Patient safety remains one of the most critical healthcare challenges in the nation, and Floyd Memorial continues to seek new ways to provide even safer practices for our patients and their families. Several new patient safety initiatives have recently launched to ensure that our patients receive the most innovative care and treatment.
ID Armbands: Floyd Memorial now distributes identification armbands to all patients – including outpatients – to ensure their proper identification during their visit. Also, patients at risk for a fall are given special colored armbands, gowns and throw blankets to ensure that staff are aware they should be treated with special care to prevent injury while at the hospital.
Immediate Labeling: The hospital uses immediate labeling to ensure that all lab testing is accurately labeled. When patients have blood drawn, a barcode on their armband is scanned. Immediately after the blood is drawn, labels are printed and put on the test tubes while the nurse is still bedside, significantly reducing the chance of mislabeled tests.
Patient Safety Rounding: Administrators and members of the Patient Safety Council make monthly rounds to each department in the hospital to ask associates their concerns about patient safety. Patient Safety Rounds allow the front-line providers to voice their patient safety concerns to senior leadership and ensure that they are immediately addressed.
Patient Safety Alerts are emailed hospital-wide to all associates as an ongoing educational tool to raise awareness of issues or processes that concern patient safety.
Board Quality and Patient Safety Committee: All patient safety initiatives are reviewed and evaluated by the Floyd Memorial Board Quality and Patient Safety Committee. Comprised of community members, hospital administrators and physicians, the Committee makes many decisions and suggestions regarding Floyd Memorial’s patient safety measures.
For more information about patient safety initiatives at Floyd Memorial, visit www.floydmemorial.com.