As North Alabama Medical Center prepares to resume elective surgeries May 4th, 2020, following guidance from Governor Kay Ivey, patients can feel confident the hospital and patient rooms are thoroughly clean, thanks to an extra level of protection from ultraviolet light.

After a room has been deep cleaned with standard, manual disinfection by the Environmental Services team, the robot is brought in. The Optimum-UV Enlight robot emits ultraviolet light to kill potentially harmful pathogens on surfaces.

“The lamp is effective within a distance of eight feet and a disinfecting cycle lasts only five minutes. Each room will typically need three cycles each, depending on size of the room,” said Environmental Services Director, Gary Blanks.

Environmental Services has been using the whole-room disinfection technology, throughout the entire hospital. “The machine is being used every day, in addition to extra cleaning efforts from our staff,” said Blanks.

The technology has been part of North Alabama Medical Center’s cleaning arsenal since 2017 and plays an important role in the sanitizing abilities, especially during the current COVID-19 pandemic.

“This additional cleaning measure should add a sense of security to our patients and the community,” said Russell Pigg, Chief Executive Officer.