Healthcare, Laboratory and Treatment Center

UHS - South Texas

UHS facility upgrades its Operating Room technology with remote access visibility

Fewer "bunny suits"  and less stress - more uptime for sensitive room environments

Sometimes life is straightforward: 2 + 2 = 4. 

But we know from experience, often it’s anything but. 

And we have to solve for X. 

Or maybe even why? 

Why is a system not operating as it should?

Or how can we determine the root cause of this problem? 

That was the challenge facing Jonathan Larraga, CHFM, while trying to determine why the air pressure differential in the Texas operating rooms he manages was not where it needed to be. 

Negative, instead of positive pressure keeps the impurities out of the room while patients are under the scalpel. 

Larraga leads the facilities team at South Texas Health System Edinburg, which is part of national healthcare provider Universal Health Services, Inc., commonly known as UHS. 

Before the installation of his wireless remote monitoring system at this facility, it was a tedious, laborious task to determine which operating rooms had pressure issues. 

And equally challenging to determine why. 

Then his newly installed Sonicu environmental monitoring automated alerts helped Larraga connect the dots. 

“When we tested the fire alarm system, it kicked off the air handler, and that drove the air pressure issue in our sensitive environments like the ORs. There was no airflow and no exhaust and we could see it right away,” he said. 

“Prior to installing the monitoring system, those sorts of events were hard to track and connect. The alerts helped to make it clear to us immediately.” 

So when a fire alarm was triggered recently, his team knew the air handler would automatically shut off and the room pressure would be impacted. 

“We quickly assessed the problem and were able to reset the air handler and get the system going again,” Larraga explained. “We literally were able to address it without leaving our desk.” 

In the past, checking the status meant donning special operating room gear and troubleshooting each room individually. It was time intensive and could put the rooms at risk of not being ready for service, he said. 

“Donning the bunny suits is not a fun part of this job, especially after lunch,” Larraga explained. “But the (Sonicu) monitoring system makes it so much easier that we don’t have to get all dressed up in that bunny suit, we can simply pull up our phones and assess it.”

Sophisticated enough for enterprise hospitals, but simple enough for individual clinics

The threat to patients: Hospital-Acquired Infections

The threat from improper air pressure differential in an operating room is the spread of infection. 

Operating rooms are designed to be sterile environments, with air pressure kept higher inside the room than outside to prevent contaminants from entering. 

If the air pressure differential is not maintained, air containing bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens can flow into the room and contaminate the surgical site, potentially harming a patient in a moment of significant vulnerability. 

While operating rooms require positive pressure, negative pressure rooms protect people outside the sensitive room from any infectious airborne particles inside the room. 

Compromising either sensitive environment can lead to serious infections that can prolong a patient's hospital stay and increase the risk of death.

The following are some of the potential consequences of improper air pressure differential in an operating room:

• Surgical site infections
• Pneumonia
• Meningitis
• Other serious infections
• Prolonged hospital stay
• Increased risk of death

To prevent these consequences, it is important to ensure that air pressure differentials in operating rooms are properly maintained. 

This can be done by regularly inspecting and calibrating air pressure monitoring systems and by following proper operating room procedures.

And by installing a remote wireless environmental monitoring system like Sonicu, which is designed to be installed in minutes, configured in an hour and provide an enduring return on investment for years. 

“Our work in healthcare and life science environments across North America has provided vast experience reflected both in the quality of our hardware and the simplicity of our software to help facility and infection prevention professionals more intelligently manage their sensitive environments,” said Joe Mundell, Chief Revenue Officer, Sonicu. 

“The mobile app has revolutionized the way our customers are able to stay connected to these vital rooms in hospitals, while our software compliance modules make it easy to satisfy regulatory requirements, providing value in a number of areas to our customers.”

Saving money with a simpler monitoring solution: Easy Wireless Integration 

Larraga said he’s taken advantage of the affordability of the Sonicu monitoring solution to replace several aging monitoring systems in other areas of his 393-bed hospital. 

“We have other areas that require pressure monitoring like the ICU, Labor and Postpartum,” he said. “And we had expensive systems from other manufacturers that weren’t working any longer, so it was an easy decision to use the Sonicu systems in those areas, too.” 

He said the original system ran about $11,000 to replace. 

Meanwhile, a new wireless Sonicu environmental monitoring solution that includes ambient temperature and humidity as well as air pressure differential costs about $1,000 in hardware costs with minimal recurring costs for the software which includes real-time alerts and compliance reporting. 

“We’re always looking for ways to be smart about how we invest in the systems we need and Sonicu made a lot of sense to install around many areas of the hospital,” he said. 

“These older systems were not only more expensive but didn’t provide a lot of the reports Sonicu delivers so it’s a win on both sides for my team.” 

