BCMS Medical Record Fall 2020 - 47

M e d i c a l R ec o r d F e a t u r e

Tower Health Adds UV Disinfection
Robots to Healthcare Team
by Debra Powell, MD, Chief, Section of Infectious Diseases &
Medical Director, Infection Prevention, Tower Health

T

he COVID-19 pandemic has presented
unprecedented challenges for physicians.
From extraordinary use of personal
protective equipment at work, adhering to mandated
shutdowns, wearing masks in public and seeing our
patients virtually via telemedicine, we've all been
impacted by the virus in one way or another. We've
embraced innovative means to continue caring for
our patients in the safest way possible.
Technology has impacted how we are keeping our
patients, our colleagues, and ourselves safe. Beyond the rigorous
cleaning and disinfecting processes that were established at the
onset of the pandemic and continue today, Tower Health hospitals
have taken disinfection one step further with the purchase of UVC
Disinfection Robots for each of its seven hospitals.
The Finsen Technologies THOR UVC robot delivers a fast and
effective germicidal dose of continuous wave UVC energy from
floor to ceiling, killing germs and pathogens including COVID-19.
In early June, as Tower Health began its gradual resumption
of semi-elective procedures, these robots were deployed for the
cleaning and disinfection of patient rooms and procedural areas,
especially those used to care for suspected or confirmed COVID-19
patients.
Tower Health hospitals are currently using the disinfection
robots in the following areas:
* COVID-19 patient units;
* Emergency Departments;
* Perioperative suites where a confirmed or suspected
COVID-19 patient has undergone surgery; and/or

* Intensive Care Units, Progressive Care Units, and
Transitional Care Units.
Just as sunlight can damage human skin, UVC
light kills various pathogens by damaging their genetic
structure and materials. The use of UV light enhances
the rigorous cleaning processes already in place to
further ensure our facilities are safe for patients, visitors,
frontline caregivers, and all employees.
Since the deployment of the robots at each hospital
in June, Tower Health's flagship Reading Hospital has added two
robots thanks to generous donations from the Reading Hospital
Foundation and The Friends of Reading Hospital, its auxiliary
group.
The challenge of the coronavirus pandemic extends beyond our
disinfection protocols. In addition to the devastating impact of
COVID-19 itself, the pandemic has exacerbated other health issues.
Government mandates in March, April, and May prevented patient
access to elective procedures and routine healthcare interactions.
Emergency Department visits for heart attack and stroke dropped.
Today, many patients continue to delay seeing their doctor for fear
of COVID-19. It is critical to the health of our communities that
we continue to educate our patients that our facilities are clean,
safe, and staffed with professionals who are taking all the necessary
precautions to create a safe healing environment. For the health of
our community, we must continue to encourage our patients to not
delay care because of fears of COVID-19. Indeed, our prevention
protocols make hospitals leaders in protecting against the spread of
the coronavirus.

FALL 2020

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47
BCMS Medical Record Fall 2020

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