Hospital Uses Technology To Beat Flu
Auburn Community Hospital (ACH), a not-for-profit, 99-bed acute care facility, is adding a new disinfection system to its existing cleaning protocols to help prevent the spread of illness, just in time for the cold and flu season. Equipped with the Clorox Total 360 System, the acute care patient and long-term care facility is ensuring an extra layer of protection against contagious bacteria and viruses and healthcare-associated infections (HAIs).
According the New York Department of Public Health, last year’s flu season proved challenging as the state reported 128,000 confirmed cases of influenza and 23,317 hospitalizations due to the flu. These viruses present patient facilities with a unique challenge as they can survive on surfaces for days and cause outbreaks that raise risks for patients, staff and visitors.
The Clorox Total 360 System uses patented electrostatic technology to deliver disinfecting and sanitizing solutions quickly, enabling the Auburn Community Hospital environmental services team to carry out comprehensive disinfection with confidence and efficiency. The system works by delivering a powerful flow of charged particles that are attracted to surfaces with a force stronger than gravity, allowing the solution to easily reach and uniformly coat surfaces at 18,000 square feet per hour.
“After being introduced to the Clorox Total 360 System, our hospital executives immediately recognized the important role it could play in infection prevention for our patients and residents,” said Ralph Conner, manager of Environmental Services at Auburn Community Hospital. “With a facility that holds 260 patient beds and a nursing home center, our environmental services team is in high-demand. Now with the system, our team is able to significantly cut down labor time allowing us to service the entire facility quickly and efficiently while ensuring proper disinfection.”
Auburn Community Hospital serves approximately 80,000 people in Cayuga County and surrounding areas and offers acute care and long-term care services to its patients. The environmental services team uses the Clorox Total 360 System as an additional step to manual cleaning to disinfect its public spaces including waiting rooms, restrooms, employee lounges, conference and assembly rooms, and its cardiac, rehab and physical therapy departments.
“We are committed to keeping our hospital safe from viruses that can greatly affect the health of patients and staff,” added Connor. “After seeing it in action, we know that we can rely on the Clorox Total 360 System to enhance our current cleaning and disinfecting efforts to keeping a healthier environment, especially during the flu season.”