In recognition of Patient Safety Awareness Week, DCMH is offering a number of tips to help patients stay safe and take an active role in their care. Patient Safety Awareness Week, which is observed annually to raise awareness of important patient safety issues, is March 11-17, 2018.

“Patient safety is an integral part of the care we provide and engrained within our hospital culture,” said Rex Mckinney, DCMH President/CEO, “We welcome this opportunity to celebrate Patient Safety Awareness Week in collaboration with the Indiana Hospital Association with our patients, our staff and our community.”

DCMH offers the following tips to help patients stay safe and comfortable during their hospital stay:

  • Speak up. You must trust your health care provider, but remember communication is a two-way street. If you have a question or concern about your care, ask your doctor.
  • Keep your hands clean. Hand hygiene is the most effective way to prevent the spread of infection. Keep your hands clean and make sure providers clean their hands before touching you.
  • Educate yourself. Unfortunately, it’s possible to get an infection in the hospital while being treated for something else. Know the signs and symptoms of infection, and let your health care provider know if you experience them.
  • Participate in treatment decisions. Your health care provider has your best interests in mind, but you must be an active participant in your own care. Discuss all treatment options so you can make an informed decision together.

“Patient safety is everyone’s responsibility, from physicians and nurses to patients and visitors,” Mckinney added. “We must all work together to ensure patients receive the best, safest care.”

“Annually we set aside time to celebrate our highest priority – Patient Safety!  When we talk about patient safety, we are actually referring to what we do as a health system to protect our patients from errors, injuries, accidents, and infections.  Safety is everyone’s responsibility.  The staff at Decatur County Memorial work diligently to reduce infection rates, put checks in place to prevent errors, and standardize care that optimizes the patient’s outcome while reducing the risk of complications.  Patient Safety Awareness week is an opportunity to celebrate all the hard work and dedication that it takes to make Decatur County Memorial the best place to receive the best quality – and safety – close by,” Jenn Baltus, RN MSN, Quality Outcomes Coordinator.

For more information about Patient Safety Awareness Week, go to www.unitedforpatientsafety.org.