Healthcare Analytics
Xenex | September 11, 2023
United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) has issued a De Novo authorization to Xenex Disinfection Services, Inc. (Xenex) for its LightStrikeTM+ device, an advanced high-intensity, broad-spectrum ultraviolet (UV) light robot.
The LightStrike+ devices are designed for microbial reduction on non-critical medical device surfaces in healthcare environments, following manual cleaning and disinfection practices. They are authorized for use in various healthcare settings, including unoccupied operating rooms and hospital rooms. These devices have an impressive track record, with over 1,200 healthcare facilities worldwide employing LightStrike robots for over 37 million cycles.
The new LightStrike+ device, capable of microbial reduction in as little as 2 minutes, represents the culmination of over a decade of knowledge accumulation from healthcare facilities' best practices, supported by 45 peer-reviewed studies demonstrating its safety and effectiveness, a portfolio of 193 patents, and unparalleled technical and epidemiological expertise.
Dr. Mark 'Tuck' Stibich, Xenex's Founder and Chief Scientific Officer, emphasized the long-standing collaboration with healthcare partners spanning more than a decade to enhance patient safety and public health.
As an infectious diseases epidemiologist, Dr. Stibich expressed concern about antibiotic resistance within hospital environments and the potential for FDA authorization to facilitate the broader adoption of the LightStrike+ tool in combating pathogens.
Perilous pathogens persist on surfaces within healthcare facilities, notwithstanding diligent manual cleaning endeavors. The LightStrike+ robot employs a xenon lamp to generate high-intensity pulsed UV light, which effectively diminishes the presence of these pathogens on surfaces and plays a pivotal role in interrupting the transmission chain from one patient or healthcare worker to another. Xenex's FDA authorization is substantiated by comprehensive testing conducted on more than 10,000 samples of vegetative bacteria and Clostridiodes difficile (C. diff) spores.
This authorization establishes a novel medical device product classification, with the LightStrike+ robot being its inaugural and sole product. It is a landmark in the FDA's regulatory framework for UV robots designed to diminish pathogens on non-porous, frequently touched surfaces within healthcare settings.
Furthermore, Xenex's Chief Executive Officer, Morris Miller, acknowledged the challenges hospitals face when evaluating UV technologies, citing the prevalence of unverified and exaggerated claims by some manufacturers. He underscored the significance of FDA authorization in instilling confidence among hospital decision-makers, assuring them of the accuracy and validation of Xenex's claims regarding the LightStrike+ device.
Numerous world-renowned hospitals, such as HonorHealth, Mayo Clinic, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Ochsner Health System, Stanford Health Care, and Texas Health Resources, have integrated LightStrike robots into their comprehensive disinfection strategies.
About Xenex
Xenex is a global leader in pioneering strategies and solutions grounded in UV technology. Its fundamental mission revolves around enabling its partners to safeguard lives and reduce human suffering by eliminating the dangerous microorganisms that cause infections. The company benefits from substantial support from renowned investors, including EW Healthcare Partners, Piper Sandler, Malin Corporation, Battery Ventures, Targeted Technology Fund II, Tectonic Ventures, and RK Ventures.
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Health Technology
Beyond Clean | September 07, 2023
Two prominent entities in the sterile processing industry, Crothall Healthcare and Beyond Clean, have entered into a strategic partnership to develop an innovative educational curriculum specially designed for sterile processing professionals serving in hospitals throughout the United States.
This partnership leverages both organizations' collective wealth of knowledge and extensive experience to empower sterile processing professionals with state-of-the-art expertise, enhance patient safety, and elevate the overall benchmarks for sterile processing industry-wide.
Afif Escheik, BA, CHL, CER, CIS, CRCST, CST, Regional Director of Operations at Crothall Healthcare, expressed that this partnership will enhance the company's capacity to provide sterile processing professionals with the educational tools necessary to meet and exceed industry standards, reduce errors, and optimize productivity.
Crothall's track record of achievement in the field of sterile processing has been founded upon its stringent, data-centric methodologies, which have led to a remarkable enhancement in audit compliance of nearly 90%, a substantial reduction in process errors of up to 50%, and significant productivity gains of up to 62%. Through this collaboration, Crothall intends to incorporate these invaluable insights into developing the forthcoming curriculum.
Hank Balch, Founder and President of Beyond Clean, remarked that this partnership will help elevate the standard of sterile processing in the United States, significantly impacting patient safety and quality of service.
The collaborative curriculum is adaptable for various care settings, promoting sustainable, high-value care, enhancing patient safety, and reducing errors across the healthcare organization. This partnership signifies a significant step towards a safer and more efficient future in surgical services.
About Crothall Healthcare
With more than three decades of experience in the healthcare sector, Crothall Healthcare is the foremost provider of patient-centered support services, offering comprehensive solutions tailored to diverse care settings. Its sterile processing services integrate extensive healthcare expertise, clinical rigor, and industry best practices to deliver efficient and highly effective services.
