TAHOE/TRUCKEE, Calif. – During December students at Truckee Tahoe Unified School District (TTUSD) were taught the importance of hand hygiene, flu prevention and dental care from Tahoe Forest Health System medical professionals. To complement the program, Ecolab, the global leader in water, hygiene and energy technologies, donated hand sanitizer stands to Glenshire, Truckee, Lake Tahoe and King’s Beach Elementary Schools.

“Thanks to Laurel Holmer who handles infection control at Tahoe Forest Hospital and her long-standing relationship with Ecolab, we were able to put donated Ecolab hand sanitizer stands at numerous elementary schools,” said Jill Whisler, wellness dietitian, Tahoe Center for Health and Sports Performance. “We really wanted to stress to students during the onset of flu season the importance of hand hygiene.”

In 2005 The American Society for Microbiology conducted a hand washing survey and noted an estimated one out of five people don’t wash their hands after using a restroom. Hand hygiene education at TTUSD elementary schools focused on the importance and “how tos” of hand washing after using the restroom, in addition to after petting an animal, sneezing in one’s hands and prior to eating dinner. Other flu and cold preventative tactics included not touching your “T” zone (eyes, nose and mouth) and covering one’s mouth when coughing and/or sneezing. The education also stressed correct teeth brushing and flossing techniques.

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“At some level, we hope and believe that our educational documents, hygiene logs and overall professional guidance assisted in lowering absentee numbers in December and may also do so during the coming months,” added Whisler.

About Tahoe Forest Health System

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Tahoe Forest Health System (TFHS), a not-for-profit rural health care facility located in Truckee, is one of the top 100 Critical Care Access Hospitals in the United States. TFHS is committed to excellence in patient care. Having earned numerous national Awards for Excellence, TFHS provides exceptional patient care. Through community support, the new Tahoe Forest Cancer Center is a proud affiliate of the UC Davis Cancer Network, an organization that unites five hospital-based cancer centers for the purpose of delivering high quality cancer care in rural settings. The Hospital is fully accredited by the Healthcare Accreditation Facilities Program and licensed by the State of California Department of Health Services. Their vision: “To be the best mountain community health system in the nation.”

For more information about Tahoe Forest Health System, visit http://www.tfhd.com.

About Ecolab

With 2011 pro forma sales of $11 billion and more than 40,000 employees, Ecolab Inc. (NYSE: ECL) is the global leader in water, hygiene and energy technologies and services that provide and protect clean water, safe food, abundant energy and healthy environments. Ecolab delivers comprehensive programs and services to the food, energy, healthcare, industrial and hospitality markets in more than 160 countries.

For more Ecolab news and information, visit http://www.ecolab.com.