System and Hospital News - July 2018

Premier Health has begun rolling out a comprehensive patient blood management program. Blood products are precious, scarce, and expensive, and transfusions are not without risk. Data suggest that as many as half of all transfusions might be unnecessary or avoidable. Similar comprehensive patient blood management programs have reduced the incidence of blood product transfusion by 30 percent to 40 percent. Approximately 32,000 blood transfusions take place annually across Premier Health, so the potential reduction in such procedures is significant. This five-year, evidence-based program will involve all clinical staff who manage blood products, as well as those who care for patients with anemia, blood loss or potential blood loss. 

Premier Health and Encompass Health, formerly known as HealthSouth Corporation, announced plans to build a 60-bed freestanding rehabilitation hospital near Miami Valley Hospital. The Rehabilitation Institute of Ohio, a joint venture of Premier Health and Encompass Health, is expected to open in early 2020 at the corner of South Main and West Apple streets. The hospital will be designed to complement future development at the nearby former Montgomery County Fairgrounds property, which is owned by Premier Health and the University of Dayton. Encompass Health's HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital of Dayton at Elizabeth Place will relocate to the new hospital, and Encompass Health will oversee the new hospital's operations.

In recognition of the 100th anniversary of the great influenza pandemic of 1918, also known as the Spanish flu, the Premier Health infection prevention teams are displaying several banners throughout our hospitals this year highlighting several key interventions that promote improved practices for us as a hospital community. The topics you will see include: handwashing, antibiotic safety and stewardship, immunizations, and prevention of health care-associated infections. We seek to deliver meaningful messages on each of these topics and invite our physicians, staff, and visitors to participate in sharing the awareness and join in our passion.

Premier Health announced it will convert Atrium Health Center Mason on Mason-Montgomery Road (Mason Emergency Center) to a Premier Health Urgent Care Center. The transition is expected to be complete by the end of July 2018. Since the emergency center opened three years ago, many patients have used it for needs that could be better met in a lower cost urgent care setting.

The Natural Beginnings Birth Center at Atrium Medical Center recently celebrated its 100th natural birth since the center opened at the end of 2016. Carlie and Grayson Schick of Middletown welcomed their new daughter Abigail Pearl on April 26. Natural Beginnings – the first comprehensive natural birth center in the greater Cincinnati area located within an acute care hospital – offers expectant mothers services to experience labor without traditional interventions. Housing two private natural birthing suites within the hospital’s Family Birth Center serves as an additional safety net, as nearby medical staff can respond with emergency and surgical care if necessary.

The obstetrics/gynecological clinic on Atrium’s campus is now called Atrium Maternal Health Clinic. The name change comes as pediatric services at the clinic were discontinued at the end of 2017 due to other comprehensive primary care options for pediatric patients now available at federally qualified health centers in Middletown. Atrium Maternal Health Clinic continues to see and treat Ob/Gyn patients, and offer programs such as the recently introduced CenteringPregnancy prenatal program for local moms-to-be.

The City of Lebanon hosted a grand opening celebration for the Premier Health Atrium Medical Center Bike Park at 475 E. Turtlecreek Union Road. The multi-use bike park, which is unique to the region, will offer cycling opportunities for all skill levels and abilities. The park features a mountain bike trail, pump track, skills area, jump line, and Cyclo-cross course. Premier Health and Atrium Medical Center are both park sponsors.

Premier Health is making it more convenient for employees and residents to safely dispose of unused medications at any time at several Premier Health sites. Unused medication receptacles will be available around-the-clock at the following locations:

• Atrium Medical Center: front lobby beside gift shop
• Good Samaritan North Health Center (Miami Valley Hospital North as of July 23, 2018): lobby beside retail pharmacy
• Miami Valley Hospital: beside the Apple Street elevators (first floor)
• Miami Valley Hospital South: bed tower lobby outside maternity center entrance
• Upper Valley Medical Center: at the foot of the main staircase in the hospital lobby

We recommend that you place your unused medication in plastic baggies instead of bottles. The unused drugs will be incinerated in an environmentally appropriate manner. It is not appropriate to use the receptacles to dispose of needles, syringes, aerosolized cans, inhalers, thermometers, lotions, or liquids.

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Source: Premier Health Nursing