Gov. Scott Walker kicked off his new jobs plan for Wisconsin last week at PreventaMed Technologies Inc., a Waukesha-based manufacturer of medical products, including contamination assist trays and heat stress safety devices.
“PreventaMed is an excellent example of a company that’s bringing good jobs and high-tech manufacturing to Wisconsin,” Walker said. “We’ve worked hard to create an environment that encourages companies like PreventaMed to expand and invest in our state.”
PreventaMed Technologies chief executive officer Jeff Veenhuis said, “We’re honored to welcome Governor Walker and appreciate his recognition of our company and the positive things we’re doing in Wisconsin and around the globe. Wisconsin is a great place to do business based on the abundance of talent and economic resources we have access to – we’re proud to call Wisconsin home.”
PreventaMed recently announced a new partnership with Naperville, Ill.-based Surfacide to manufacture and distribute a UV-C, hard surface disinfection system to hospitals worldwide.
As a result of the partnership, PreventaMed moved into a larger, 16,260-square-foot facility in Waukesha and is expecting to add 10 to 15 jobs over the next 12 months. The new facility will manufacture a UV-C disinfection system called the Helios, which eradicates multi-drug resistant organisms, including C. Diff, MRSA, VRE, CRE and Acinetobacter from hard surface areas.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, roughly one in every 20 hospitalized patients acquires an infection during the course of receiving treatment for another condition. Hospital- acquired illnesses create significant health risks and cost the healthcare industry billions each year.
To help combat these illnesses, the Surfacide Helios system uses three UV-C emitters to clean all areas of a patient environment, including the bathroom and other hard-to-reach areas. This process is said to significantly reduce the risk of hospital-acquired illnesses, which are a major threat to outpatient clinics, long-term care facilities and other healthcare environments in addition to hospitals.
The Surfacide Helios UV-C hard surface disinfection system is currently available in the U.S. and European markets. PreventaMed is also working with officials in Sierra Leone to help with the recent Ebola outbreak.
“This product – which is made right here in Wisconsin – has the ability to improve patient outcomes and save lives around the world,” Veenhuis said. “I think it’s a great example of the good things happening in our state.”
