Adam Rohrig, Environmental Services and Laundry supervisor, demonstrates Newport Hospital's new disinfecting electrostatic sprayer.
Newport Hospital announced today that it has acquired two electrostatic sprayer disinfecting units that will enhance its sanitization processes and help ensure a clean and safe environment for patients and staff during the coronavirus pandemic.
Through a donation to the Newport Hospital Foundation, the hospital has purchased two Clorox© Total 360© systems, which use sprayers that more accurately apply disinfectant to the front, back and sides of surfaces to better target potential pathogens. The units use a Clorox solution that the EPA designates as eligible for use against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. The hospital will use these electrostatic sprayer units to rapidly disinfect surfaces in waiting rooms, patient rooms, the operating room and the Emergency Department. The Electrostatic sprayers are a highly regarded tool for disinfecting because they use a specialized solution that, when combined with air and atomized by an electrode, produce charged particles that aggressively adhere to surfaces and objects.
“These measures, along with our enhanced disinfecting procedures, will provide even greater safety for our patients and staff as we enter a new phase of the pandemic and move toward restoring many temporarily suspended services, including elective procedures,” said President Crista F. Durand. “We want members of our community to be assured that we are being extremely vigilant about safety and cleanliness and to know that they should not hesitate to seek the medical care they need.”
Newport Hospital, and its Lifespan affiliates, have implemented a broad range of measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus on site, including visitation restrictions, screening of patients, and coronavirus testing.
“At the onset of the pandemic, we immediately instituted an aggressive and comprehensive cleaning regimen at Newport Hospital for the health and safety of our patients and staff. That effort has been expertly guided by our Infection Control Department and implemented by our Environmental Services Department,” said Pamela Crocker, director of Facilities, Services and Planning. “It has resulted in even more frequent and more diligent cleaning processes to prevent spread of the virus. Now those stepped-up efforts have been further enhanced with the addition of these highly effective electrostatic sprayers.”
The disinfecting units were acquired thanks to the generous contribution of a hospital supporter.
Mary Jennings, a local friend and donor to Newport Hospital Foundation, had read a recent article about Newport Hospital’s disinfecting protocols, and took the opportunity to call Adam Rohrig, environmental services department supervisor at Newport Hospital, with questions on how she could help.
“The environmental services team works tirelessly to keep the hospital disinfected and safe,” Jennings said. “I am inspired by the entire team at Newport Hospital and wanted to do my part to ensure they had the necessary equipment to meet the heightened challenges of infection control during this health crisis. We can each help make a difference and I hope that my gift will inspire others to give.”
The electrostatic sprayers have proven so useful and effective that the hospital already has plans to order an additional two units to further expand its resources for thoroughly disinfecting and cleaning all areas of the hospital.