J U N E 2 0 1 7 O U T P A T I E N TS U R G E R Y. N E T 4 7
C
onsidering her dual background in
nursing and engineering, Kerry Riek,
RN, BSN, PE, has what some might
consider the perfect job. She's a sen-
ior associate with the highly regarded
ECRI Institute, meaning she spends her days helping
healthcare organizations assess, procure and man-
age healthcare technologies of every sort. It's her job
to keep an eye on the latest gadgets, gizmos and
instrumentation designed to help surgeons generate
better outcomes for their patients. In her presenta-
tion, "New and Emerging Technologies for
Surgery," Ms. Riek will offer her perspective on the
hottest surgical technologies she's sampled at the
leading medical product testing laboratory.
• Infection prevention. We've seen the increased
adoption of whole-room disinfection systems —
As an undergrad,
completed a nursing
practicum on an ortho-
pedics and med/surg
overflow unit at
Brigham and Women's
Hospital in Boston,
Mass.
Kerry Riek, RN, BSN, PE
Transformative Tech
Which new and emerging technologies
for surgery will truly change the game?
Focuses her work
at ECRI Institute in
strategic planning and
assessment, patient
safety, medical equip-
ment planning and
procurement assis-
tance.
Received
her BSN
from
Northeastern
University.
these high-tech "robots"
that use ultraviolent light
from mercury lamps and
xenon lamps to kill off
drug-resistant superbugs
that may be lingering on
surfaces in ORs and
other healthcare environ-
ments. Over the past
year, we've also gotten a
closer look at the next
generation: light-emitting
diodes (LED) that emit
light in the "deep UV"
range as a form of disin-
fection. The technology
is still in an emerging
state, but one of the
potential uses could be a
countertop unit for disin-
