ACMC Adds to Hospital Experience With Purchase of New Furniture Focusing on Patient Comfort and Safety
August 15th, 2019 by Submitted
On Saturday, August 10th, Ashley County Medical Center rolled out 153 pieces of new patient furniture to add comfort, quality, and modernization to your hospital experience. This was the first major new bed and furniture purchase in more than 20 years. The project began several years ago with research and trials of various vendors and furniture. Most importantly with attention of the patient as well as staff needs began this initiative and remain a constant in the final decision of this project.
The furniture replacement process was carefully choreographed beginning with the arrival of two eighteen-wheeler trailers at the loading dock of Ashley County Medical Center at 6:30 a.m. The concerted effort involved teamwork from everyone including the patients, their families, Environmental Services, Engineering, IT, Biomedical, Nursing Management and Leadership and CEO Phillip Gilmore.
When picking the date to deliver and install the new beds and furniture, Saturday was chosen based on the lower-volume of foot traffic throughout the hospital on the weekend. Despite being near full-capacity, the teamwork between staff and patients proved to be successful.
The new Stryker S3 beds are top of the line technology that monitor the patients, and maximize patient comfort. All but two of these beds have the ComfortGel mattresses. There is a piece of gel in the center of the mattress for comfort and protection. There are a couple of IsoTour mattresses used in CCU which is an all gel mattress with features such as turning capability, and low air loss to help protect the skin of patients at risk for breakdown. They also provide a positioning system that will aide staff in turning and repositioning the patient. The Generations Spirit Select bed has features such as keyed lockouts, safety features, and a low height of 11.75 inches.
The beds have several features that help care team members including side rails for patient mobility, and a bed frame that prevents the patient from sliding to the foot of the bed thereby maintaining them in a position of comfort. A folding IV pole is also attached to the bed for ease of use, additional electrical connections for safety, and a TV remote also located on the bed. We are very excited about the built-in fall alarms for various mobility needs, an illuminated control panel at the foot of the bed with a light notification system of patient status providing a visual quick glance for care team members to ensure patient safety.
During this planning process, even the smallest patient was considered. The Nara bassinet found in our Labor and Delivery/Nursery Unit is top of the line with features such as height adjustability for mom to be close to baby, and a bassinet that locks into place for safety of the infant. Facilitating bonding and promoting safety is a functional aspect of these new bassinets.
Patient’s also received new comfort recliners, infusion chairs, over bed-tables, night stands, a few sleeper benches, and sleeper chairs, to integrate patient and visitors as part of the care experience. The integration of all the new furniture will benefit patient visitors and staff, reflecting the importance of all those found in the patient experience.
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