Small Hospital Cuts Patient Falls By 95%

Despite already being below the national average on ­patient falls, Lallie Kemp Regional Medical Center's staff and leadership still felt falls were happening too often. The small but busy 25-bed critical access hospital pulled together to implement many tried-and-true methods, and in the process earned a national patient safety award and proved that a combination of methods, along with a new culture, works best for success.

In May, the National Patient Safety Foundation (NPSF) recognized Independence, La.-based Lallie Kemp for its exemplary efforts in improving patient safety with the 2012 Stand Up for Patient Safety Management Award. The organization developed and implemented a program that dramatically reduced falls among its inpatient population.

To qualify for the award, an initiative was required to ­demonstrate evidence of patient safety improvement with ­involvement of staff at all levels of the organization and be led or created by the mid-level management of a ­hospital. The award is given for initiatives within a ­member ­organization of the NPSF Stand Up for Patient Safety program. Shawn Hariel, risk manager, accepted the award May 24 at the Stand Up member breakfast, held during the 14th annual NPSF Patient Safety Congress, May 23-25, in Washington, D.C.

"This effort, designed by a multidisciplinary team, ­resulted in measurable, positive change at their facility that took them beyond the 'acceptable' range and closer to 'zero' for this ­particular form of patient harm," Diane C. Pinakiewicz, MBA, CPPS, president of NPSF, said in a press statement.