Our commitment to healthcare professionals: Simplicity, affordability and enduring customer service

South Texas Humidity: A Persistent Foe 

When he’s not keeping a keen eye on air pressure conditions, Larraga is in a constant battle with humidity. 

It’s a nemesis that threatens the safety of the patients at his hospital. 

And his ability to satisfy regulatory inspections that are crucial to his role in leading facilities at the South Texas Health System. 

“It’s something we’ve always struggled with and are constantly having to adjust our HVAC systems to meet the standards,” he said. 

“Our surgeons want it to be as cold as possible in the operating rooms so they turn it down but that can drive up the humidity. It sounds counterintuitive that lower temperatures lead to higher humidity but that’s what we find.” 

“So we have to always be checking the humidity levels are in the right range to keep it safe for our patients.” 

While the South Texas weather may not present the same endemic challenges associated with humidity, maintaining the air pressure differential to the highly specific levels required by the Joint Commission and other regulatory agencies is another focus for Larraga and his team. 

A labor-intensive one at that. 

But much like his experience with the air pressure challenges in the OR, Larrnaga can now closely track and adjust his systems on the fly to stay within appropriate standards. 

Improved Inspection Readiness: Air Pressure Differential Visibility  

It would be an understatement to say Larraga invests significant time and energy in compliance activities. 

From the proper storage of waste receptacles to ensuring every egress remains clear of potential obstructions, the compliance checklist is virtually endless for facility managers. 

So the idea of improving how they prepare and execute their regulatory audits was a significant reason why he was interested in Sonicu. 

“We’ve had some weird issues with the past two Joint Commission surveys and a system like this would have helped us get ahead of the situation,” he said. “Between the humidity and the fire alarms and other stuff we’re managing, it’s a challenge to stay aware like we need to. The (Sonicu) system has been a huge help there.”

He said the real-time alerts like during the fire alarm test and the reports that show trends over time will help the facilities team be better prepared for their audits. 

Joint Commission, officially known as the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, is an independent, not-for-profit organization that accredits and certifies nearly 21,000 healthcare organizations and programs in the United States.

Joint Commission conducts unannounced surveys, which means that they can come at any time. The frequency of surveys depends on the type of organization being surveyed. For example, hospitals are surveyed every three years, while ambulatory surgery centers are surveyed every two years.

Joint Commission surveys are comprehensive and cover a wide range of topics, including patient safety, quality of care, and infection control. During a survey, Joint Commission surveyors will interview staff, review documentation, and observe patient care.

If the Joint Commission finds any areas of non-compliance, they will issue a deficiency report. 

The organization must then take steps to correct the deficiencies and submit a plan of action to the Joint Commission. If the organization is unable to correct the deficiencies, the Joint Commission may place the organization on probation or withdraw its accreditation.

About the UHS facility: 

South Texas Health System Edinburg is a Level IV Trauma Center, an accredited Chest Pain Center, and a Primary Stroke Center. 

The hospital offers advanced imaging capabilities, minimally invasive robotic surgery, inpatient rehabilitation, and other specialty services.

We strive to deliver three valuable services to our clients: 

Asset Protection. Compliance Automation. And Reduced Manual Processes. 

Sonicu serves thousands of professionals at hundreds of organizations across North America by improving how they monitor and manage their most sensitive assets and environments. 

From cold and frozen temperature storage to ambient conditions like relative humidity and air pressure differential to specific needs like CO2 and VOC monitoring, Sonicu provides a full suite of monitoring solutions. 

Easy to install and configure and supported by live American-based phone support, Sonicu is the affordable, intuitive and trusted temperature and environmental monitoring solution trusted nationwide. 

2. COMPLIANCE AUTOMATION: ALWAYS READY

Whether it’s an FDA, CDC or Joint Commission inspection or CMS auditor, the Sonicu platform will deliver ready-made reports that help you eliminate your tedious reporting process.

This transformative process improvement also reduces the opportunity for human mishap to damage your inspection or audit.

You can relax with improved peace of mind knowing that virtually any auditor and inspector will be greeted with a simple and accurate report that demonstrates your sensitive assets and environments are being monitored and you have a plan to react if your team experiences an excursion.

3. ASSET MONITORING: CONNECT, DETECT AND PROTECT

It’s more than just knowing your sensitive environments are monitored.

It has smart alarms that ensure your entire team is notified via text, email, and even phone calls when a potentially dangerous excursion occurs.

And it’s about powerful redundancy that protects against power and network outages.

Sonicu has invested in research and development to innovate a solution with a singular focus: your peace of mind.

We’ve architected our solution around easy installation, an intuitive user experience, and a rapid and enduring return on investment.

That’s why public and private organizations grow with us.

500+ customer in all 50 states 

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