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SPH Medical is a leading provider of solutions focused on reducing risk of injury to patient handling staff, and reducing hospital acquired infections and pressure ulcers.

CategoriesPatient Handling

New Cost Effective Overhead Patient Lifts for California

by sphmedicaladmin

With the recent structural engineering details approval by OSHPD we now offer a the largest overhead patient lift system portfolio accessible to California Hospitals.  The “OPM” issued on February 1st, 20018 offers several cost effective installation methods and a wide range of lifting capacities from 300 lbs to 1000 lbs.   Overhead patient lifting systems are the gold standard of Safe Patient Handling solutions to reduce the risk of injury to caregivers.

Overhead patient lifts are permanently installed in the ceiling or set up on portable tracks.  The reason for their success is that they are always accessible and available.  The lift system tracks are designed to address all the typical patient movement that occurs in a hospital room, nursing home, or even in a persons home.

According to a recent Bureau of Labor Statistics report, nurses and nursing assistants as a combined group nationally are the 2nd highest at risk occupational group for injury and illness just behind laborers and freight, stock, material movers and and are more at risk than “Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers”.  Unfortunately California is statistically above the national average.  Patient Handling injuries are not going away and we need to make every effort to get the right solutions into the hands of our nurses and caregivers.

SPH Medical provides turn-key overhead patient lift system design and installation services to meet the needs of healthcare facilities across the country.  Our ability to now address California patient lift system installations in a more cost effective manner will help many hospitals reduce the risk of injury to patient care staff and mobilize patients safely to reduce patient falls, pressure ulcers, and lengths of stay.

To view the OSHPD OPM for Handicare patient lifts visit:  https://www.oshpd.ca.gov/FDD/Pre-Approval/OPM-0441-13.pdf

About SPH Medical:

Who We Are

SPH Medical is a leading provider of solutions focused on reducing risk of injury to patient handling staff, and reducing hospital acquired infections and pressure ulcers.  By offering clinical education and consulting services combined with the latest technology in assistive solutions we are helping facilities and caregivers address these areas of risk within their facilities.  Our mission is to reduce injuries and improve patient care outcomes through the products and services we provide “Reducing Risk and Improving Outcomes”.  SPH Medical offers the broadest and most comprehensive safe patient handling equipment portfolio in the industry. This broad spectrum of solutions provides you with a single source for all your lifting, transferring, repositioning, bariatric, raising, and patient mobilization needs.

 

 

 

CategoriesPatient Handling

UV Light used to protect NICU patients

by sphmedicaladmin

UV Technology is being used to disinfect phones, tablets, stethoscopes and more to help protect NICU patients at Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital.  They purchased 5 UV Boxes to add to each of their hand washing stations for caregivers and visitors to use.  Author Luanne Rife covers the ease of use success of this simple and easy to use solution.

“After a year of looking for a simple, easy-to-use solution, they settled on boxes that use ultraviolet light to kill viruses and bacteria without harming expensive electronics.”

http://www.roanoke.com/news/local/roanoke/carilion-nicu-uses-uv-light-to-protect-tiniest-patients-from/article_8fe85c7d-7d18-5957-bccb-75c7d2d19cb5.html

Author Luanne Rife

Learn more about The UV Box here https://sphmedical.com/auvs-disinfect-phones-tablets

SPH Medical, Inc. provides Safe Patient Handling and Infection Prevention solutions to hospitals and healthcare facilities.  Contact us for more information about reducing HAI’s and improving patient safety at your facility.

email: info@sphmedical.com

tel: 1-844-377-4633

CategoriesPatient Handling

Hospital saves $360,000 with AUVS – UV Box

by sphmedicaladmin
SPH Medical offers hospitals the ability to disinfect mobile phones, tablets and more with the UV Box.  Some hospitals have reported cost savings of $360,000 annually by eliminating disposable lead wires and cables.  This cost savings does not include the savings of reducing Hospital Acquired Infections which is estimated at approximately $15,000 per infection.

