Trinity Health Michigan is employing a new tool in the fight against infections and germs with air disinfection devices use ultraviolet light to clean and sanitize indoor air.A UV air disinfection device is installed to the ceiling in areas with high foot traffic like main lobbies, emergency departments, patient rooms, and hallways. Working independently of HVAC systems, the device takes in air through a sealed chamber and treats it with UV-C rays to kill bacteria, viruses, and mold. The device then returns the clean air back into the room.
Air and surface contaminants are among the top causes of infections in healthcare settings, making it vitally important to constantly reevaluate what we are doing to keep people safe and healthy.
A Trinity Health Michigan study of the efficacy of these devices in our hospitals found, on average, a 79% decrease in the concentration of germs in the air and a more than 70% decrease on surfaces.
Trinity Health Livonia was the first to install UV air disinfection devices in 2024. They are now in use at Trinity Health Ann Arbor, Grand Haven, Grand Rapids, Livingston, Livonia, Muskegon, Shelby, and Chelsea Hospital. The Muskegon and Grand Rapids hospitals are the latest to implement air disinfection devices that use ultraviolet light to clean and sanitize indoor air.
The UV air disinfection devices were funded by a grant program enacted by the State of Michigan legislature in 2022.
