Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset, an RWJBarnabas Health facility, is the first hospital in New Jersey to install ElectroClaves™, which use UV-C LEDs to sanitize mobile devices, such as phones and iPads, to prevent the transmission of harmful bacteria and viruses to patients. The ElectroClaves, which are manufactured by Seal Shield, are located in the hospital’s Physician Lounge, Operating Room, Critical Care and Emergency Department.
“Studies have shown that viruses can be transferred from our hands to our touch screens,” said Tony Cava, president and chief executive officer, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset. “As part of our commitment to patient safety, we encourage our staff to disinfect their phones and iPads in addition to washing their hands to prevent the spread of germs and infections.”
Traditional sterilization techniques used by hospitals to sterilize and disinfect equipment utilize high heat which is damaging to personal electronic devices. The ElectroClaves™ can charge, sync and sanitize up to 10 phones and/or four tablets in less than two minutes. They combine HEPA filtration and positive pressure with high efficacy UVC LED technology to provide the most efficient means of combating pathogens that are a concern.
Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset’s infection prevention efforts have resulted in low infection rates, including catheter-associated urinary tract infections, central-line associated blood stream infections, methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), C. difficile infections and surgical site infections. These low infection rates are among the quality indicators that have led to the hospital’s national quality recognitions, including an “A” hospital Safety Score from the Leapfrog Group nine times. The hospital has also received the 2019 Healthgrades Patient Safety Excellence Award, ranking among the top 5% in the national for patient safety.
For more information about Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset, visit www.rwjbh.org/somerset.
