News

This week, March 14-20, is National Patient Safety Awareness Week, a national education campaign for promoting patient safety practices. Iredell Health System strives to make quality patient care and satisfaction a top priority every week.

“Every position in the hospital relates to patient safety. Patient safety is our non-negotiable,” said Jed Pidcock, Director of Patient Experience at Iredell Health System.

At Iredell Health System, exceptional patient care goes beyond the hospital walls. Its staff is committed to making sure patients are safe even after they go home. The Iredell Health System staff always has the patient’s best interest in mind. They want to ensure that patients are secure in their own homes, free from abuse or other safety hazards.

“Patients should feel completely safe — 100% of the time. They should be very comfortable with the staff caring for them because every single staff member that touches the patient is an advocate for them,” said Pidcock.

Iredell Health System is Planetree certified, meaning that it puts patient care at the center of the organization and uses this as a foundation for overall patient safety. It continuously seeks to provide compassionate, transparent, and effective communication channels to its patients.

Iredell Memorial Hospital takes pride in being a “No-Pass Zone” facility, a patient experience initiative that promotes safety by providing quick and timely responses to patients’ needs. Regardless of their clinical status, all employees are responsible for ensuring patient safety and are expected to respond to patient call lights when walking through the hallways. They should not continue to pass by a room if a patient is in need of assistance. This initiative ensures that patients are quickly taken care of, even if the initial staff responder cannot take immediate action. The No-Pass Zone has dramatically reduced patient falls, as patients often use their call light to ask for assistance getting to the restroom. With the No-Pass Zone policy, a staff member can quickly get someone qualified to assist the patient immediately and avoid the chance of a fall.

In addition to providing excellent care, Iredell Health System also takes special note to safeguard patient security measures as protecting private data is an integral part of overall patient safety.

Since COVID-19, Iredell Health System employees have taken extra measures to make sure patients are happy, healthy, and safe through sanitation standards and additional care.

The Environmental Services team has gone above and beyond to sanitize and clean every area in the hospital to help keep patients safe.

The staff has also played a vital role in making sure patients feel comfortable in this unprecedented time.

“Staff are doing double duty. They are not just a patient’s healthcare provider; they are filling the role of an emotional support person as well,” said Pidcock.

According to Pidcock, patient safety is a two-way street. It is crucial for patients to be proactive in their healthcare literacy and understand their condition. A patient should establish open communication with their doctor as it is imperative in protecting safety and care, especially if the patient does not understand something.

“The more a patient understands their healthcare and medications, the more likely they are to take the medication as prescribed and take the steps to improve their health and long-term outcomes,” said Pidcock.

At Iredell Health System, each individual employee plays a critical role in delivering safe care this week and every week.