In one year, Baptist Memorial Hospital-DeSoto reduced colleague injuries by 88 percent through a $1.7 million investment in ArjoHuntleigh safe patient handling equipment. Baptist DeSoto recently hosted the International President and CEO of ArjoHuntleigh, Alex Myers, to review the facility’s success with the implementation of the equipment.
Cheryl Berry, director of nursing and leader of the employee safe handling effort, said, “I believe we’ve been successful with our efforts because it’s truly been a collaborative and multidisciplinary effort. To change a culture of work styles requires everyone to be on the same page at the same time. Our end goal is to keep our colleagues safe ultimately providing safer care for our patients. The daily support we received from ArjoHuntleigh regarding hands-on training and adjustments at every stage of implementation was key in our success.”
Myers was impressed with the hospital’s dedication to seeing the project through completion in its first year.
“Out of 600 implementations throughout the nation of ArjoHuntleigh safety equipment, Baptist DeSoto ranks in the top 10 percent of the most successful hospitals in the country for reducing employee injuries. It is impressive that Baptist DeSoto reduced injuries this dramatically in the first year. I think over the next couple of years, you are really going to see the trickle down return on investment in patient fall reductions, as well as both patient and nursing satisfaction with easier, more comfortable patient handling.”