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Southern Maryland Hospital Center Implements “Condition H”
Patient Safety Initiative
CLINTON, MD – Today, Southern Maryland Hospital Center (SMHC) launched Condition H (HELP), an in-room emergency call system designed to promote patient safety. Patients and family members can now call Condition H from any in-room phone if they become alarmed about a patient’s medical condition or if they are concerned or confused about the patient’s care.
Every call to Condition H dispatches a rapid response team composed of a physician, a critical care nurse, and a respiratory therapist to the patient’s room within minutes. The team is trained to assess the patient’s medical condition, stabilize the patient, and address family members’ concerns. In an emergency, or if family members are unable to get the attention of a healthcare team member, Condition H is a lifeline.
Condition H has two major benefits for patients. First, it acts as a safety net by giving patients direct access to an emergency medical team. Second, it empowers patients’ families to participate in their loved ones’ healthcare. “By implementing Condition H, we are saying to families, ‘You know your loved one better than anyone else. If you become concerned with their medical condition, and you feel that something just isn’t right, please call for help,’” said Darlene Rose, RN, Assistant Director of Quality and Accreditation at SMHC.
SMHC has chosen to participate in Condition H as part of its commitment to the 5 Million Lives Campaign, a national initiative to promote patient safety. Each patient receives a Condition H brochure upon admission to SMHC, and information about how to access Condition H is posted at each bedside. Condition H was developed by the Josie King Foundation and was first implemented at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.
Founded in 1977, Southern Maryland Hospital Center is a 358-bed full service hospital serving the Washington, D.C., metro and Southern Maryland areas. Additionally, SMHC operates a state-of-the-art twenty-four bed subacute unit. Throughout SMHC’s history, it has remained a community leader, a strong supporter of health care education, and a dedicated advocate for quality health care services.
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