THE SITUATION
In 2018, The Villages® Regional Hospital was preparing for a Joint Commission visit. One area of concern was the cleaning process for laryngoscopes, which included sterilization of blades and cleaning the handles with disinfection process. The goal was to provide a sterile product for blades and handles, with minimal process change for the staff. The hospital proceeded to evaluate both reusable and disposable laryngoscope options.
THE SOLUTION
HEINE presented The Villages® Regional Hospital with a unique and innovative reusable solution, the HEINE EasyClean handle. For Ann and her colleagues at The Villages® Regional Hospital, EasyClean provided several benefits over competitive options. To start, the anesthesiologists at The Villages® Regional Hospital were impressed with the “feel” of the EasyClean handle and they were “amazed” with the quality of the light that the handle provided. For the SPD team, a major advantage was that the EasyClean handle is sealed to prevent fluids from entering the handle, which allows the handle to be immersed for cleaning without the removal of the batteries. Not disassembling the sealed handle for cleaning and sterilization provides confidence that the product is sterile and operational for use, which is important for patient safety. Finally, the EasyClean IFU was “clear and very easy to follow”. The bottom line for Ann and her team was that the EasyClean handle “fit right into their existing processes.”
THE SUCCESS
Prior to adopting EasyClean, The Villages® Regional Hospital was wiping down their laryngoscope handles. Now with EasyClean they are able to provide anesthesiologists, and therefore patients, with a sterile instrument every time. According to Ann, “EasyClean is an excellent product.” It enabled The Villages® Regional Hospital to streamline and improve their processes, “without compromising on quality.”
About The Villages® Regional Hospital and Ms. Ann Keyes
The Villages® Regional Hospital has been serving residents of The Villages® as well as patients in Lake, Sumter and Marion counties since 2002, when the hospital opened with just 60 beds. In 2012, the organization was recognized by Modern Healthcare as the fastest-growing acute care hospital in the United States. Now, with just over 300 patient beds, The Villages® Regional Hospital is on trend to keep up with the growing demand for world-class healthcare in Central Florida.
Ann Keyes is an industry veteran having worked her entire career in perioperative services. She has been a director for over 30+ years and has worked in several hospitals and ASC facilities. She has held her current position at The Villages® Regional Hospital for 4 years.
“The ability to reprocess our laryngoscopes without disassembly was very important to us. The HEINE EasyClean handle is an excellent product that works well with our current workflow, which was appealing to our SPD team. The handle also impressed our anesthesiologists who appreciated its solid feel and the quality of the light.”
Ann Keyes –Director of Perioperative Services –The Villages® Regional Hospital –The Villages®, FL
