Thursday, October 16, 2014
TRU-D Smart UVC Leading the Way in Infection Prevention
San Juan Regional Medical Center on the Global Front: TRU-D Disinfecting Robot Goes to Liberia to Aid in Ebola Crisis
Dr. Charles Hoffman and SJRMC were recently featured on KOB TV regarding the Ebola threat and what steps our hospital is taking to prevent the spread of infection.
The manufacturer of the TRU-D Smart UVC room disinfection system, San Juan Regional Medical Center’s newly-acquired disinfecting robot, has deployed two units to Liberia to aid in the battle against Ebola. The same device that is used alongside infection control efforts at San Juan Regional Medical Center is also being used to disinfect healthcare environments and facilities where Ebola patients are being treated.
Its ultraviolet light energy modifies the DNA structure of viral pathogens, like Ebola, so they cannot reproduce or harm patients. This technology—the only one of its kind—is utilized at San Juan Regional Medical Center in various capacities from isolation rooms, to the OR, endoscopy, dialysis, and more.
TRU-D is part of San Juan Regional Medical Centers’ continuing efforts to reduce hospital-acquired infections. Efforts also include screening patients who may have recently visited areas affected by the Ebola pandemic. People treated in the ER are asked if they’ve recently traveled out of the county and if so, where they’ve been. These measures, along with other hand hygiene initiatives, improve patient safety along with active staff involvement.
“We’re very excited to know that practices we’ve established at SJRMC, such as TRU-D, are having an impact around the globe,” said President and CEO, Rick Wallace. “I wish the Liberian hospitals the greatest success in reducing the spread of Ebola.”