Water management solution for surgical instruments

St. Luke's Hospital has one of the busiest emergency departments in Massachusetts, so ensuring surgical instruments are disinfected and sterilized without delay is a top priority. With a water management solution from Xylem the hospital always has high purity water available to process instruments, saving time and increasing reliability.

As a leading health care provider in southeastern Massachusetts, St. Luke's Hospital provides a wide range of medical and surgical services, including neurosurgery, cardiology, children's health services, and orthopedic and general surgery. St. Luke's is committed to growing in scope and technologies to meet the needs of its community.

High purity water for surgical instrument processing

An average of 30-35 surgeries are performed at St. Luke's Hospital every day. Surgical instruments are sterilized in the Central Process Department (CPD), where high purity water plays a critical role. The hospital has a specially designed water system to produce high purity water, used for the final instrument rinse, before terminal sterilization.

Surgical instruments are thoroughly inspected after washing. If there is any evidence of staining, pitting, or corrosion, the instruments will be rejected and sent back through the sterilization process. This can cause a delay of anywhere from 15-45 minutes, tying up the operating room and delaying surgical procedures.

Bob Fernandes, CPD Team Leader at St. Luke's Hospital, previously had to check the high purity water system daily to see if the quality indicator lights were red, indicating a water quality issue. "The staff would come to me and say the washes aren't running so well. Then I had to check the water system to see if there was a problem. It slowed down the sterilization process."

An all-inclusive service for water management

In 2017, Xylem recommended that the hospital use its Water One® Services. This combines remote monitoring, automatic tank exchanges, and fast, local service to ensure healthcare facilities and providers have the water quality and quantity they need. The 24/7/365 remote monitoring checks for water quality and leak detection, which mitigates risk and minimizes system downtime.

"Water One service takes the human aspect out of remembering to check the light," says Fernandes. "It's automated and the remote monitoring tells you when you need service. It's one less thing for me to worry about."

Seamless service and no instrument stains

With Water One SD service, St. Luke's Hospital always has reliable high purity water for central sterilization. Surgical instrument staining is virtually non-existent, and service for the water system has been seamless.

"I get notified that we are due for a tank exchange and service is there the next day. Any leaks or other issues are taken care of right away," says Fernandes.

With the remote monitoring feature, Xylem also provides access to water usage data, system status, maintenance, and water quality reports. St. Luke's Hospital can average out the water per cycle for predictable budgeting. In addition, the hospital can prepare for significant weather events, such as blizzards, by understanding water usage and scheduling tank exchanges in advance of approaching storms.

With Water One service, St. Luke's Hospital has the reliable, high purity water it needs to meet surgical instrument demand.

"Working with healthcare providers is so rewarding because we directly impact patient care and safety," says Joe Binette, a senior sales representative for Xylem's healthcare services. "Whether it's maintaining high purity water systems for regulatory compliance or responding to water system emergencies, we ensure patients continue receiving their necessary treatments."

Learn more about water purification solutions for critical healthcare operations.

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