America's Emergency Rooms in Crisis

Deadly Contamination and Cross-Infections

Problem: Deadly contamination and cross-infections
Solution: Anti-germ warfare

Hospital-acquired infections claim more than 90,000 lives every year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). ERs need to isolate infections and keep microbes from spreading.

Reconfigured air circulation: An estimated 50 to 70 percent of the air in today's ERs is recirculated, which can spread airborne infections. ERs typically have only a few isolation rooms, which have special circulation systems that keep a patient's germs from spreading. In ER One every treatment room will have the capacity to become an isolation room. "All you have to do is flip a switch," says Dr. Smith.

Ionic silver coatings: Planned for use on ER One's duct system and on common surfaces -- doorknobs, staircase banisters, elevator buttons, toilet seats, wall surfaces, the backs of chairs -- ionic silver coating will inhibit the growth of microbes that are spread by people's hands, adding another layer of protection against harmful agents.