Newsroom Archive
Pre-op Huddle
Taking patient safety to a new level in the operating room, JPS has launched an initiative winning both praise from patients and accolades from surveyors for The Joint Commission.
The Pre-operative Huddle is being piloted for surgical cases in Orthopedics, Women’s Services, and Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. Before patients go to the O.R., the surgical team assembles with the patient and his or her family members, giving them a chance to meet the people behind the surgical masks and understand the role each will play.
Good Catch — Nursing a nurse
Devoted to caring for others, nurses don’t always pay the same amount of attention to themselves. Fortunately, however, they look out for one another. That’s what Leslie Haas, RN, did, likely saving the life of a fellow team member.
Haas’ coworker hadn’t felt very well that day, but went about her regular duties and even took on extra duty in the afternoon when an over-booked manager asked for help. As the day wore on, her vision blurred. She looked forward to the end of her shift so she could go home.
Doctors, nurses … and a librarian
Who are the people gathered around the hospitalized patient? Doctors and nurses, yes, but at JPS there could be a librarian there, as well. Clinical librarians have joined the team at JPS, informing medical decision-making with medical literature research, freeing up time for doctors to do what doctors do best: take care of patients.
Blood Drive No. 2
The next blood drive at JPS will be Monday, April 2, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Skills Lab on the third floor of the OPC.
Donors must bring along a driver’s license or other state-issued I.D. (not just your JPS badge) and can reserve a time in advance by clicking here:
John Peter Smith Hospital
Prescribing Fewer Opiates
Amid signs of a worsening opiate crisis across the country, doctors at JPS are doing their part to stem the tide of drug overdose deaths, writing fewer prescriptions for opiate painkillers. The number of opiate prescriptions dispensed by JPS pharmacies fell 35 percent between 2014 and 2017.
“People are doing a much, much better job in our system, absolutely,” said Manu Mathews, MD, director of the JPS Center for Pain Management.
Clean Tools and Hidden Jewels
Successful surgery starts nowhere near the operating room. It starts two floors below in a secluded space — the one where sterile instruments come from.
“This is where it all begins,” said Lisa Taite, RN, manager of Sterile Processing at JPS. “We are the backbone of the O.R.”
Surveyors agree. When the O.R.s at JPS went under The Joint Commission’s microscope last month, a surveyor declared Sterile Processing “a hidden jewel at JPS,” noting “very tight processes,” and adding, “kudos to the team.”
EMR Satisfaction
JPS landed in the 93rd percentile among healthcare networks in a survey of physician satisfaction with electronic medical records, with a majority agreeing that electronic medical recordkeeping promotes quality care.
Compared with survey results from more than 7,700 physicians at 25 institutions across the country, doctors at JPS were more likely than most to agree with the statement, “EMR enables quality care.” When all clinicians were asked if they felt their work was fulfilling, those at JPS overwhelming indicated yes, giving JPS the highest score among all 25.
