Press release

Germ-Zapping Robots Enhance Aultman Hospital’s Robust Infection Prevention Program

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Sponsored by Businesswire

As hospitals look for new and innovative ways to battle deadly pathogens
and kill multi-drug resistant organisms that can cause health
care-associated infections (HAI), Aultman
Hospital
has taken a leap into the future with six LightStrike Germ-Zapping
Robots
that destroy hard-to-kill superbugs in hard-to-clean places.

Some microscopic pathogens are become increasingly resistant to cleaning
chemicals, antibiotics and even some hand sanitizers, so the hospital is
continually on the lookout for new technologies to aid in its infection
prevention and decontamination efforts. The six Xenex
LightStrike robots use intense pulsed
xenon
ultraviolet (UV) light that quickly destroys bacteria,
viruses, fungi and bacterial spores. The flashes of intense UV-C light
penetrate 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. The portable
disinfection system is effective against even the most dangerous
pathogens, including Candida
Auris (C.auris),
Clostridium difficile (C.diff),
norovirus, influenza, Ebola and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus
aureus
, better known as MRSA.

“Aultman Hospital is committed to evidence-based care, patient safety
and the best possible outcomes for our patients,” said Jo Ann DiPierro,
director of environmental services. “When it comes to infection
prevention, we have a comprehensive program in place that includes
antibiotic stewardship, hand hygiene and education, to name just a few
of our best practices. We invested in pulsed xenon UV disinfection
technology because we wanted to ensure that we are doing everything we
can to provide a safe environment for our patients and employees.”

The portable LightStrike robot disinfects a typical patient or procedure
room in five-minute cycles without warm-up or cool-down times. Operated
by the hospital environmental services team, it can be used in any
department and in any unit within a health care facility. Aultman
Hospital is using its robots to disinfect rooms where its most
vulnerable patients are treated, including the Intensive Care Units
(ICU), the Emergency Department (ED), isolation rooms, cath lab, NICU,
Operating Rooms (OR), endoscopy unit, and the wound center.

Xenex LightStrike robots have been credited by numerous health care
facilities for helping them reduce their infection rates significantly.
Several hospitals have published their 46-100 percent C.diff,
MRSA and/or surgical site infection rate reduction studies in peer-reviewed
journals
.

The Xenex robots were purchased by the Women’s Board of Aultman
Hospital, which was founded in 1969 to render services to Aultman
Hospital in the areas of community relations and fundraising. Since its
inception, the Women’s Board has raised more than $25 million to support
major projects at Aultman Hospital such as the Emergency/Trauma Center,
NICU, Dialysis Center, Cancer Center, Pediatric Services, Aultman
College, Compassionate Care Center, The Shoppes at Aultman, the Aultman
Cancer Center, the Orthopaedic unit modernization and Xenex Germ-Zapping
Robots.

About Aultman

The Aultman Health Foundation is a not-for-profit health care
organization serving Stark and surrounding counties. The vertically
integrated institution includes Aultman Hospital, Aultman Orrville
Hospital, Alliance Community Hospital, the locally managed health
insurance provider AultCare, The Aultman Foundation and Aultman College.
With 1,032 beds, over 700 active physicians and a team of more than
7,000 employees, Aultman is Stark County’s largest provider of health
care services. For more information, visit www.aultman.org.

Xenex Disinfection Services

Xenex’s patented Full SpectrumTM 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 destroying the deadly
microorganisms that cause hospital acquired infections (HAIs). The
company is backed by well-known investors that include EW Healthcare
Partners, Piper Jaffray Merchant Services, Malin Corporation, Battery
Ventures, Tectonic Ventures, Targeted Technology Fund II and RK
Ventures. For more information, visit Xenex.com.