Positive response to new Welcoming Policy at KEMH

27 July 2017: A new Welcoming Policy programme has been introduced in the Acute Care Wing units of KEMH this month. The new programme recognises patients often need the emotional support of close friends and family as well as quality medical care as they recover.

Launched on Monday 3 July 2017, the programme gives patients control over who can see them and when. Previously, visitors were limited to general visiting hours between noon and 8pm, and visiting outside of those hours was by exception. Now patients are able to select up to two people as official ‘support people’. The designated support people can be in attendance whenever a patient requests, 24/7, or stay overnight if a patient wants them to. Furthermore, general visiting hours have been extended an hour earlier from 11am to 8pm for all other friends and family.

Norma Smith, Clinical Director of Medical and Surgical Services, headed up a ‘Patient-Centred Care’ committee comprising clinical staff, the Hospitals Auxiliary of Bermuda and Security to oversee the project. Patients were also surveyed about the new programme before it went live.

Mrs Smith comments: “This project is very near and dear to my heart. It is an important step in making people’s experience at KEMH truly patient centred. The key is that patients are in control of who sees them and when, rather than the hospital. The selected support people are people who patients think will best support them. Support people may or may not be immediate family, and patients can elect to have no additional support people and just keep their visitors to general welcoming hours.”

Patients have the support person programme explained to them on admission to an acute care ward so they can decide whether they want support people and who they will be. Their designated support people receive a temporary ID and are formally noted in the patient’s medical file, although patients can change who their support people are throughout their stay. Factsheets for patients and support people are provided.

Mrs Smith adds: “Patient support people are there for emotional support. They do not have to be the official next of kin or guardian, as the role is not decision making. Their role is to be available for the patient so patients have access to the people who can provide a calm, loving, supportive presence while they are in hospital. They are not there to direct care, but if the patient wishes, they may be present during doctor consultations.”

Just a few weeks into the project, and already the hospital is receiving positive responses from patients and their families.

One daughter of a patient wrote of the programme: “I love the flexibility and my dad was so much more at ease before his procedure. Hope more people take advantage of it.”

A patient wrote: “The new initiative of two 24/7 access visitors are a very good one and I’m sure many people will use it.”

A patient’s daughter, who lives in the US and flew in the day before her father’s surgery, stated: “It was so good to be able to come straight from the airport that evening, and stay by his bedside until he settled around midnight. He slept better that night and so did I! I am so grateful for this new programme.”

Another lady stated: “I wear my support badge with pride, and use it to take my elderly sister the paper on my way to work, just like I do when she is at home! It’s great!”

Mrs Smith concludes: “I equate this programme to the discovery of a new piece of equipment that will help patients find comfort and healing. It is heartwarming to know that during those lonely, scary or worrisome times during a hospital stay, patients can have someone of their choosing at their bedside to see them through.”

Photo by Monkey Business Images/Shutterstock

Bacardi Wins Corporate Blood Drive 2017 Competition

14 June 2017: Bermuda Hospitals Board (BHB) and the Ministry of Health and Seniors today announce that Bacardi is the winner of the Corporate Blood Drive 2016/17.  This is the fourth Corporate Blood Drive that has taken place, and this annual competition between local companies had the highest ever number of competitors. Bacardi has been awarded the revolving trophy and a certificate to thank them for their commitment to saving lives and caring for those with therapeutic transfusion needs, such as sickle cell and cancer patients.

There were 423 blood donations as a result of the competition – 384 whole blood donations and 39 apherisis donations.  Of these, 79 were from Bacardi who contributed 18.7% of all donations of the competition.  New blood donor numbers rose by 195 in 2016, compared to 52 in 2015, in large part thanks to people signing up as part of this competition.

This year there were nineteen contestants: Appleby, Ariel Re, Argus, Artex, Bacardi, Bermuda Government Department of Corrections, Bermuda Government Department of Accountant General,  Bermuda Police Service, BF&M, Butterfield & Vallis, Estera, FIL Limited, Gosling, HSBC, Kitson Group of Companies, Marsh IAS Management Services (Bermuda) Ltd., Lancashire, the Royal Bermuda Regiment and XL Catlin.

Minister of Health and Seniors, The Hon. Jeanne Atherden JP, MP, comments: “It has been a very active competition this year and I would first like to congratulate Bacardi on a well-earned win.  They contributed nearly a fifth of all the donations, which is amazing. And thank you to all nineteen companies who participated.  You have contributed to an increased number of blood donors in Bermuda.  Your support of employees donating during work time and promoting the competition to them, and their families and friends has made a big difference this year. ”

Dr Clyde Wilson, BHB Chief of Pathology, comments: “Congratulations to Bacardi and thank you to all our competitors – the competition this year has been terrific as you can see from the impact it has had on increased donors and donations.  Bacardi fought hard, with internal promotions and six blood drives to encourage their staff, friends and families to donate. The 195 new blood donors helped bolster numbers, as other donors retired or moved away from Bermuda.  Total donors went up from 968 to 1095. So thank you for supporting this competition.  I can think of no better return on investment than more people in Bermuda donating blood and saving lives.

