in Marengo, Iowa. For more information on Compass Memorial Hospital, visit www.compassmemorial.org.
For more information on Xenex, visit www.xenex.com.
