The innovatively designed pen disinfection tool, Steri-Write, is making headlines as it expands from healthcare to public venues. Engineered by esteemed ophthalmic surgeon Dr. Brian Wind, Steri-Write is being adopted by organizations ranging from medical offices to public departments and casinos, including at the Cherokee Indian Reservation in Cherokee, North Carolina.
Necessitated by the threat of infectious diseases like flu and MRSA, pockets of society overlooked the humble pen as a possible vector for disease transmission. Dr. Wind viewed this potential risk through a different lens, one framed with the goal of creating a safer healthcare environment, even before the COVID-19 pandemic engulfed the world. He responded by inventing Steri-Write, an extraordinary tool that employs UV light to eradicate 99.9% of germs harbored by pens, effectively eliminating the need for dubious ‘clean’ and ‘dirty’ pen repositories and uplifting hand hygiene standards.
With its significant role in safeguarding public health, Steri-Write swiftly gained popularity in both healthcare and non-healthcare facilities nationwide. This included the Cherokee Indian Hospital, which serves the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians located in western North Carolina. Here, Steri-Write is deployed at reception desks where patients regularly use communal pens to fill in paperwork.
Infection Preventionist, Bobbi Jo Jenkins, RN, was first introduced to this innovative disinfection tool at the APIC infection prevention conference in 2022, and immediately recognized its potential contribution to her healthcare setting. She swiftly implemented Steri-Write, stating that its value for safeguarding her facility’s over 14,000 members – and for preserving their native language speakers – became apparent after observing the positive results garnered from applying UV disinfection during room cleanings.
The hospital has now put approximately 15 Steri-Write units at every satellite clinic and hospital entrance where paperwork is typical. The widespread adoption doesn’t end there. After seeing the safety devices, a few patients who were also tribal casino and tribal government employees presented the tool back to the tribe and therefore into the casino, even extending to the casino’s HR office.
The impact is palpable. Visitors have expressed appreciation for the units in place for over a year now, conveying gratitude for the proactive approach taken to minimize their exposure to germs, likening it to the need for wiping a grocery cart clean before use to avoid picking up infections.
Indeed, the Steri-Write story serves as a reminder of the simple, albeit significant ways we can use innovation to help prevent infections and curb the spread of diseases, a sentiment shared by Dr. Wind himself. Through his work, he became more aware of the heightened vulnerability of Native American groups to COVID-19 and other transmissible diseases, and expressed happiness that Steri-Write could play an essential part in infection prevention within the Native American community.