Teams prep for new UVA robot
Facilities Management staff supported the setup of UVA Health's new PPE decontamination equipment.
We are highlighting different Facilities Management teams and their work to support the University throughout this challenging time.
Facilities Management staff served an essential role in the preparation for UVA Heath's new robot that disinfects its most critical personal protective equipment. The newly acquired robot, known as “Tru-D,” uses UV light to disinfect up to 6,000 N-95 masks per day at a time when the surge of demand for such items has aggravated a national shortage.
Health System Physical Plant Director Derek Wilson worked closely with the clinical team researching the equipment needed and coordinated the preparation of a space within the health system for this new disinfection process.
“It's been a huge team effort to get a ‘production’ type process up and running in about 10 days,” said Wilson, who setup the team's initial meeting at Virginia Commonwealth University to benchmark their UV disinfection process.
HSPP Renovations Mason Plasterer Supervisor Sherwood Gibson and Carpenter Supervisor Todd Stroupe and other HSPP staff prepared the space for the robot, including painting the room with a special reflective paint, building temporary walls and fabricating PVC frames which hold the masks surrounding the robot.
Capital Construction & Renovations provided modified tables that improve the workflow of the PPE disinfection process. Cabinet Builder Senior Corey Eppard retrofitted these tables (that were surplus property from the UVA ReUSE Store), raising their height to better accommodate staff needs.
“This is truly an all-hands-on-deck situation, and every hour and day is important as we work to prepare for a potential surge of COVID-19 patients here in Charlottesville,” Patrick Headley, manager of Clinical Engineering Professional Services, told UVA Today.
Read more about UVA Health's new robot.
Jane Centofante
Communications senior generalist
UVA Facilities Management
(434) 982-5846
janecentofante@virginia.edu