An anonymous donor recently gifted $1 million to the EvergreenHealth Foundation in recognition of EvergreenHealth’s ongoing dedication to hand hygiene and patient safety, according to a press release.
“It is my honor to recognize and support an organization such as EvergreenHealth, that truly values and understands that handwashing and a culture of kindness toward patients are the foundations for quality and safe care,” the donor said in the release.
EvergreenHealth CEO Jeff Tomlin added in the release, “All of us at EvergreenHealth are deeply grateful to this generous donor for supporting the goal of absolute safety in the care of our patients. This gift will enable us to deploy the latest technology and enhance current initiatives to reduce the risk of hospital-acquired infections.”
An earlier $100,000 donation from the same anonymous donor funded the purchase of CleanSlateUV disinfecting machines for EvergreenHealth’s critical care and neonatal intensive care units, where the hospital’s most vulnerable patients receive life-saving treatment, according to the release. The CleanSlateUV is a compact machine that uses short-wavelength ultraviolet light, or UV-C light technology, to sanitize hand-held devices, such as mobile phones, tablets and badges.
Staff and visitors can simply put their device inside the CleanSlateUV machine to activate a chemical-free, 20-second sanitizing cycle, the release states. The machine can be placed near hand-washing stations to allow users to practice hand hygiene before removing their disinfected device from the machine.
“We’re extremely thankful for contributions like these anonymous gifts that enable us to seek the most innovative solutions to promote an environment of absolute safety,” Dr. Ettore Palazzo, EvergreenHealth’s interim chief medical and quality officer, said in the release. “Supporting new technologies is just one of many ways donations help us to advance the health of the community, and on behalf of our infectious disease care team, we are honored to receive such a generous gift.”
As part of its patient safety practices, EvergreenHealth also utilizes the Clorox Healthcare Optimum-UV Enlight System, a machine that uses the same UV-C technology to sanitize larger spaces such as operating rooms and patient recovery rooms, throughout its facilities.