Dr Eyitayo Fakunle, Consultant Haematologist, comments: “Even with the new donors this year, we are keen to encourage more people to donate. The needs in our community are rising. The hospital has been working at capacity for much of this year and this resulted in the number of transfusions rising by 300 between 2015/16 when there were 1711 transfusions and 2016/17 when there were 2006 transfusions.  The need for blood transfusions goes up as people age and our community is getting older so we expect the numbers to keep going up.  882 or 43.8% of all transfusions were given to people over 64 in 2016. The need increases in line with age so we urge you to think of your parents and grandparents wellbeing, as well as your siblings, friends and children.  There is no greater gift you can give them than the gift of life and it couldn’t be easier for company sign up for the 2017/18 competition – just call or email the Blood Donor Centre at blood.donor@bhb.bm or 236-5067 and we’ll send you the form.”

Lisa Frias, Manager, Global Finance, Bacardi, led the Bacardi effort and comments: “We really decided to commit ourselves to the competition this year and our staff members are thrilled to have won. It has been a great team effort and we hope that we have thrown down the gauntlet for next year – we are certainly ready to win again!  Thank you to all our staff – achieving 18.3% of all donations in the competition shows how dedicated we are to this cause and it is in line with Bacardi’s value of caring.  Blood donation is incredibly important to saving lives and therapeutic treatments, and as a company we are very happy to be supporting our community in a tangible way. ”

Blood Transfusion usage by age:

About Blood Donation

• Bermuda uses about 35 to 45 units of blood per week (one unit is one donated pint of blood)
• Most healthy people between 18 and 70, who weigh a minimum of 110lbs, can donate blood.
• Globally, about 38% of donations are from people under 25. In Bermuda, only 4% of donors are under 25 years of age.
• Globally about 6% of the population (or 45 people out every 1,000) donate. In Bermuda, less than 2% of the total population donates (about 17 out of every 1,000).
• When you donate blood, one pint is taken which is then separated into different components.
• Donors replenish the volume of blood donated within 24 hours and can safely donate blood once every three months.
• To ensure a donor is healthy enough to give blood, donors are asked to fill out a questionnaire and their blood pressure and haemoglobin is checked.
• The entire process, including pre-testing, donating and time for refreshments afterwards takes about half an hour.
• Healthy blood is vital to us all. It has three major functions: to carry oxygen and nutrients to the body cells so they can create energy; to help defend the body against infections and injuries; and to remove waste products from the body cells.
• The average adult contains 10 to 12 pints of blood, which contains many substances including red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets and plasma.

Community survey to help shape clinical services at BHB

12 May 2017: Bermuda Hospitals Board today invites the community to share their perspectives on what is important about BHB services with a survey. The anonymous online survey is being shared as part of BHB’s Clinical Services Planning project. The goal of the project is to listen to feedback, review healthcare data, and speak to various BHB and external stakeholders in order to identify the services BHB should provide the community going forward.

The survey can be accessed at www.surveymonkey.com/r/BHBClinicalServicePlanning. The link can also be found at bermudahospitals.bm and on the BHB Facebook page.

BHB Chief Nurse and Project Lead Judy Richardson comments: “Healthcare needs have changed drastically since the Bermuda Hospitals Act 1970 first listed mandated services, and reviewing what services BHB should offer and how BHB fits within the overall health system is well overdue. At the launch of our strategic plan last year, we adopted the triple aim of improving the patient experience, reducing the per capita cost of care and improving population health.

“Our Clinical Services Planning process will be making recommendation on how we think BHB can best achieve these goals through the delivery of clinical services across King Edward VII Memorial Hospital, the Mid-Atlantic Wellness Institute and the Lamb Foggo Urgent Care Centre. Listening to our staff, physicians, and external stakeholders in the healthcare system and community is a critical part of this project, and we hope people in Bermuda will participate so their perspectives can help shape our eventual recommendations.”

The Clinical Services Planning process is currently in its information gathering phase. Detailed data analysis will take place over the summer, and further opportunities to participate for staff and stakeholders will take place in early fall. The goal is to have a plan with recommendations for the public in January 2018.

Download the BHB Clinical Services Survey Flyer