Maintaining a clean and germ-free environment is crucial for health care facilities, especially during a pandemic.
During a December webinar hosted by Becker's Hospital Review and sponsored by Tru-D SmartUVC, two presenters discussed how BayCare Health System in Tampa, Florida, has partnered with its hospital foundation and Tru-D SmartUVC to ensure high levels of cleanliness using innovative technologies:
- Alice Brewer, clinical affairs director, Tru-D SmartUVC
- Eric Barsema, director of community impact, Morton Plant Mease Health Care Foundation
Five key takeaways:
1. Bundled disinfection strategies are essential. Healthcare organizations have tried various measures to ensure a clean and germ-free environment, ranging from hand hygiene to manual cleaning, sterile devices and systems, antimicrobial stewardship, testing and diagnostic stewardship. Unfortunately, these measures don't always work. Compliance rates for hand hygiene and manual cleaning are rarely where health systems want them. In response, many organizations have created bundled disinfection strategies.
2. After implementing the Tru-D disinfection technology, BayCare Health System saw significant improvements. According to Suzanne Chandler, System Director of Infection Prevention & Control for BayCare, “The composite scores of our standardized infection ratios (SIRs) have decreased in the hospitals using the UVC robots.”
Foundations are great resources for funding various programs and technologies, but a strong business case is essential. Many health systems have access to external funding from sources such as foundations, grants or charitable donations. To secure funds for capital purchases, however, teams must identify the return on investment. For disinfection, teams must establish the infection rate baseline, define utilization and rate reduction expectations and project a net cost savings and impact justification. "To build a strong business case for executive stakeholders, align the program with the health system's strategic plan and provide impactful data," Ms. Brewer said.
3. Tru-D SmartUVC and the Morton Plant Mease Foundation partnered to enhance the disinfection program throughout the BayCare Health System. The Morton Plant Mease Foundation receives around 100 grant applications annually from hospitals or vendors to fund medical equipment or hospital expansion programs. In 2020, the foundation awarded $10.7 million and is projected to award over $10.5 million in 2021.
The foundation's partnership with Tru-D SmartUVC started in mid-2017 when a donor wanted to fund a system to sanitize patient rooms and clinical areas. "The Tru-D team gave our healthcare leaders, as well as the donor family and family foundation, a detailed presentation on the technology. The next day, the donor family agreed to fund five Tru-D units at the Morton Plant Hospital campus in Clearwater, [Fla.]," Mr. Barsema said. Since then, the Morton Plant Mease Foundation has funded 18 Tru-D robots across the four hospitals it serves, representing an investment of $1.5 million.
4. Tru-D works closely with foundation staff on marketing and fundraising. Tru-D representatives regularly attend Morton Plant Mease Foundation events, host demos and present to the board. "With the help of the Tru-D team, we produce marketing materials to fund additional robots," Mr. Barsema said. "Our Star Wars-themed appeal letter raised over $250,000."
The Morton Plant Mease Foundation and Tru-D SmartUVC partnership has been a win for both organizations and serves as a model. "I would encourage vendors to follow Tru-D SmartUVC's footsteps and build relationships with hospital foundations. We are often the ones funding equipment purchases and can help get your foot in the door with the hospital's senior leadership team and key decision-makers," Mr. Barsema said.
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