Coronavirus: Premier Health to sterilize masks in-house for reuse

MIAMI VALLEY — Premier Health will soon be sterilizing N95 masks within their own facilities to reuse PPE with efficiency.

Premier Health originally partnered with Battelle to begin the sterilization process of PPE to help protect healthcare workers on the front lines, and now they are gearing up to carry out that process in-house.

Employees can write their names on their masks and have them returned to them after they have been sterilized to alleviate having to use a sterilized mask that someone else previously used.

“We were recently made aware that the Food and Drug Administration has granted one of our vendors, STERIS, temporary approval to sterilize and reuse masks," said Barbara Johnson, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Premier Health.

"As a result, we have begun to bring this sterilization process in-house, resulting in faster turn-around times while still ensuring safe reuse of N95 masks.”

Masks can be sterilized 10 times before they should be discarded, according to the release.

Upper Valley Medical Center and Miami Valley Hospital’s main campus will be the first locations to try the new process.

Premier Health says they believe their other facilities such as hospital campuses, free-standing emergency departments, Fidelity Health Care, Premier Health Urgent Cares, and the specimen collection site at UD Arena are expected to follow suit soon.

© 2020 Cox Media Group