Lumify Care has joined forces with Medline to expand access to its first innovation, the uNight Light, a breakthrough wearable illumination product designed to reimagine the healthcare environment for both patients and workers. A startup company founded by nurses, Lumify Care is committed to creating solutions that empower fellow healthcare workers with the tools and resources to help them excel in their field.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, clinical staff engagement was vastly impacted, with workplace stress at an all-time high and the labor shortage being exacerbated. Seeing an opportunity to help support the resiliency of frontline workers, improve engagement and tackle growing burn-out rates, Lumify Care co-founders and registered nurses, Anthony Scarpone-Lambert and Jennifferre Mancillas, created the uNight Light, a wearable LED light that illuminates workspaces, while decreasing patient sleep disturbances, especially at night.
“As nurses who worked during the pandemic, we frequently felt frustrated by the lack of tools and resources we had access to,” said Scarpone-Lambert. “Because many solutions address patients directly, we understood the value of supporting healthcare workers directly correlates to improving patient experience.”
Mancillas continued, “Healthcare workers are burnt out now more than ever, and we need gear and resources that empower and support us to do our best every shift.”
The uNight Light is easily attachable, hands-free, liquid-repellant, stain-resistant, and washable with hospital-grade disinfectant. In a survey of 500 healthcare workers, Lumify Care discovered that 87% of respondents struggle to see when caring for sleeping patients in darkened rooms, with 100% of respondents wanting a less disruptive solution. Today, the uNight Light has been used by over 20,000 healthcare professionals in over 500 healthcare systems, with 95% of nurses stating the product helped them see better without interrupting patients’ sleep.
“Hospitals are disruptive. They’re noisy with bright flashing lights in your face, even in the middle of the night, and when our patients can’t get the solid sleep they need, their healing process is delayed and patient satisfaction decreases,” said Mancillas. “Just as important as improving the patient experience, healthcare employers now have an opportunity to provide a functional tool to help staff feel more supported in performing their duties with less fumbling and higher rates of efficiency.”
The product contains three lighting settings: white, red and blue, which allows healthcare workers to see, but not be seen. The white light is dim, yet still effective for reading, preparing medications, inspecting lines, and for careful patient assessment; the red light increases alertness, preserves night vision, and can help signal colleagues when preparing medications to decrease distractions; and the blue light, the brightest setting, was designed to increase cognitive function in an effort to minimize human error.
Illumination has also been proven to significantly impact cognitive ability, with each light setting allowing for a more productive work environment. This is especially beneficial in increasing alertness for clinicians at night, which can lead to a decrease in medication administration errors, accidental needle sticks, and falls. In addition, the Lighting Research Center claims that alertness is strongly influenced by exposure to light and a person’s natural clock, or “circadian clock,” in which attentiveness is proven lower during the evening. The organization also reports that lighting can decrease sleepiness and increases productivity, with red and blue lighting especially impacting alertness.
“We believe Medline’s innovative spirit, history of supporting frontline healthcare workers, and belief in improving the patient experience fits well with Lumify’s goals,” said Scarpone-Lambert. “We know the value that uNight has brought to our own experience as frontline healthcare workers, and we’ll continue to work towards every healthcare worker around the world having a uNight Light.”
Michael Gerskovich, vice president with Medline’s Dynacor division, continued, “Lumify Care and Medline share the same vision of making healthcare run better. We are excited to be the exclusive distribution partner for this bottom-up solution and to help the more than 19 million frontline nurses working nationwide to improve their patients’ experience.”
The partnership first formed after Lumify Care participated in a Medline-sponsored Lab Startup Demo Day. Medline’s commitment to innovation and large network of healthcare partnerships will expand access to the uNight Light throughout the U.S., helping to serve more healthcare workers across the continuum of care.
About Medline
Medline is a healthcare company; a manufacturer, distributor, and solutions provider focused on improving the overall operating performance of healthcare. Partnering with healthcare systems and facilities across the continuum of care, Medline provides the clinical and supply chain resources required for long-term financial viability in delivering high-quality care. With the scale of one of the country’s largest companies and the agility of a family-led business, Medline is able to invest in its customers for the future and rapidly respond to a dynamically changing market with customized solutions. Headquartered in Northfield, Ill., Medline has 27,000+ employees worldwide and does business in more than 125 countries and territories. Learn more about Medline at http://www.medline.com.
About Lumify Care
Lumify Care builds tools and resources to support the healthcare workforce. Founded by two Registered Nurses in 2021, Lumify’s mission is to ensure that all healthcare professionals have access to the gear and resources they need to excel at the bedside and beyond. Through their line of products and super app, Lumify has unified 100+ brands, organizations, and communities – building a thriving network of 20,000+ healthcare workers. Lumify is backed by top investors such as Y Combinator, Flare Capital, Gaingels, Adam Grant, and Andrew Parker. For more information, please visit http://www.lumifycare.com.
