Clearwater Lights up LBJ Hospital in Time of Need

    RANCHO CORDOVA, CA, March 15, 2010 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Power fluctuations and outages after the tsunami that stuck the South Pacific in 2009 caused serious problems for LBJ hospital in American Samoa. Surgeons found themselves looking for ways to help the hospital operating room function more efficiently, particularly in emergency situations.

Glenn Stasky is the owner of Clearwater Lights, a Rancho Cordova, California Company which, in addition to motorcycle safety lights, designs and manufactures emergency LED lights run by solar power.

A hospital staff member told Stasky of the lighting problems in the operating room, and he decided "then and there" to do what he could--as a private citizen-- to help the U.S. Territory.

Samoa News caught up with Stasky just after Christmas as he put the finishing touches on his voluntary contribution to the hospital--a project worth nearly $10,000 in materials and labor which his company, Clearwater Lights, donated to LBJ.

Working with the assistance of Tavita Tupea, an electrician from LBJ's maintenance department, Stasky installed a solar panel on the roof to supply emergency lighting in surgery, the OR/ICU hallway, the Labor and Delivery unit and the nursery.

A large, movable operating room light was also refurbished with LED light cells and placed on a mobile unit with a conventional marine battery. The mobile unit, which can be used for procedures anywhere in the hospital, is wired to immediately turn on if the power is disrupted. The marine battery, which can be purchased on island, will run the light for about three days straight.

It's hard to dampen Stasky's enthusiasm about his work. He said of his early years, "I was always tinkering with anything mechanical." After college, he worked for a prominent acoustics company. He traveled throughout the world teaching acoustics and electronics, then started his own company in California.

Specialized work for the US Army led to work with high efficiency LED lighting products. A focus on emergency lighting and safety lights for motorcycles followed, which led to his interest and investment in solar energy. "Solar energy was added because it's the ideal power source for our LED emergency lights," said Stasky. "Large scale solar installations can generate a lot of electricity, but the waste in distributing energy through existing power lines makes most projects less cost effective. Solar energy's real advantage is in places where 'off-grid' power can be used."

"Using efficient LED lighting and conventional storage batteries, an individual home or small village can generate its own electricity without waste or diesel fuel."

"In a location such as American Samoa, the solar possibilities are endless," he said, and he set out to prove it.

"Working on the solar powered emergency lighting system at LBJ has been a great experience. The staff has been extremely helpful and interested in learning about technology that is new to the island. I hope this system makes working conditions safer, and also shows what can be done to address emergency lighting needs--and overall lighting needs--at LBJ."

This was Stasky's first visit to the U.S. Territory, but he hopes it would not be his last.
Stasky said, "Upon landing at Tafuna International airport, I was immediately welcomed with warm smiles and a wonderful Christmas choir! Who knew that customs agents could harmonize so well? This has definitely been an experience I will never forget."

According to then-hospital CEO Patricia Tindall, it was a donation which the hospital would not forget, either--coming at a time when emergency assistance was definitely needed and gratefully acknowledged.

Reproduced with permission of Samoa News. American Samoa.

Clearwater Lights is a designer and manufacturer of high performance LED lighting based in Rancho Cordova, CA.

Website: http://www.clearwaterlights.com

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