DECONTAMINATE & SANITIZE

  • Cell Phones and Tablets
  • Stethoscopes
  • Blood Pressure Cuffs
  • Nurse Calls
  • Call Cords
  • TV Remote Controls
  • Pillow Speakers
  • EKG Wires
  • Laryngoscope Handles
  • Blood Glucose Meters
  • Electric Thermometers
  • Oximeter Sensors
  • Vacuum Regulators
  • Ultrasound Transducers…and more.

Contact SPH Medical for more information about the UV Box for your facility

email: info@sphmedical.com

Phone: 844-377-4633

web: www.sphmedical.com

 https://sphmedical.com/contact
CategoriesPatient Handling

Protecting NICU patients from MRSA

by sphmedicaladmin

In a recent study published in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology, Dr. Goldstein concluded that even if hospital workers practice perfect hand hygiene, MRSA can still spread among babies in the NICU.

Is this true?  Does handwashing not work?  According to the study, even with theoretical perfect handwashing compliance, the averaged risk of transmission is only reduced by 86%!

Acording to Dr. Goldstein, “We can follow hygiene procedures, use gowns or gloves as needed, keep a clean environment, not bring in possible fomites such as cell phones, watches, or jewelry, and be a watchdog for the hospital, requesting that healthcare workers do hand hygiene if we don’t see it being done”. “Outside the hospital, patients and parents can be more vigilant in requesting and using antibiotics appropriately so as not to give rise to antimicrobial resistant organisms. We’re all participants in infection control, not just the clinicians.”

The full study, “A Network Model of Hand Hygiene: How Good is Good Enough to Stop the Spread of MRSA?” can be found here.

The study highlights the necessity to disinfect mobile phones, tablets, jewelry and other small portable devices or personal items.  The new AUVS UV Box is the simple answer to this challenging issue.  in 55 seconds the UV Box achieves a 4 log kill of C. diff and MRSA!

Visit SPH Medical for more information about the AUVS UV Box, the Halo Disinfection System and other solutions to reduce risk of HAI transmission in healthcare facilities.

AUVS Reduce HAI’s by Closing the Gaps

CategoriesPatient Handling

Mobile Devices Threaten Patient Safety

by sphmedicaladmin

In a well written article published in Infection Control Today, author Kelly M. Pyrek explores the risks that mobile devices are creating for patients and cites evidence from several key studies that we should be concerned and doing more to decontaminate these mobile devices.

Mobile phones, tablets and other electronic devices are potential transport mechanisms for harmful bacteria and viruses that can infect patients and staff alike.

Kelly M. Pyrek writes “This study indicates that unreported antibiotic resistant bacterial contaminants of mobile phones of patients may be a matter of great concern.  Hence, it is recommended that all patients admitted in hospitals be educated about guidelines of using mobile phones, regular disinfection of their mobile phones, hand hygiene and be advised not to share mobile phones with other people so that role of contaminated mobile phones in the spread of nosocomial infections can be prevented to some extent.”

A link to the article can be found below.

About SPH Medical:

SPH Medical provide solutions to healthcare facilities to reduce the risk of Hospital Acquired Infections (HAI’s) and workplace injuries resulting from manual patient handling.   The new AUVS – UV disinfection device rapidly disinfects mobile phones, tablets, iPads, and portable hospital equipment.   The Halo disinfection system Kills 99.9999% of C. diff spores throughout an entire room.  Visit SPH Medical for more information:  https://sphmedical.com/auvs-disinfect-phones-tablets

Watch the AUVS disinfection system in action:

http://www.infectioncontroltoday.com/articles/2017/02/mobile-technology-disinfection-contaminated-devices-pose-threat-to-patients.aspx

CategoriesPatient Handling

CDC and NiOSH – Safe Patient Handling is a priority

by sphmedicaladmin

Nurses continue to be injured at an alarming rate compared to other professions. With an increasing retirement population of baby boomers and now skilled nurses leaving the workforce for retirement our hospitals are facing a knowledge and skill gap that is difficult to replace. Safe Patient Handling efforts by many hospitals have allowed Nurses to work safely, longer.

The CDC and NiOSH have developed a web page that provides a wide variety of links and resources related to Safe Patient Handling and injury prevention.

