Gibson Area Hospital & Health Services | Gibson gets it! | Fall/Winter 2017

Gibson gets it! 19 On guard How we defend against hospital infections Hospitals are places of healing—we go there to get well when we’re injured or ill. And while hospitals are very safe, there is some risk of getting an infection while you’re receiving medical treatment. We want you to know that we take hospital-acquired infections seriously—and we do everything possible to prevent them. What we do to keep you safe Our highly trained care teams follow many recommended practices that have been shown to help decrease hospital infection rates. Among other things, we: Wash our hands before and after caring for you. Clean the skin at the surgical site with a special soap that kills germs. Use gloves and other sterile medical equipment when inserting central lines and urinary catheters. Remove central lines and urinary catheters as soon as they’re no longer needed. Give antibiotics before surgery, when indicated. How you can help As a patient, you can help prevent infections too. Here are some suggestions: Ask your provider how to prepare for surgery. For instance, you should not shave the surgical area yourself. Remind everyone who visits you to wash their hands before and after leaving the room. And if you don’t see your providers wash their hands, don't hesitate to remind them. They will not be offended. Don’t let visitors touch the area around your central line or bandage. Tell the doctor or nurse if the area gets sore or red or if you feel feverish. Feel free to speak up anytime you have concerns about your care. You're part of your health care team too! Studies have shown that even with good cleaning, many disease-causing germs remain on a variety of hospital surfaces. That’s why Gibson Area Hospital & Health Services (GAHHS) has enlisted the help of Total Room Ultraviolet Disinfection, or Tru-D Smart UV. This mobile, automated disinfection system is a robot-like device armed with the capability of generating UV light energy to kill bacteria and prevent infection. Extra layer of protection GAHHS recently purchased the Tru-D UV system in order to ensure the safest possible environment for patients, employees and visitors. Using the Tru-D UV system is a proactive way to add an extra layer of protection in sanitizing the hospital environment, making sure patients have the safest and highest quality of care. After a patient care area is cleaned using proven traditional methods, the Environmental Services team rolls Tru-D UV into the room to complete the disinfection process. Activated remotely, the device floods the space with UV light energy to eliminate infectious germs. Safer for everyone GAHHS is the first central Illinois Critical Access Hospital to acquire a Tru-D UV system and joins a growing league of area hospitals that are raising the standard for infection control. “This is yet another way GAHHS is working to safeguard the well-being of every single patient who walks through our doors and protect the integrity of our health care environment” says Mae Eichelberger, RN, Infection Preventionist. “We are fortunate and excited to have Tru-D supplement the efforts of our Environmental Services staff to assure we are doing everything possible to provide a safe hospital environment.” ?