Spartanburg Regional’s first in the U.S. modular stainless steel surgical walls reduce infections

Some seven years in the making, Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System has made an innovative medical dream a reality. The HSSC partner is the first hospital in the United States to implement surgical suites using a state-of-the-art stainless steel modular system developed in Germany.

Precipitating this advancement at Spartanburg Regional is America’s rapidly changing healthcare delivery system, which demands that hospitals have environments that can adapt to changing patient needs without the time and expense of construction. Hospitals also are accelerating efforts to eliminate healthcare-acquired infections. An early adopter, Spartanburg Regional has installed 12 operating rooms composed of movable stainless steel modular panels, which enables the rooms to be expanded or reconfigured with a minimum of effort and time. The flexibility also makes it easier to install new technology or simply move equipment in and out of the operating rooms. The stainless steel modular walls are easier to sanitize compared to porous sheetrock surfaces used in most operating rooms. This is critical to reducing hospital-acquired infections.

Ingo Angermeier, president and CEO of Spartanburg Regional, says the modular system allows the hospital to adapt to changing demands on its physical plant without undergoing construction. This helps ensure a high level of patient care, saves the hospital and taxpayers money, and promotes higher quality outcomes and patient safety.