Here is an excerpt from the CDC’s website:

Patient Handling Hazards

Rates of musculoskeletal injuries from overexertion in healthcare occupations are among the highest of all U.S. industries. Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) show that in 2014, the rate of overexertion injuries averaged across all industries was 33 per 10,000 full time workers. By comparison, the overexertion injury rate for hospital workers was twice the average (68 per 10,000), the rate for nursing home workers was over three times the average (107 per 10,000), and the rate for ambulance workers was over five times the average (174 per 10,000).1 The single greatest risk factor for overexertion injuries in healthcare workers is the manual lifting, moving and repositioning of patients, residents or clients, i.e., manual patient handling.

The CDC resource page can be found here: https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/safepatient/

About SPH Medical, Inc

SPH Medical is a leading provider of clinical education and solutions to help hospitals reduce the risk of staff and patient injuries and their associated costs. SPH Medical focuses on three key areas; education, safe patient handling, and infection prevention.

ICU Patients benefit from Early Patient Mobility

Contact SPH Medial today to help mobilize patient safely, implement early patient mobility programs, improve outcomes and reduce the risk of injury to both patients and staff.

www.sphmedical.com
info@sphmedical.com
Tel: 1-844-3-SPHMED

CategoriesPatient Handling

Halo Disinfection – Data tracking with iPhone

by sphmedicaladmin

The leading total room disinfection system just got even better!

The Halo Fogger now has the capability of tracking data.   The Halo Fogger is known for being the most effective total room disinfection system available today .  Using a proprietary 5% Hydrogen Peroxide solution that is combined with .01% Silver to create a powerful killing mechanism, the Halo Fogger can kill up to 99.9999% of C. diff spores throughout an entire room.

With the new tracking capability and bluetooth connection, any user can download the Halo app from the iTunes app store and track the Halo system usage.  One customer commented that they like the ability to input the staff name that performed the disinfection and also the notes section to make any specific observations about the room that was disinfected.

Another great feature is the ability to send the data from the iPhone app to others via email.  This reporting capability is a major advancement for hospitals that want to keep an electronic log of their disinfections.

Watch the new HaloLog video here:

CategoriesPatient Handling

A Breathable Sheet for Repositioning

by sphmedicaladmin

The new SPH Medical PositioningSling disposable is changing the way hospitals lift, move and transfer patients!

PositioningSling - A new breathable sheet for repositioning

Nurses continue to be injured during boosting and turning patients in bed.  Nurses have been looking for a convenient tool that allows them to perform these tasks without having to apply and remove it every time they need it.  Other products on the market increase heat and moisture under patients and are often banned by wound care experts.  The new PositioningSling is the right solution to help with these tasks and it is safe for patients skin!

We had the PositioningSling tested by a 3rd party testing lab to look at breathability and heat.  The results were significant.  It was determined that the PositioningSling is comparable to normal hospital bed linen!  It’s also helpful that this new universal sheet supports up to 1000 lbs.

Every hospital is faced with patients that are bedridden and require frequent in bed positioning.  This is especially common in the Intensive Care Unit where the most complex patients are treated for a variety of different illnesses and injuries.  What does this mean for nursing staff?  It means more manual lifting, boosting, and turning is required to ensure that the patient doesn’t develop bed sores.  Additionally hospitals are also realizing that early patient mobility is helpful to improve cardiac and respiratory function.  Again, this means more manual work for nurses which puts them at risk of injury from overexertion and all the manual lifting, limb holding, pushing, pulling and applying pressure tasks they have to perform.  How do nurses avoid injury with all these manual patient care tasks that they face every hour of every 12 hour shift?

Safe Patient Handling programs have been implemented to reduce the risk of injury to nurses and nurse assistants while improving patient care.  Hospitals under new construction today are adding ceiling lifts and mobile lifts so that patients can be lifted and transferred safely.  The modern overhead lifts offered and installed by SPH Medical enable nurses to perform all of the above mentioned tasks now with the aid of mechanical assistance.

One of the most frequent tasks that nurses face everyday is in bed repositioning.  With patients continuing to get heavier and your average ICU patient weighing 285lbs you can see how dangerous it can be to try to lift, move, boost, or turn your average patient.  This is where the breathable repositioning sheet comes into play.  Because the SPH Medical repositioning sheet is breathable it can remain under patients during their entire length of stay to facilitate all day patient care.  The result is increased nursing satisfaction, reduction in injuries and lost work days.  This new repositioning sheet is a win win for everyone involved.  Fortunately SPH Medical keeps these sheets in stock and delivers them to hospitals daily to ensure nurses are free from injury.

