Holy Family Memorial Installs Bacteria Fighting Operating Room Light Fixtures
MANITOWOC, Wis. (PRWEB) December 06, 2017 -- Holy Family Memorial Medical Center is the first hospital in Wisconsin to use Indigo-Clean™ continuous environmental disinfecting operating room (OR) light fixtures to help reduce the risk of surgical site infections.
In March 2017, Holy Family Memorial installed the Indigo-Clean operating room lights, boosting Holy Family Memorial’s efforts to reduce an already low surgical site infection rate. Holy Family Memorial saw an average daily bacteria reduction of 82% in the operating room where Indigo-Clean was installed even after adjusting for differences in room usage.
“Holy Family Memorial prides itself in promoting innovative products and services for our community so the ability to work with Indigo-Clean as a Clinical Partner provided benefits for both parties,” said Lisa Sherman, Director, Operating Room, Holy Family Memorial. “We chose to partner with Indigo-Clean over other disinfecting technologies because of the ease of use and the proven efficacy of the disinfecting lights. We look forward to expanding the usage of Indigo-Clean in other areas of the hospital in the future.”
Indigo-Clean fixtures use light-emitting diodes (LEDs) to generate visible white light that also contains a narrow spectrum of indigo colored light. This indigo color uses a wavelength of 405 nanometers (nm) to automatically, safely and continuously disinfect the air, and hard and soft surfaces. The 405nm light is absorbed by molecules within bacteria, producing a chemical reaction that kills the bacteria from the inside as if common household bleach has been released within the bacterial cells. When the OR is not being used, the lights can be switched to an Indigo-only mode, providing a higher degree of safe disinfection.
Sherman also noted, “The operating rooms are in constant use, so knowing there is no room downtime and disinfection starts immediately with a flip of a switch [with no training necessary], we believe Indigo-Clean is the safest and most efficient solution for us to help reduce the risk of surgical site infections.”
“Other disinfecting technologies are currently available to hospitals and health systems, but are optimized for daily or on-demand applications,” said Cliff Yahnke, Ph.D., Kenall’s Director of Clinical Affairs for Indigo-Clean. “Hospital staff needs to be trained to operate the technology, increasing cost and creating potential compliance issues which can easily undermine their benefits. Indigo-Clean uses visible light to automatically, continuously, and safely disinfect the environment 24/7 without the need for additional training or staff.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), on any given day, around 1 in every 25 U.S. hospital patients contracts an infection in a healthcare setting. A CDC survey estimates that 75,000 hospital patients with hospital-acquired infections died during their hospitalization in 2011, and nearly one fourth (157,500 patients) developed infections from surgeries. Increased prevalence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria is estimated to kill up to 99,000 Americans and infect another 1.7 million each year.
“Surgical Site Infections are the most costly form of healthcare-acquired infections and providers are placing a renewed focus on improving cleanliness in the OR as part of a comprehensive bundle,” said Yahnke. “We are pleased to have Holy Family Memorial Hospital as a Clinical Partner, and to also be our first hospital operating room install in our home state of Wisconsin.”
About Holy Family Memorial Hospital
Founded by the Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity, Holy Family Memorial is the recognized leader and largest provider of comprehensive healthcare services in Manitowoc County. Our network of healthcare professionals, rooted in the healing ministry of Jesus Christ, are committed to providing high quality medical care and are dedicated to helping individuals in our communities achieve healthier lives.
Holy Family Memorial’s Right Care, Right Setting, and Right Outcomes philosophy continues to guide the network in improving lives and the well-being of the community it serves while remaining steadfast to its mission and core values.
Our network services include an inpatient and outpatient medical center, walk-in care, more than 15 clinics, retail pharmacies, a medically-based wellness center and a state-of-the-art rehabilitation facility. For more information, visit hfmhealth.org.
About Kenall, manufacturer of Indigo-Clean™
Indigo-Clean™ is an affiliate of Kenall Manufacturing, which has earned a reputation for lighting challenging applications. Since its inception in 1963, Kenall has been known for superior quality, exceptional value, and durable solutions, and it is proud to provide sealed lighting for containment or clean spaces, security lighting for detention facilities, and specialized healthcare and transportation applications. Kenall products are designed and manufactured in the USA and meet the guidelines established under the Buy American Act and the North American Free Trade Agreement. For additional information on Indigo-Clean™, visit our website at http://www.indigo-clean.com or contact us directly at 262-891-9200.
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Michele McCawley, Kenall Manufacturing, http://kenall.com/, +1 262.891.9744, [email protected]
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