At Heritage Valley Health System, your safety is our primary concern. We are committed to delivering quality healthcare to you and your family in the safest manner possible.
Patient safety measures track a variety of indicators that are known to occur at all hospitals.
Through our participation in the many groups discussed under the QUALITY-HOW DO WE COMPARE link above, we are able to gauge our progress in ensuring safe, quality care.
Providing patient care according to the Joint Commission’s National Patient Safety Goals is important in keeping you safe. The purpose of the Joint Commission’s National Patient Safety Goals is to promote specific improvements in patient safety. The Goals highlight problematic areas in health care and describe evidence and expert-based solutions to these problems. Click on www.jointcommission.org to learn more about the National Patient Safety Goals.
Heritage Valley Health System complies with the National Patient Safety Goals in caring each and everyday for our patients.
* www.qualitycheck.org last updated: July 2011
Falls can happen to anyone at anytime and can result in a serious injury. We would like to help keep you safe by sharing ways to help prevent falls while in the hospital. Click here to learn more about what you and your family can do to prevent falls in the hospital.
At Heritage Valley we have significantly reduced our fall rate. Some of the key specific fall prevention initiatives implemented include the establishment of unit based patient safety teams, hourly rounds, bed and chair alarms and the use of beds that sit low to the floor.
Heritage Valley participates in benchmarking our fall rates across the nation through the National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators (NDNQI). Click on www.nursingquality.org to learn more. Over 2300 hospitals participate in the NDNQI fall rate data collection. Our fall rate is lower than the hospitals in the national comparative.
* July 2008 – June 2011
Hand hygiene is an important way to prevent the spread of infections in hospitals. You and your family can help prevent infections by noticing whether your caregivers have washed their hands. Do not be afraid to gently remind a doctor or nurse to do this. Wash your own hands before meals and after using the bathroom. Ask your visitors to wash their hands also. Click here to learn more about what you and your family can do to prevent infections in the hospital.
Heritage Valley participates in benchmarking our infection rates across the nation through National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN). Click on www.cdc.gov/nhsn to learn more. Two important infection control indicators include Central Line Associated Blood Stream Infections (CLABSI) and Ventilator Associated Pneumonia (VAP).
A central line is a tube that is placed into a patient’s large vein, usually in the neck, chest, arm, or groin. The catheter is often used to draw blood or give fluids or medications. A bloodstream infection can occur when bacteria or other germs travel down the central line and enter the blood.
To prevent CLABSI Heritage Valley doctors and nurses:
- Choose the best location where the catheter can be safety inserted
- Wash their hands
- Wear a mask, cap, sterile gown, and sterile gloves when putting in the catheter
- Clean the skin with an antiseptic cleanser before inserting the catheter
- Clean the catheter opening with an antiseptic solution before using the catheter to draw blood or give medications
- Remove the catheter as soon as it is no longer needed
Ventilator Associated Pneumonia is an infection of the lungs that develops in a patient who is on a ventilator. A “ventilator” is a machine that helps a patient breathe by giving oxygen through a tube. The tube can be placed in the patient’s mouth, nose, or through a hole in the front of the neck. The tube is connected to a ventilator.
To prevent VAP Heritage Valley doctors and nurses:
- Keep the head of the patient’s bed raised
- Check the patient’s ability to breathe on their own
- Wash hands
- Provide frequent oral hygiene
- Clean or replace equipment between uses
The National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) report issued December 2009 provides benchmark data among hospitals nationally.
* Data collection July 2009 – June 2011