Contact SPH Medical today to request a sample and reduce risk of pressure ulcers while reducing risk of injury to staff.

Request a Quote for your facility.

Early Patient Mobility
CategoriesPatient Handling

Early Patient Mobility update

by sphmedicaladmin

Early Patient Mobility happens with the RoWalker

The RoWalker is now the leading ambulation and mobility aid selected by ICU Nurses and Physical Therapists across the country.  After hundreds of trials and evaluations, leading Magnet hospitals, teaching hospitals, and more have selected the RoWalker to support their patient mobility programs.   

What are the staff saying about the RoWalker?

  • The seat flaps are one of the best features because now we don’t need to pull a wheelchair behind, the patient can rest frequently and they push themselves because the seat flaps are there to catch them.
  • Our mobility scores have increased on every floor with the RoWalker!
  • The accessories (O2 holder, IV pole holder and basket) are great! We use the basket for cardiac monitors, extra chucks, and disinfectant, and the IV pole holder eliminates having an extra person/hands to manage it and walk alongside.
  • The adjustable height platform is great, and it is good that it is not powered, so we don’t have to remember to plug it in.

What are some of the patients types, that staff are progressing using the RoWalker?

  • ICU, Med Surg, Neuro, Physical Therapy, etc…
  • Vent patients
  • Post CABG
  • Post Ortho Surgery ambulation
  • CVA / Stroke
  • Weakened oncology
  • COPD and other Respiratory
  • Neurological (MS, TBI, Parkinsons,etc…)

Contact SPH Medical for more information

info@sphmedical.com

Tel: 844-377-4633

visit: www.sphmedical.com

https://sphmedical.com/portfolios/rowalker

Helpful Links: AHRQ Get Patients Out of Bed Faster 

CategoriesPatient Handling

C. diff is hazardous to the financial health of hospitals

by sphmedicaladmin

C. diff is hazardous to the financial health of hospitals

The Halo Disinfection System is a cost-effective prevention strategy

Clostridium difficile, one of the most common and hard-to-treat healthcare-acquired infections (HAI), sickens nearly half a million people a year in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; 29,000 of them die from the disease contracted in hospitals or long-term care facilities.

C. diff also is hazardous to the financial health of health care institutions, insurers and society as a whole. A recent study published in the American Journal of Infection Control says C. diff pushes up hospital costs for infected patients an average of 40 percent per case, when compared to patients who do not acquire C. diffduring their hospital stays.

The study—titled Impact of Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea on acute-care length of stay, hospital costs, and readmission—analyzed patients discharged between January 2009 and December 2011. Records for 171,586 patients discharged from about 500 U.S. hospitals in the Premier Healthcare Database were examined in a retrospective analysis. Researchers concluded that C. diff contributed to an increase of approximately 40 percent in costs per case, translating to an average of $7,285 in additional costs.

“Although it’s commonly known that C. diff contributes to high costs and less than ideal outcomes, this study is the first to provide a complete look at how much of an impact it has on U.S. hospitals and patients,” says Glenn Magee, MBA, lead author of the study and principal research scientist at Premier. “Efforts focused on preventing initial C. diff episodes, and targeted therapy to prevent recurrences for vulnerable patients, are essential to decrease this burden.”

We concur. In addition to more judicious management of antibiotics, effective disinfection is essential in preventing C. diff.

The Halo Disinfection System™ distributed by SPH Medical delivers hands-free, whole room surface disinfection with aerosolized hydrogen peroxide, resulting in a 6-log kill rate that dramatically reduces infections, saving money and lives. And, the price tag per patient room is surprisingly affordable.

So affordable that more than 350 patient rooms could be thoroughly disinfected for the equivalent of the additional cost involved in treating ONE SINGLE CASE of C. diff. That does not even take into account the very important goals of preventing human suffering and, in coming years, avoiding significant reimbursement payment penalties.

$7,285 vs. the cost of affordably disinfecting 350 rooms. Which choice would you want your hospital to make?

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