Oct 11 2012
Xenex
Healthcare Services, the world leader in UV room
disinfection systems, today announced it has been awarded a U.S.
General Services Administration (GSA) contract, making it even easier
for federal agencies (including Veterans Affairs hospital systems) to
purchase Xenex's room
disinfection systems. A certified "green" technology, Xenex offers
the fastest, safest, and most cost-effective method for the automated
disinfection of healthcare facilities. The GSA Schedules program is the
premier acquisition vehicle in government, enabling long-term,
government-wide contracts with commercial companies.
Chetan Jinadatha, MD, MPH, Infectious Disease Division, Central Texas
Veterans Health Care System, Temple, Texas, will present "Evaluation of
a Pulsed-Xenon Ultraviolet Room Disinfection Device for Impact on
Contamination Levels of MRSA" at IDWeek on October 19, 2012.
Healthcare associated infections (also referred to as HAIs) are the
fourth leading cause of death in the United States, costing more than
$30 billion each year. Evidence continues to mount that the hospital
environment plays a critical role in the spread of HAIs, which are
caused by deadly pathogens such as C. diff, MRSA, VRE and Acinetobacter.
Hospital cleaning teams are not able to disinfect all the surfaces in
patient rooms, with research showing that more than half of the surfaces
remain untouched. Additionally, deadly "superbugs" are showing
resistance to cleaning chemicals, making the pathogens even more
difficult to remove and eliminate.
"Because VA hospitals are committed to eliminating HAIs and creating a
safer, more effective VA healthcare system, getting on the GSA was a top
priority for Xenex. The Xenex device has been proven to reduce HAIs, and
hospitals using our technology are experiencing fewer infections," said
Morris Miller, CEO of Xenex. "The VA healthcare system is also committed
to the environment. Unlike our competitors, the Xenex room disinfection
system uses xenon and is free of toxic mercury. We are faster, less
expensive and don't harm the environment."
Xenex's portable room
disinfection system uses pulsed xenon ultraviolet light to destroy
viruses, bacteria and bacterial spores in the patient environment
without contact or chemicals. Uniquely designed for ease of use and
portability, a hospital's environmental services staff can operate the
Xenex device without disrupting hospital operations or requiring the use
of expensive chemicals. The Xenex system will disinfect over thirty (30)
rooms per day, so hospitals use the system continuously to reduce
contamination levels throughout their facilities.
Xenex devices are made in the U.S. and are certified green by Practice
Greenhealth, making them friendlier to the environment than current
housecleaning chemicals or UV devices using toxic mercury. In 2009, the
U.S. Department of Energy issued an Executive Order for federal agencies
to become more protective of the environment in practices including the
use of non-toxic or less toxic alternatives when possible where these
products meet the performance requirements of the agency. Xenex is the
only company to offer a xenon-based room disinfection product that is
patented, tested, and proven to deliver a germicidal dose of UV-C light
capable of killing C. diff in four minutes or less.
"Xenex devices are already being utilized at several VA hospitals and
achieving great results," said Mark
Stibich, co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer of Xenex. "We
recently conducted a study with the VA in Temple, Texas, which
demonstrated that using our device to clean patient rooms was 23 percent
faster than traditional cleaning and 16 times more effective at treating
MRSA."
Xenex systems, currently in use by hospitals (including several VA
facilities) throughout the U.S., have proven to be effective against a variety
of the most dangerous superbugs, including Clostridium difficile
endospores (C. diff), MRSA, VRE, and Acinetobacter.
Studies show the Xenex room disinfection system is consistently 20 times
more effective than standard chemical cleaning practices, and a recent
study performed at MD Anderson Cancer Center demonstrated that the Xenex
system was more effective than bleach in reducing C. diff. from
patient rooms. Xenex customer Cooley Dickinson Hospital reported 67
percent lower C. diff rates and 100 percent lower C. diff
deaths and colectomy rates since adoption of Xenex's room disinfection
system in January 2011. Other customers reporting positive results from
their usage of Xenex's room disinfection system include Houston's MD
Anderson Cancer Center, the University of Wisconsin Hospital and
Clinics, and Cone Health System in North Carolina, which reduced its
number of MRSA infections 58 percent in 2011.
"As a veteran, I'm proud to work for a company whose mission is to
prevent the suffering and deaths caused by HAIs. Xenex is committed to
making our nation's veterans safer, and by preventing deadly HAIs we
are making a difference in our community," said Steven Sledge, a Xenex
technician and retired U.S. Air Force Master Sergeant.
Source:
Xenex Healthcare Services