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Special Delivery Arrives in Gardena ED A small and very special delivery arrived in the Emergency Department at Memorial Hospital of Gardena Jan. 21. EMS brought to the hospital a young woman who was found on the street. She said she was having a baby, and she complained of leg pain. The ED team observed a vaginal bleed and determined that she was in active labor. “All departments showed tremendous teamwork and delivered a 24-week, 1.7-pound baby girl,” said Antaures Osborne, RN, director of emergency services at the Gardena hospital. “They were able to establish an IV and give D10 (strong sugar water) for the baby’s low glucose. Then a physician and nurses from Miller Children’s and Women’s Hospital arrived and transferred the mother and baby in record time,” she added. According to Osborne, the NICU physician called a few days later with an update on the baby’s progress. “He said she never needed intubation, she was tolerating the feeding, and her vitals were stable,” Osborne said. “He congratulated our Gardena team for an amazing job. ”Osborne reports that the ED team has delivered a baby before, but this one was a tiny premature baby that should have been delivered at a hospital that specializes in Labor and Delivery. “We always try to get our laboring patients transferred before they deliver since we no longer have a labor and delivery unit,” she said. “This delivery was very high risk, and the team worked together so well.
Community Hospital of Huntington Park personnel raised the roof with a DJ for dancing in their festive holiday attire. The party was held to celebrate the season and employees’ good work in caring for their patients throughout the year. About 100 employees and guests enjoyed the evening Dec. 16 at the Embassy Suites in Downey. Employees of East Los Angeles Doctors Hospital celebrated the holiday season with a festive array of hats worn to their party Dec. 16. The event took place at Luminarias in Monterey Park. About 160 employees and guests enjoyed a dinner of Garlic Grilled Chicken, Rosemary Bistro Filet, Sauteed Broccolini and Krispy Tofu. DJ Mijo Entertainment played a wide variety of music that included holiday tunes, hip-hop music, 80’s favorites, R&B music and some Latin mix.
Two Sub-acute Units Offer Virtual Tour Pipeline Health is home to two sub-acute care units located at Memorial Hospital of Gardena and East Los Angeles Doctors Hospital. Each hospital now offers virtual tours of these facilities via short video tours available via the hospital and Pipeline websites. Comprised of 25 beds, the relatively small facility at East LA Doctors Hospital affords residents more intimate care with a dedicated team. Nurses and respiratory therapists are available 24/7, and physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy are all conveniently provided on the unit. Long visiting hours – 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. – allow great flexibility for family members to drop in. Take the tour and learn more by clicking here: https://youtu.be/midj1nztDik?feature=shared With 69 sub-acute beds located on two floors, residents can stay on the unit at the Gardena hospital indefinitely. Staff provide their special expertise and compassion to the residents, as well as family members. They provide assistance with dressing, bathing, grooming, eating and other daily activities. Weekly care plan meetings held for each resident involve that individual’s interdisciplinary care team members, as well as family members who might attend in person or via telephone. P therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy are provided conveniently on the unit. Dialysis is offered for residents requiring that care. Take the tour and learn more by clicking here: https://youtu.be/JNPtYWdl5co
Hand Hygiene Initiative Rolls Out at Hospitals A new initiative to improve adherence to hand hygiene practices has launched at Pipeline Health’s four hospitals. The overarching goal is to improve patient safety by tackling hospital-acquired infections (HAIs). “We aim to increase hand hygiene compliance among healthcare providers and significantly lower the risk of infections for our patients,” explained Pipeline’s Chief Medical Officer Dr. Vincent Green. “High compliance with hand hygiene also has been shown to decrease risk to staff and physicians of pathogen colonization according to Valerie Lowe, system director of infection prevention. “In recent weeks, we have trained 60 secret observers in departments across all hospitals,” she said. “The role of these observers is to monitor staff and physician adherence to evidence-based hand hygiene practices before and after contact with patient or the patient’s surroundings.” Lowe explained that the observations will be shared with clinical leaders, who also have received training for the initiative. The clinical leaders will provide coaching to enhance individuals’ awareness and compliance with hand hygiene practices as warranted. At the same time, the observation data will go into a central database to formulate an evidence-based hand hygiene improvement strategy for Pipeline’s hospitals.
Huntington Park Marks Milestone in Infection Control In a season of joy, staff at Community Hospital of Huntington Park have another reason to celebrate. As of mid-December, the hospital has marked the milestone of 12 months with no incidence of CLABSI or CAUTI infections among their patients. Central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI) and catheter associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI) are hospital-acquired infections that can be dangerous for patients. “Patient safety is our main goal in this push for no CLABSI and CAUTI,” said Analyn Libiran, R.N., nurse director for the medical surgical/telemetry department. “Daily surveillance, adherence to our protocols, and, most of all, teamwork from all the staff made the difference,” she added. Lance Uhles, R.N., director of the hospital’s emergency department and intensive care unit, said, “Our patients deserve the best care available. We do no harm by using best practices – that is the basis for providing the best care.” Uhles credited the nursing staff with the milestone achievement. “They strive to be the best, and their diligence in patient care has been the difference,” he said. “Analyn has been instrumental in this as well. She has worked so hard with her staff to always follow best practices in the care of our patients.” Chief Nursing Officer Colleen Bauer, R.N., praised Uhles and Libiran for their leadership as well as the commitment of the Huntington Park team. “We are really proud of our staff."