New ultraviolet lights at VMH for sanitizing patient rooms


Ultraviolet lights sanitize patient rooms at VMH ... Veterans Memorial Hospital recently received two new ultraviolet lights for use in sanitizing patient rooms following the discharge of a patient. Pictured above, left to right, are Tara Reisinger, RN, Infection Control Specialist and Rose Ann Mark, Housekeeping Supervisor, both of Veterans Memorial Hospital, with these two new ultraviolet machines. Each of these lights is able to sanitize an entire room in just 30 minutes and is used after Housekeeping does its thorough job of cleaning each and every room. The Allamakee County Community Foundation facilitated this UV light project for the hospital. Submitted photo.

Veterans Memorial Hospital recently received two ultraviolet lights for use in sanitizing patient rooms following a patient discharge. These lights were ordered by the hospital last spring at the onset of COVID-19 and were just received two weeks ago. They have been put to use in all areas of the hospital, to provide additional germ-killing disinfection to the room whenever a patient goes home.

“These lights have been something we have wanted to purchase at the hospital for over a year now, but with the on-set of COVID-19, we made them a priority,” states Tara Reisinger, RN, Infection Control Specialist at Veterans Memorial Hospital.  “Not only are they great at killing the COVID virus, but we use them in all of our patient rooms to be sure we have knocked out many other germs that are hard to kill such as C-diff, staph and drug-resistant bacteria. Our Housekeeping Department does an incredible job cleaning all parts of the patient rooms after each patient goes home. The UV lights give an added insurance policy of a clean, safe room for the next occupant.”

Each of these lights is able to sanitize an entire room in just 30 minutes. The process following a patient discharge is for Housekeeping to clean the entire room, then place the UV light in the room and close the door and let it sanitize all areas for 30 minutes.

“UV lights are a clean, safe way to sanitize surfaces as well as the air we breathe and gives all of us in Housekeeping a great peace of mind to know each and every room has had this extra sanitization following the thorough cleaning by our housekeepers,” states Rose Ann Mark, Housekeeping Supervisor at Veterans Memorial Hospital. “These lights are large enough to sanitize an entire room and are easy to use. These will be an important tool in our Housekeeping process for years to come, long after COVID-19 is behind us.”

The Allamakee County Community Foundation (ACCF) facilitated the funding for this UV light project. Betty Steege, ACCF Coordinator and facilitator of this project states, “The Allamakee County Community Foundation (ACCF) was pleased to help with the acquisition of the room UV lights for Veterans Memorial Hospital. The real thanks should go to the residents of Allamakee County. So many businesses and individuals generously donated to help protect others from the spread of COVID-19.  We are still waiting for the ambulance UV lights to arrive.”