GRMC Implements New Decontamination Technology

Grinnell Regional Medical Center is the first hospital in Iowa to protect patients from dangerous hospital-acquired infections using Bioquell’s unique hydrogen peroxide vapor decontamination technology in patient rooms.

GRMC is also the first hospital in the nation under 50 beds to utilize the technology.

Seven GRMC employees recently completed training and certification on the cleaning system, which is designed to eliminate pathogens from all surfaces, including sensitive and expensive electronic equipment.

GRMC plans to use the technology systematically in patient rooms throughout the hospital as a preventative measure, even in the absence of any outbreaks.

“We believe this is an important investment in patient safety,” says Terri Kelling, RN, GRMC’s infection prevention coordinator. “If this advanced cleaning technology saves just one patient from getting an infection, it’s a great investment.”

 “We believe very strongly in making sure the patient experience at GRMC is safe, affordable, and top-notch. In fact, in 2012 GRMC had just one documented hospital-acquired infection,” says Todd C. Linden, GRMC president and CEO.  “Even though our hospital infection rate is well below the national average, we are committed to making sure it stays that way! This extra cleaning process is just one more way that we can make a difference in the lives of our patients.”

“This year GRMC was recognized by iVantage Health Analytics as a HealthStrong™ Award winner for Excellence in Patient Satisfaction and Excellence in Quality, reflecting top quartile performance among all acute care hospitals in the nation,” Linden says. “In addition, The Leapfrog Group named GRMC a top hospital at its December 2013 annual meeting—the third year the group has recognized GRMC for consistently providing safe, high quality care. Also in 2013, AARP The Magazine named GRMC one of the safest hospitals in the nation. We’re proud of these distinctions and that the efforts that we make on behalf of our patients are noted by experts in the country.”

To use the decontamination system, the room is first cleaned to remove any areas of visible soil and contamination. Then the Bioquell unit is placed in the room. After staff members tightly seal the vacated room, the no-touch decontamination technology is controlled by a panel outside of the targeted area. The Bioquell unit eliminates pathogens by generating a decontaminating vapor from a 35 percent solution of hydrogen peroxide in the room. Once the process is complete, the catalytic aeration unit converts the peroxide into a harmless state of oxygen and water.

Hydrogen peroxide vapor has been shown to be effective against many healthcare-associated pathogens with potential wide-spread environmental contamination, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Clostridium difficile, vancomcin-resistant enterococci (VRE), and many multi-drug resistant organisms.

Johns Hopkins Hospital was one of the first hospitals in the nation to use this technology. In a study released in the January 2013 issue of Clinical Infectious Diseases, Johns Hopkins researchers found that patients admitted to hospital rooms decontaminated using Bioquell hydrogen peroxide vapor technology, rather than standard cleaning protocols alone, were significantly less likely—64 percent— to acquire multi-drug resistant organisms or so-called hospital superbugs.

Once the process is complete, staff can enter the room to make up the bed and remove the seals, and it’s ready for a new patient.