The Regional Medical Center of Orangeburg & Calhoun Counties is the first hospital in South Carolina to acquire TRU-D (Total Room Ultraviolet Disinfector). Sonya Ehrhardt, Director of Nurse Utilization, Clinical Administration and Infection Control, and Henry Miller, Director of Environmental Services, demonstrate this new technology.

Beaming blue lights are often an indication of an accident; however, those beaming all over the Regional Medical Center of Orangeburg & Calhoun Counties since the recent arrival of TRU-D are welcome. The bright blue lights of TRU-D give off ultraviolet-C energy, which is lethal to bacterial pathogens and viruses that may be airborne or on environmental surfaces.

RMC is the first hospital in South Carolina to acquire TRU-D (Total Room Ultraviolet Disinfector). RMC is also one of a growing number of healthcare facilities nationwide to employ this new technology to disinfect patient rooms and operating suites as an adjunct to regular cleaning to protect patients from the threat of multi-drug resistant germs. By eliminating these pathogens, patient risk of developing healthcare acquired infection can be minimized. Enhanced patient safety and elimination of the additional costs associated with a lengthened hospital stay to treat the infection are further advantages.

“TRU-D is environmentally friendly, using no chemicals, while killing germs in the hospital,” noted John Samies, M.D., Infectious Diseases Specialist and Chairman of RMC’s Infection Control Committee. “This high-powered ultraviolet light has moved cleaning of rooms and equipment to a higher level than we have been able to achieve before.”

The TRU-D device costs approximately $130,000, and one unit can clean 48 rooms per day, allowing an average of 30 minutes per room. Healthcare facilities, correctional facilities, cruise lines, and schools are increasingly faced with the challenge of eliminating pathogens which have become resistant to many antibiotics as well as to chemicals used in the disinfection process. TRU-D’s state-of-the-art technology is a welcome advance in neutralizing this threat.

"Although this cutting-edge technology is expensive to obtain, our commitment to improving healthcare in our community is unwavering,” said Dr. Samies. “We want our patients to have the safest healthcare we can provide.”

According to Henry Miller, RMC Director of Environmental Services, first a room is cleaned the usual way hospital rooms are cleaned. “Then, we go a step beyond and place TRU-D carefully in the room. Using the equipment’s sophisticated technology to prevent anyone from being harmed by the bright blue light, TRU-D is able to check the room and determine how long it takes to get the job done. Then TRU-D goes to work killing germs. TRU-D automatically powers down when the programmed disinfection has been achieved.”

“Infection control and quality initiatives to protect our patients are top priority at RMC,” commented Sonya Ehrhardt, Director of Nurse Utilization, Clinical Administration and Infection Control. “TRU-D offers an opportunity to further enhance our many stringent infection control protocols, and RMC takes great pride in being a leader in initiating this new technology. Our hospital acquired infection rate is already well below the national average, but we must be proactive when dealing with these newer, resistant pathogens. I highly commend RMC’s administration for their foresight in being proactive and investing in the new UV technology, indicating RMC’s strong commitment to continually improving patient safety.”

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About the Regional Medical Center of Orangeburg & Calhoun Counties

The Regional Medical Center, in Orangeburg, S.C., is a 286-bed acute-care facility and Level III trauma center employing more than 1,200 healthcare professionals. Serving Orangeburg and Calhoun counties and surrounding areas, RMC is accredited by The Joint Commission and offers a 24-hour emergency department and a full-range of high-quality medical services such as same day surgery, orthopaedics, obstetrics, cardiology and the latest in diagnostic imaging. RMC received the prestigious Thomson Reuters Healthcare Advantage Award in 2010 for clinical advancements in quality patient care.