2020 Is All About Patient Care

by Paul Hiltz
NCH CEO

Patient care is a key pillar of our healthcare system and a primary focus for NCH this year.

Not only are we making this a great place to work and a great place to practice medicine, but the best place to be a patient.

A great example of that mindset is demonstrated by the NCH stroke team led by Dr. Khalil Abu Awad, who recently treated a 103 year old stroke patient. Our stroke team’s care and attention throughout the process are exactly what we mean when we say it’s all about the patient at NCH.

Our healthcare system, which was named among America’s 250 Best by Health grades for the third year in a row (2018-2020), also believes that technology is a key element in patient care. In fact, we recently added three germ-zapping robots to their facilities to help with quality and cleanliness.

Xenex Light Strike Germ-Zapping robots, operated by the Environmental Services (EVS) team, are portable and are used to quickly destroy microorganisms in rooms such as ORs, ICU, and other areas of the hospital where patients are at high risk of infections.

The robots are not used as a substitute for a regular, manual cleaning of a room, but rather as a tool to enhance the disinfection of a space. Environmental Services staff will clean the room like they normally would, then they’ll bring the robot in to bathe the room in light to kill germs in all of those hard-to-reach nooks and crannies.

Here’s how it works: The robot emits intense bursts of pulsed xenon ultraviolet C (UV) light that quickly kills germs, viruses and bacteria. The process has been proven effective against the scariest pathogens like the Ebola virus and anthrax, as well as the more common germs like MRSA, C.diff, VRE & CRE germs, norovirus and the flu virus.

The robot works in five-minute cycles and can be moved around a room to send beams in all directions. Hospitals using Light Strike robots have published numerous studies reporting dramatic reductions in hospital infection rates.

In fact, one hospital reported a 100% decrease in surgical site infection rates after using the robot for room disinfection and published its results in a peer-reviewed journal.

Whether it’s about attention to the individual or attention to how we provide our services, NCH Healthcare System is and always will be a community organization dedicated to helping individuals live longer and healthier lives. And that mission statement can’t be fulfilled without emphasizing patient care. In fact, this is why we are all in this industry – to care for people.

It’s is my personal mission to continue emphasizing care of the patient and care of our community. From doctors to robots, I’m proud to say that we at NCH have kicked off the new decade with a laser focus on patient care.

Paul Hiltz is the President and CEO of the NCH Healthcare System, an alliance of 775 physicians and medical facilities in dozens of locations throughout Collier County and Southwest Florida that offers nationally recognized, quality health care to our community. For more information, visit www.NCHmd.org.