Fisher Cantone, 11, brainstormed with friends at Jefferson School on what to name the newest robot at Overlook Medical Center. “We knew the names of the other two robots” and says he decided to stick with that theme.
His suggestion, “WALL-E,” from the Pixar film of the same name, beat 76 other entries in the Name the Robot contest run by Overlook’s Department of Community Health. WALL-E joins the hospital’s first robot, Rosie the Robot, which was named after a robot in the TV show “The Jetsons,” and R2D2, of “Star Wars” fame. They are the latest step in the hospital’s efforts to prevent hospital acquired infections.
Community Health Manager Raul Cadavid says the contest was “an opportunity to engage with the community …. Robots appeal to children” and it was a “nice way to end the school year.” Fourth and fifth grade students from Jefferson, Washington, Lincoln Hubbard and Brayton schools took part in the contest.
A committee of five judges chose 10 names and left the final choice to Alan Lieber, President of Overlook Medical Center. The top 10 names were: Einstein; Wall-E; Bender; Robo Cleaner; Germ Terminator; Sweetie; Clanke; Mr. Robotto; Zapper and Ollie.
The three “Xenex Germ Zapping Robots” use Pulse Xenon Ultraviolet light (UV-C). “The UVC light, when it touches bacteria, viruses or spores disrupts the DNA, RNA and proteins within any living micro-organism, rendering it harmless,” says Iris Verdi, manager of Environmental Services at Overlook.
The robots are used in “the OR, ER, ICU, treatment rooms and units that have an upgraded risk of exposure,” says Verdi. “Some spores (such as C-diff) can live on a surface for 30 to 45 days, if it is not properly cleaned,” Verdi says. When a patient is discharged, or moved from a room, they “clean the room with bleach and then terminally clean the room with the robot,” she says. It takes an extra 15 minutes to clean the room. The new protocol has led to a decrease in hospital acquired infections, says Verdi.
When he received the award on the halls of Overlook’s Goryeb Children’s Center, “Fisher felt like a mini-celebrity,” says his mother Patricia. “They showed us how the robot works.” Among the prizes were Atlantic Health System gear, including an orange and white hat and blue beach towel, as well as sunglasses and movie passes to AMC Theaters and, from Xenex, a $50 mastercard gift certificate, a pair of socks and other items.
Fisher was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis when he was five and is on an immunosuppressant. He says, “I get an infusion every six weeks, which takes about two hours,” at Goryeb Children’s Hospital at Morristown Medical Center. The treatment “makes me feel like I don’t have the condition. If I didn’t take it, I would feel very ill,” he says.
“Whenever he gets sick, one of the first things he is tested for is C-diff. Luckily, it has been negative every time,” says his mom.
(above l-r) Fisher Canton, Alan Lieber, and Wall-E.
Photo by William Green
