Minnesota hospital improving safety practices and looking to spread the word

St. Joe's staff trying to educate Hubbard County residents about the danger of falling and ways to prevent it

By Healthcare Facilities Today


The Minnesota Department of Health recently released its annual error report for hospitals. St. Joe’s in Hubbard County experienced a serious fall in which a patient suffered a broken bone during 2012-13. That was down from three serious incidents the year before, according to an article on the Park Rapids Enterprise website.

In addition to in-house improvements, hospital staff is trying to educate Hubbard County residents about the danger of falling and ways to prevent it.

Fifteen Minnesota hospital patients died last year from hospital errors that encompassed falls, wrong medications, wrong site surgeries and other serious medical errors, the article said.

St. Joe’s staff meets daily, weekly and monthly to prevent such in-patient mishaps and at least one committee is training its sights on the community at large.

“We’re learning that even falls in the community are an issue and I know now that even Department of Health and groups around the state are looking at fall prevention and to look at it from that perspective, not just falls in hospitals,” director of quality Chris Broeker said in the article.

The hospital also recently received a Catholic Health Initiatives grant to purchase four lower hospital beds so replacing all the beds will be a future priority. That will prevent many falls, Broeker said. Most falls occur when patients are getting up to the bathroom.

Read the article.

 



February 11, 2014


Topic Area: Safety


Recent Posts

Texas Law Limits Backup Power Mandates for Senior Care Facilities

As Texas relaxes generator mandates, healthcare facility managers now face tough decisions about emergency power investments and resident safety.


Cyber Crossfire: Why Healthcare Is Becoming a Battleground in Global Conflicts

As geopolitical tensions escalate, hospitals and critical suppliers are increasingly targeted in cyberattacks.


UPMC Presbyterian Receives $65 Million Gift for New Bed Tower

The tower is projected to open for patient care in early 2027.


Premier Health Partners Falls Victim to Cyber Incident

The incident occurred in July 2023.


Backup Power's Expanding Role in Emergency Preparedness for Healthcare

Manufacturers discuss design strategies, code shifts and lessons learned from real-world disasters.


 
 


FREE Newsletter Signup Form

News & Updates | Webcast Alerts
Building Technologies | & More!

 
 
 


All fields are required. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.