Hospital installs patient lift equipment

PORT JERVIS, N.Y. — The nurses at Bon Secours Community Hospital and St. Joseph’s Place Nursing Home, both members of Bon Secours Charity Health System, had something special to celebrate during National Nurses Week, May 6 — 12. Patient lift equipment had just been installed throughout both facilities. “We now have one of the few lift free hospitals in the region since our new lift equipment has been installed in every room and department,” said Ann Diagostino, RN, clinical director of the hospital’s Med/Surg Unit. “And everyone is currently being trained in their proper use.” Diagostino explained that manual lifting of patients and residents is a major cause of work-related back injury and strain at healthcare facilities. “To protect staff,” she added, “it is crucial to use the correct mechanical aids and working methods in patient handling. Ceiling lifts are proven patient aids that satisfy all these criteria.” In Dec. 2001, Rev. Clifford Jorgenson, an ordained deacon at St. Patrick’s RC Church in Milford, was taking the Eucharist to a homebound parishioner when a heavy tree fell on his automobile. As a result of this accident, Jorgenson suffered severe injuries to his spinal cord and today he is confined to a wheelchair. Although Jorgenson was an average size male patient, nurses frequently had to call for assistance to lift him when he was receiving treatment at Bon Secours Community Hospital. “I think he was embarrassed by this,” said Diagostino, “He made known his complaint and I invited him to serve on a committee that was exploring ways to make improvements at the hospital. One of the suggestions that we followed was that we have more lift equipment. His input helped turn a negative into a positive.” In 2006 Bon Secours Community Hospital received a $250,000 capital grant secured by New York State Senator John Bonacic (R. District 42) to purchase patient lift equipment. The hospital used the grant to purchase new Maxi Sky lifts, which are advertised as the most technologically advanced ceiling lift on the market. The lift is easy to operate and allows a single caregiver to perform transfers by using a hand control without stress or strain and with no manual lifting. The lift has a capacity of 600 lbs. and is designed to meet the demands of handling heavier patients. “At Bon Secours Community, we continually enhance our quality and safety measures,” stated Leah Cerkvenik, hospital administrator. “The addition of the Maxi Sky Lift equipment is a milestone in insuring lift safety for both patients and employees,” she said.