About Beyond Clean
Beyond Clean is a global expert in sterilizing educational content. The company's unwavering commitment to sterile processing motivates it to empower frontline professionals with essential knowledge, education, and steadfast assistance. It also enables them to uphold impeccable standards and ensure the continuous cleanliness of all instruments.
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Health Technology
CareView Communications | September 13, 2023
CareView Communications, Inc., a prominent provider of integrated virtual care solutions for the healthcare sector, has announced the introduction of its most recent milestone in patient care technology through the unveiling of Software Version 5.10. This release incorporates many cutting-edge features and improvements meticulously crafted to empower healthcare professionals and enhance patient results.
Software Release 5.10 introduces a range of significant enhancements, beginning with the seamless integration of CareView with Get Well, a leading patient engagement platform. This integration facilitates bidirectional video communication, ultimately elevating patient engagement, education, and overall satisfaction.
Additionally, a new Universal Dashboard has been introduced. This internal tool plays a crucial role in optimizing solutions. It leverages hospital utilization data along with machine learning algorithms to provide predictive analytics and enables in-depth analyses, significantly enhancing the overall offerings.
Derek del Carpio, CareView's VP of Product Development, stated,
At CareView, we continuously strive to provide innovative solutions that redefine patient care. Software Release 5.10 is a testament to our commitment to advancing virtual care technology and enhancing the well-being of patients.
[Source: Business Wire]
Further, substantial improvements have been applied to the Virtual Sitting feature, empowering CareView Controllers to manipulate associated views through EquipmentView and introducing Night Mode in SitterView to reduce eye strain, thus enhancing both patient monitoring flexibility and safety. Virtual Nursing has also undergone notable refinements, enabling the virtual Registered Nurse to mute participants during TeleCareView encounters, facilitating participants' easy transition between viewing fellow participants and shared screens, and granting healthcare providers the capability to blur backgrounds in TeleCareView, thereby fostering a more professional and focused virtual interaction environment.
CareView maintains a steadfast commitment to fostering collaboration with healthcare providers to elevate patient safety, optimize clinical processes, and enhance overall patient care quality. Introducing this latest software release further underscores CareView's unwavering dedication to providing hospital teams with innovative virtual care solutions to meet their evolving needs.
About CareView Communications
CareView, leveraging predictive technology and purpose-built hardware, has forged partnerships with more than 200 hospitals to tackle pressing staffing issues and elevate patient safety through its platform. The company collaborates closely with its hospital partners to deliver tailored virtual care strategies that improve patient outcomes and foster a sustainable healthcare ecosystem.
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Health Technology, Digital Healthcare
Montage Health | September 22, 2023
Montage Health Connected Care has launched an advanced service to enhance the quality and accessibility of healthcare for patients. This home-based patient monitoring service, supported by Cadence, is designed to offer proactive healthcare to individuals managing chronic medical conditions.
Dr. Mark Carvalho, Chief Executive Officer of Montage Medical Group, explained that the program lessens the need for emergency department visits by extending care directly to patients' homes. He emphasized that this approach offers mutual advantages for patients and healthcare providers.
Patients can gain access to an expanded care team from the comfort of their homes. At the same time, he added that clinicians will benefit from improved insights into disease progression and receive support from a nurse-practitioner-led care team, ultimately enhancing patient safety.
Montage Health's advanced remote care initiative represents a significant progression in its dedication to providing exceptional, personalized, value-based healthcare tailored to individual needs and objectives.
This program combines cutting-edge remote monitoring technology with a clinical care team under the direction of nurse practitioners to enable real-time collection, analysis, and response to patients' vital signs. It will support patients with medication management, laboratory assessments, and coaching to ensure outstanding healthcare and promote optimal well-being.
The process involves the daily use of smart devices for remote vital sign monitoring and remote care telephone consultations involving a diverse healthcare team.
Chris Altchek, CEO and Founder of Cadence said,
Montage Health exemplifies best-in-class preventative, restorative, and coordinated care with their strong track record of innovative programs and collaborative partnerships.
[Source – Business Wire]
Medicare beneficiaries will gain access to this offering at Montage Medical Group locations, resulting in reduced healthcare costs. This will also empower healthcare professionals to provide patients with better, more effective care.
About Montage Health
Montage Health is a local non-profit organization that delivers exceptional healthcare and promotes optimal health. The company strives to provide coordinated care that meets individual needs through its subsidiaries and partnerships with healthcare providers and community organizations. Its entities include Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula, Montage Medical Group, Montage Health Foundation, Montage Wellness Center, Aspire Health, and MoGo Urgent Care.
About Cadence
Cadence is a healthcare technology firm that assists the most patient-focused healthcare systems in consistently delivering proactive healthcare. The company's remote patient intervention solution blends technology and clinical expertise to deliver a tailored and precise standard of care that extends beyond the hospital's physical boundaries.
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