- Renee Drossman, a member of TBH’s Environmental Services team, uses the MoonBeamTM3 technology to disinfect a room where a COVID-19 patient was treated.
Safety is a top priority at The Bellevue Hospital (TBH) and making sure the environment is protected is even more crucial as the community navigates through the current pandemic. TBH’s Environmental Services Department utilizes two state-of-the-art tools that aid in minimizing the spread of COVID-19.
“We are continually looking for innovative ways to ensure the safety of our patients, community and staff,” said Timothy A. Buit, TBH’s president and chief executive officer. “These techniques and technologies have been added to an already stringent disinfection protocol to create an added layer in the fight against COVID-19.”
One of these technologies, which TBH was utilizing even before the pandemic, is MoonBeamTM3, an ultraviolet-C disinfection device that adds assurance beyond manual cleaning and disinfection. MoonBeam3 is designed for fast disinfection of public and high-risk areas such as surgery, nurses stations, trauma rooms and waiting areas. Currently, TBH also uses this technology to disinfect rooms where COVID-19 patients were treated.
How does it work? The system offers three individually adjustable arms that can be positioned at almost any angle, optimizing disinfection energy to allow dosing of both horizontal and vertical surfaces, in just three minutes.
MoonBeam3 has undergone third party testing against several microorganisms including viruses, bacteria and bacterial spores. Most recently, third party testing has shown this device is effective against SARS-CoV-2, the pathogen that causes COVID-19, with contact times as low as four seconds.
In addition to MoonBeam, TBH began using the SteraMist Binary Ionization Technology in early fall 2020 to disinfect hard to clean contaminated equipment and high touch surfaces. The sprayer uses a sole active ingredient of only 7.8% hydrogen peroxide and once the mist/fog is sprayed on a surface there is no need to wipe or rinse, which offers a quick turnaround time for staff.