Two AdventHealth hospitals have been recognized for a "patient falls bootcamp" effort that cut incidents by 33%, with some units improving as much as 50% from last year.
AdventHealth Zephyrhills (Fla.) and AdventHealth Dade City (Fla.) hospitals are winners of the 2023 Safety Excellence Award from ECRI and the Institute for Safe Medication Practices. The award recognizes "outstanding patient safety initiatives" from healthcare organizations that partner with ECRI, according to a Nov. 1 news release.
The bootcamp focused on enabling hospital staff members to recognize the characteristics of a high-risk fall patient and follow up to ensure tailored prevention strategies were in place. Education sessions touched on the use of gait belts, handling conversations with patients and recommendations on implementing an early mobility program.
"The bootcamp shook up the traditional approach to strategy sessions by incorporating high-energy activities that immersed participants in a new way of thinking," Peggy Maguire, director of risk management for both of the AdventHealth hospitals, said in the release. "The concept of a bootcamp incorporates intensive training designed to rapidly improve and significantly impact a metric. This award recognizes the cultural transformation that was ignited and sustained across both hospitals as a result."