UV light disinfection in hospitals is receiving a lot of attention. And why not when the current rate of healthcare acquired infections (HAIs) in hospitals is alarmingly high. According to the CDC, about 1 in every 20 patients contracts an HAI.
The idea of using UV light to quickly zap away germs sounds like a dream for both patients and healthcare workers. But with the UV Flash machine, it’s actually a reality. At less than 40 inches tall and under 30 inches across, the UV Flash is a practical, affordable choice for hospitals looking to fight HAIs.
Objects that need to be disinfected are placed inside the UV Flash and, in only 60 seconds, receive a complete 360° UV light disinfection. If you are wondering where the UV Flash will fit into your hospital, here are 6 areas where you can take advantage of its UV light disinfection capabilities.
1. The Waiting Room
To most people, the waiting room of a hospital evokes feelings of boredom and anxiety. With nothing but chairs and maybe a table, the waiting room is the epitome of the bare minimum.
But if there were more items to distract people, it would mean a larger breeding ground for germs. Countless individuals visit the waiting room every day – each spreading their unique combination of bacteria and viruses.
So that leaves your options as sterile but boring or germ filled and entertaining. Either way it’s a lose-lose situation. But the UV Flash can help solve this dilemma.
Do you want to have toys and games for children? Use the UV Flash to keep them from transferring more germs. Do you want televisions or computers out for those waiting adults? Place remotes and keyboards in the UV Flash to get rid of growing bacteria. Magazines? Books? Pens? Pencils? All can be disinfected with UV light.
2. The Patient’s Room
Patient rooms provide a host of opportunities for infection. Even though sheets and bedding are washed between each use, and visible surfaces are wiped down, what happens to all the other items in the room – items not necessarily a permanent part of the room but carried with a doctor or nurse from room to room?
Stethoscopes, cell phones, blood pressure cuffs, thermometers, penlights, TV remotes, tissue boxes, etc. You can use the UV Flash for all of these items and more to keep patients on a speedy path to recovery.
3. The Nurse’s Station
In many ways, the nurse’s station is your hospital’s home base. This is where visitors and family members come with questions, and it is where nurses come between visits to different patient rooms.
And because nurses are probably the most highly visible workers in a hospital setting, they come into contact with the highest number of germs, making items found in a nurse’s station a potential breeding ground for all kinds of bacteria and viruses.
Nurses can wash their hands and use every precaution possible, but what about their keys? Their ID? Glasses? Pens? Purses? The telephone on the desk? Even the stapler? These items currently have no easy fix for disinfection, but they are just as capable of carrying and spreading germs. Let the UV Flash be that easy fix.
4. The Break Room
The break room might not be on the top of your hospital’s list as a place where germs are spread. But you forget that even if these doctors and nurses aren’t currently coming in contact with patients, they might be just coming from a patient’s room or about to go into an operation. And since these break rooms are a very high traffic area for healthcare workers it is vital they are kept clean.
Do employees use that downtime to contact loved ones? Those phones need to be disinfected. Is there a television with a couch in front of it to wind down after a stressful shift? That remote and the cute decorative pillows on that couch need to be disinfected. Are there lunchboxes in the fridge and magnets on the front of that fridge? Those need to be disinfected. Is there a table with a centerpiece, salt and pepper shakers, or a napkin holder? All these need to be disinfected. And all of this disinfection can be accomplished using the UV Flash.
5. The Pediatrics Wing 
In most hospitals the pediatrics wing is the most stimulating and visually appealing area of the hospital. There are brightly colored playrooms with dolls, building blocks, toy cars, and stuffed animals. There are games and colored pencils or markers.
And those are just the items that are already there for the children. A girl might bring in her favorite stuffed animal from home. A mom might bring in her iPad for her son or daughter to play games on and watch a movie. And of course, ever present in the pediatrics wing are the children themselves.
Kids are notorious for sucking their thumbs, drooling, runny noses, not washing their hands, and putting things in their mouth that they shouldn’t. They are basically known for not knowing how to follow any of the proper procedures to keep germs at bay. Moms and nurses are there to keep the children themselves clean, and the UV Flash can be there to help with everything else.
6. The Maternity Ward
A baby being born is one of the few times that going to the hospital can be a joyful event. That is why the maternity ward often receives the most outside visitors. Everyone wants to share in this exciting milestone by taking pictures on their camera or smartphone, by bringing in rattles and a stuffed bear, and by picking up and looking at what everyone else has brought. And, obviously, everyone wants to hold the newborn.
This much contact from this many people around such a fragile human being requires an extremely clean environment. As each group of visitors come in, put their smartphone and gifts in the UV Flash, have them wash their hands, and then, finally, let them fuss and cry over the adorable new baby.
Contact Us for More Information on the UV Flash Machine
The waiting room, the patient’s room, the nurse’s station, the break room, the pediatrics wing, and the maternity ward are just some of the areas in your hospital that would benefit from the UV Flash. Southwest Solutions Group® provides UV Flash machines to hospitals looking for a way to use UV light for disinfection. Give us a call at 1-800-803-1083 or send us a message to speak with the healthcare specialist in your area.
