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Contributed by Clorox Pro.

Carson Valley Medical Center recently announced the addition of ultraviolet technology to its infection prevention protocol with the arrival of the Clorox Healthcare Optimum-UV Enlight System. The system helps remove illness-causing pathogens that can jeopardize patient, visitor and staff health.

Healthcare facilities must contend with a wide range of infection threats, from influenza viruses, to multi-drug resistant organisms such as CRE (carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae), MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) and Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) that can cause dangerous healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). However, research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that when healthcare facilities take specific steps to prevent HAIs, rates can decrease by more than 70 percent.

Recognizing the hospital puts infection prevention and control in high priority, the Carson Valley Medical Center Hospital Foundation proactively invested in the Clorox Healthcare Optimum-UV Enlight System to help the hospital add an additional layer of protection and further ensure patient safety.

The system works by emitting UV-C light, which kills microorganisms by inactivating their DNA, rendering them harmless and unable to multiply or spread. The UV-C rays extend a full 360 degrees, allowing the system to disinfect areas within an 8-foot radius in just five minutes and offering healthcare facilities an additional layer of protection without adding significant time to infection prevention protocols.

“We are extremely proud to have added the Clorox Healthcare Optimum-UV Enlight System to our infection prevention protocols — it was a smooth and seamless implementation and makes all the difference,” said Jennifer Matus, Surgical Services Manager, Carson Valley Medical Center. “UV-C cleaning and disinfection is such an amazing discovery for us and the team loves using the system.”

Matus said that in the 130 days since implementing the system, the hospital has not had a surgical site or hospital acquired infection.

Carson Valley Medical Center Quality Manager Cara Cruz said the system represents an easy-to-use upgrade to the hospital’s already stringent infection control protocols.

“We use the system in our operating rooms and patient isolation rooms,” she said. “At the end of each day, to complement our current comprehensive cleaning and disinfection protocols, the system is placed in various areas of the operating rooms for three five-minute cycles. In a typical patient room, it is placed on both sides of the patient bed and turned on for five minutes in each position. It’s also placed in the patient bathroom for another five-minute cycle."

Cruz adds that, “The investment in this device, thanks to our hospital foundation, provides our patients and staff with comfort by knowing this technology is completely disinfecting and safeguarding our patient environment, which in turn makes everyone feel protected and safe.”