Ochsner Health System is committed to its comprehensive strategy for preventing healthcare associated infections (HAI) and enhancing the culture of safety at its hospitals, as demonstrated by its participation in the Xenex No Risk Infection Rate Reduction Program™. Recognizing the growing threat of antibiotic resistance and superbugs, Ochsner Medical Center – Jefferson Highway recently deployed a fleet of Xenex LightStrike^® Germ-Zapping Robots^®, which is yielding substantial results. Data analysis of the first 90 days of the program demonstrated that the hospital experienced a 49% reduction in Clostridium difficile (C.diff) and 49% reduction in overall infection rates after adding LightStrike pulsed xenon ultraviolet (UV) light room disinfection to its cleaning protocol.

LightStrike Robots quickly destroy microscopic pathogens and multi-drug resistant organisms and are used in addition to the routine cleaning procedures that currently take place as an extra level of protection against infection. In August 2017, Ochsner deployed 10 LightStrike Robots at its Jefferson Highway campus to enhance the room disinfection process in the hospital. The LightStrike Robots were provided under Xenex’s No Risk Infection Rate Reduction Program™. Ochsner evaluated the success of its LightStrike program based upon specific reductions in C.diff, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus(MRSA) and Vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) infection rates.

 From the launch of the program and throughout its duration, the hospital’s Environmental Services (EVS) team was able to achieve 95% utilization of the robots on room discharges and transfers. As a result of the successful implementation and infection rate reductions, the hospital is expanding its program with 10 additional robots.

 “Patient safety has always been our top priority. We are continuously evaluating opportunities to improve our efforts and implement best practices, and we wanted to take an evidence-based approach to pulsed xenon UV room disinfection,” said Dr. Sandy Kemmerly, System Medical Director for Hospital Quality, Ochsner Health System, and Infectious Disease Specialist at Ochsner -- Jefferson Highway. “We are very pleased with our early results showing close to 50% reduction in infection rates in the units we have deployed the robots and look forward to expanding the program to other areas of the hospital.”

 Xenex’s germ-fighting robots use pulsed xenon, an environmentally-friendly noble gas, to create intense, Full Spectrum™ UV light that destroys infectious germs in less than five minutes. Hospitals using Xenex devices have published clinical outcome studies in peer-reviewed journals showing 50-100 percent decreases in C.diff, MRSA and Surgical Site Infection rates when those hospitals used the Xenex Robots to disinfect rooms.

 “Using LightStrike Robots significantly improves our ability to destroy dangerous pathogens, including those that are resistant to cleaning chemicals, before they pose a risk to our patients and employees. This multi-phase investment is important and underscores our commitment to patient care and the communities we serve,” said John Herman, Chief Operating Officer of Ochsner Medical Center.

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