Upstate University Hospital purchases UV light-cleaning technology for patient rooms

SYRACUSE — Upstate University Hospital on Friday said it’s been using ultraviolet (UV) light devices when cleaning patient rooms and public restrooms.

The technology “improves patient safety and reduces disease transmission,” the hospital said in a news release.

The hospital began using the UV light units in late June. Since that time, the hospital has treated more than 220 rooms located on all inpatient floors, including public restrooms, with the UV lights, Upstate said.

The hospital places three UV light units in the patient room, including the restroom, after employees complete the traditional cleaning process, according to Upstate.

The UV light eliminates shadowed areas and hits all surfaces, the hospital said.

Upstate already considered its established process “effective,” but adding the UV light helps “wipe out” fomite (inanimate objects like a lamp or desk) transition of contagious disease, Paul Seale, COO of Upstate University Hospital, said in the news release.

“Now, we clean, disinfect and apply the UV light to help eradicate hard to kill bacteria like C. difficile,” Seale said.

For safety purposes, the hospital activates the units by remote control. The use of the UV light units takes about 30 minutes, Upstate said.

Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com