HyGreen, Inc. announces that St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital, an international leader in the research and treatment of children with cancer and other catastrophic diseases, has implemented the HyGreen® Hand Hygiene Reminder System in its Bone Marrow Transplant Unit.
HyGreen® is designed to remind healthcare workers to wash their hands. After washing, healthcare workers place their hands under the HyGreen® hand wash sensor that sends a wireless "all clean" message to a badge worn by the healthcare worker. A wireless monitor above the patient bed searches for the message. If it's absent, the badge vibrates, to remind the healthcare worker to wash before patient contact. All interactions are recorded in a database providing an objective means of assessment of hand hygiene by Infection Control.
The HyGreen® system was designed to reflect guidelines from leading industry experts, including the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC), the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Joint Commission. A recent study on the efficacy of HyGreen® was presented at SHEA's 2011 annual scientific meeting and showed an 89 percent reduction in infections.
"For over 50 years, St. Jude has built its reputation as one of the top childrens research hospitals in the world. Due to this stature among childrens research hospitals, we're pleased and proud to have been selected to be their choice for a hand hygiene technology solution. Not only will HyGreen® help the St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital protect pediatric patients from hand hygiene related hospital-associated infections, it will also help the hospital bottom line," says HyGreen, Inc. CEO Craig T. Davenport. "Recent changes in Medicare regulations will reduce payments to hospitals for costs associated with hospital-acquired infections. Using HyGreen, hospitals have a tool to help combat infections, enhance patient safety and save money."
