Barrett Hospital & HealthCare Invests in UV Technology to Complement Infection Prevention and Disinfection Protocols

DILLON, Mont., March 26, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — Barrett Hospital & HealthCare is committed to providing safe, high quality patient care and is now proud to share its investment in two innovative Clorox Healthcare^® Optimum-UV Enlight^® Systems. The ultraviolet technology helps protect the hospital environment by killing pathogens that can cause healthcare-associated infections (HAIs).

At any given time, about one in 31 hospitalized patients has at least one HAI¹. These infections, such as Clostridioides difficile (C. difficile), which accounts for more than 12 percent of infections,² are a threat to patient’s safety. Fortunately, keeping healthcare facilities clean can aid in decreasing the prevalence of HAIs and streamline care.

Barrett Hospital & HealthCare is a nonprofit critical access hospital and trauma receiving center serving the rural southwestern region of Montana.  While the hospital provides a range of services and care, space is dedicated to cancer care, wound care, infusions and scheduled diagnostics. Due to the high sensitivities these patients have towards bacteria and viruses, patient safety is Barrett Hospital & HealthCare’s top priority and the proactive investment in the Clorox Healthcare^® Optimum-UV Enlight^® Systems was an easy decision.  

“Because our hospital serves such a large geographic area, our patients rely heavily on our facility to provide high-quality care and we need to be prepared for anything,” said Carol Kennedy, RN, MSN, Chief Clinical Officer at Barrett Hospital & HealthCare. “A lot of hard work and effort goes into how we clean throughout our hospital. We’re passionate about patient safety and very excited about the system’s ability to help keep infection rates low. Incorporating the Clorox Healthcare^® Optimum-UV Enlight^® System into our existing cleaning and disinfecting protocols worked so well for us that we’ve invested in two.”

The Clorox Healthcare^® Optimum-UV Enlight^® System works by emitting UV-C light and killing microorganisms by inactivating their DNA, rendering them harmless and unable to multiply or spread. The UV-C rays disinfect areas within an 8-foot radius in just five minutes and can extend a full 360 degrees, offering healthcare facilities an additional layer of protection without adding time to infection prevention protocols.

Barrett Hospital & HealthCare employs two units for utilization in all areas of its north campus and main facility including in-patient, isolation and discharge rooms, the walk-in clinic and in the operating rooms after each surgical case.

The Clorox Healthcare^® Optimum-UV Enlight^® Systems represent an easy-to-use upgrade to the hospital’s already stringent infection control protocols.

“The system is easy to use and effective, which assists us to serve our patients well,” added Kennedy. “We know that this investment will help us advance our care delivery and improve patient outcomes.”

To learn more about the Clorox Healthcare^® Optimum-UV Enlight^® System, visit www.CloroxHealthcare.com.

About Barrett Hospital & HealthCare:
Barrett Hospital & HealthCare is a non-profit Critical Access Hospital (CAH) and medical clinic provider in Dillon Montana. Critical access hospitals make up approximately twenty-five percent of hospitals in the United States; there are over 1300 in the nation, with 50 critical access hospitals in Montana. They are, by definition, at least 35 miles from another hospital and have no more than 25 acute care beds at any given time with most hospitals being located in rural areas. Barrett Hospital & HealthCare is a three-time recipient for being a Top 20 Critical Access Hospital of the 20 highest ranked Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) in the nation by National Rural Health Association (NRHA). For more information, visit www.barretthospital.org

¹ https://www.cdc.gov/hai/surveillance/index.html. Accessed March 1, 2019.
² https://www.cdc.gov/cdiff/clinicians/faq.html.  Accessed March 1, 2019.

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SOURCE Barrett Hospital & HealthCare