Holy Name Press Releases

Holy Name Integrates AI-Powered Hand Hygiene Stations from Soapy USA Inc. to Enhance Patient and Staff Safety

March 21, 2025

Holy Name Medical Center has deployed AI-powered hand hygiene stations from Soapy USA Inc. in departments that treat the hospital's most vulnerable patients. One Soapy system is stationed on one of the patient units while a second station is being installed in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). The other station will move throughout the hospital to provide training opportunities across departments, supporting staff in refining their infection prevention protocols and fostering a culture of safety and excellence in healthcare.

"Our staff may wash their hands as often as 100 times during the work day," says Dr. Suraj Saggar, Chief of Infectious Disease at Holy Name. "Washing with soap and water removes germs and is one of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of disease."

Holy Name discovered Soapy's innovation through its collaboration with the ARC Center (Accelerate, Redesign, Collaborate) for Digital Innovation at Sheba Medical Center in Israel, part of a larger effort to advance cutting-edge health technologies and solutions. The ARC Center brings together physicians, researchers, startups, industry leaders, academia, investors and medical centers to improve patient care, using innovation to provide value to patients.

Mike Maron, Holy Name President and CEO, says, "We are proud to consistently receive top safety scores from third party ratings organizations , but continually evaluate new technologies and devices that support our efforts to meet – and even exceed – the most stringent hygiene standards."

How it Works

Soapy machines look similar to automated hand washing stations available in public restrooms. When someone places their hands inside, a step-by-step animated video begins to play, providing instructions that adhere to the World Health Organization's guidelines on hand washing technique for healthcare professionals.

The machine dispenses the exact amount of pre-heated water and soap needed to lather and rinse; the programmed amount of time for lathering is 20 seconds followed by another 20 seconds for rinsing. Upon completion, the user receives a personalized score (0-100), which is determined by gesture recognition technology that analyzes a variety of data points, such as hand movements used to rub and scrub and time spent lathering and rinsing. If needed, users are informed how to improve their washing technique.

A demonstration of Soapy is available here.