UHC Has The Most Xenex Germ-Zapping Robots In West Virginia

BRIDGEPORT, W. Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--United Hospital Center (UHC) announced today that it has the most Xenex LightStrike™ Germ-Zapping Robots™ in West Virginia. The three robots will be used to enhance environmental cleanliness by disinfecting and destroying hard-to-kill germs, bacteria and superbugs in hard-to-clean places.

“We want to do everything within our means to provide a clean environment at our facilities to reduce the risk of hospital acquired infections”

The three Xenex robots will use Full Spectrum™ pulsed xenon ultraviolet (UV) light to quickly destroy bacteria, viruses, fungi and bacterial spores. The portable disinfection system is effective against even the most dangerous pathogens, including Clostridium difficile (C.diff), norovirus, influenza, Ebola and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, better known as MRSA.

“We want to do everything within our means to provide a clean environment at our facilities to reduce the risk of hospital acquired infections,” said Dr. Mark Povroznik, vice president of quality and chief quality officer. “UHC has long been recognized as a leader in medical technology and highly specialized care, so it’s only fitting that we should employ the same level of technological innovation when it comes to removing the pathogens that can cause these infections. One hospital acquired infection is one too many, so we are excited to begin using the Xenex system to help us achieve our goal of zero infections. This investment is important and underscores UHC’s commitment to patient care and the communities we serve.”

UV has been used for disinfection for decades. The Xenex LightStrike Germ-Zapping Robot is a new technology that utilizes pulsed xenon (not mercury bulbs) to create germicidal UV light. Pulsed xenon emits high intensity UVC light which penetrates the cell walls of microorganisms, including bacteria, viruses, mold, fungus and spores. Their DNA is fused, rendering them unable to reproduce or mutate, effectively killing them on surfaces without contact or chemicals.

The portable Xenex system can disinfect a typical patient or procedure room in four or five minute cycles (depending on the robot model) without warm-up or cool-down times. It can be used in any department and in any unit within a healthcare facility, including isolation rooms, operating rooms, general patient care rooms, contact precaution areas, emergency rooms, bathrooms and public spaces.

The Xenex pulsed xenon UV disinfection system has been credited by health care facilities across the U.S. for helping them reduce their infection rates significantly. Several hospitals have published their C.diff, MRSA and Surgical Site infection rate reduction studies in peer-reviewed journals - showing infection rate reductions in excess of 70 percent. Over 400 hospitals, Veterans Affairs and DoD facilities in the U.S., Canada, Africa, UK, Japan and Europe are using Xenex robots, which are also in use in skilled nursing facilities, ambulatory surgery centers and long term acute care facilities.

“In 2010, UHC was among the first hospitals on the east coast to install UV technology,” said Dr. Povroznik. “Deployment of the new Xenex LightStrike Germ-Zapping Robots represents the next step in UHC’s commitment to continuously improve the quality of our patient care.”

About United Hospital Center

United Hospital Center is the result of a merger between St. Mary’s and Union Protestant hospitals in 1970. This bold move provides north central West Virginia with a regional community hospital that offers a vast array of services. The new UHC opened in 2010 and is located along I-79 in Bridgeport. The 692,000 square foot structure rises eight stories. It is designed around the environment with the patient, family, staff and community in mind—which includes enhanced patient privacy, a high level of technology integration and improved access to care. The acute care facility has 292 private inpatient rooms and 24 observation rooms with a medical staff that consist of more than 140 primary care and specialty physicians. UHC employs more than 2,000 Associates and is a member of WVU Medicine (West Virginia United Health System). For more information about United Hospital Center, please visit thenewuhc.com.

About WVU Medicine

WVU Medicine is West Virginia’s premier provider of advanced specialty care and the state’s only academic medical center. It encompasses the specialists, sub-specialists, and primary care physicians of West Virginia University; Ruby Memorial Hospital, WVU Medicine’s flagship hospital on the WVU campus; the WVU Eye Institute, WVU Heart Institute, and WVU Cancer Institute in Morgantown; University Healthcare, which serves the Eastern Panhandle; Potomac Valley Hospital in Keyser; United Hospital Center in Bridgeport; St. Joseph’s Hospital in Buckhannon; and Camden Clark Medical Center in Parkersburg. WVU Medicine also includes dozens of medical offices and a diverse network of affiliated organizations. To learn more, visit WVUMedicine.org.

Xenex Disinfection Services

Xenex’s patented Full Spectrum pulsed xenon UV room disinfection system is used for the advanced disinfection of healthcare facilities. Due to its speed and ease of use, the Xenex system has proven to integrate smoothly into hospital cleaning operations. Xenex’s mission is to save lives and reduce suffering by eliminating the deadly microorganisms that cause hospital acquired infections (HAIs). The company is backed by well-known investors that include Essex Woodlands, Piper Jaffray Merchant Services, Malin Corporation, Battery Ventures, Targeted Technology Fund II, Tectonic Ventures and RK Ventures. For more information, visit Xenex.com.