Ronald McDonald House

February 2012 - The Ronald McDonald House of Charleston (RMHC) provides temporary lodging and support for families of children that are seriously ill and provides a home-like atmosphere during their recovery.

RMHC replaced steel, wood and plastic touch surfaces with antimicrobial copper to help create a safer environment for the children, families and staff. Workers at the Ronald McDonald House have installed more than $400,000 worth of copper fixtures on "high-touch" surfaces including sinks and faucets, cabinet pulls, locks, dining room tables and hand rails.

"Our house is a home away from home," project manager Robin Willis [project manager at RMHC] said. "It's not as clean as a hospital room, but we still need to try. We have loads of housekeeping services, but this is just an added layer of protection for families. Bacteria die on these surfaces. On normal railings, they just sit and grow until they're sterilized."

*Laboratory testing shows that, when cleaned regularly, antimicrobial copper surfaces kill greater than 99.9% of the following bacteria within 2 hours of exposure: MRSA, VRE, Staphylococcus aureus, Enterobacter aerogenes, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and E. coli O157:H7. Antimicrobial copper surfaces are a supplement to and not a substitute for standard infection control practices and have been shown to reduce microbial contamination, but do not necessarily prevent cross contamination or infections; users must continue to follow all current infection control practices.