Desert Valley Medical Center First to Use Leaf Healthcare Patient Wearable Technology in its ED as Part of Hospital-wide Deployment

PLEASANTON, Calif., March 26, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Desert Valley Medical Center, named a Top 100 Hospitals® in the Nation five times, is the first U.S. hospital to deploy the wireless Leaf Patient Monitoring System in its emergency department to help clinicians prevent hospital acquired pressure ulcers.

Desert Valley, located in Victorville, Calif., is a community hospital serving some higher risk populations, including elderly and bariatric patients.  Using the Leaf Patient Monitor in the hospital's emergency department enables the clinical staff to monitor patients who are being observed. Typically, the ED staff is not required to periodically turn patients, the standard of care for the prevention of pressure ulcers.

The hospital deployed Leaf technology throughout its 148-bed facility on March 3, 2015.  During the first 30 days of use, hospital staff will assess how best to use the technology to protect patients.  Afterward, the system's use will become part of the institution's patient safety protocols.

"At any hospital, patients are being taken care of by humans and humans can make mistakes," said Patrick Reinhard, chief nursing officer.  "We believe the Leaf system can help us identify those mistakes before they compound to create a medical problem for our patients. We also expect the system to help our clinical staff allocate its time more efficiently by identifying the patients who need help with repositioning – and those who do not."

Clinical studies have shown that Leaf's novel, wearable patient sensor can help medical professionals' efforts to prevent the occurrence of pressure ulcers. One study found that using Leaf sensor increased compliance with hospital turn protocols – a standard of care to prevent pressure ulcers – from a baseline of 64 percent at the start of the trial to 98 percent after the monitoring system was deployed.

"Preventing even one pressure ulcer case can save a patient from excruciating pain and prevent tens of thousands of dollars from being spent on medical care to cure a preventable condition," said Reinhard. "Leaf technology is an investment in improved care."

The Leaf system is comprised of a small, lightweight, wearable sensor that electronically monitors a patient's position and movements.  Data collected by the sensor is communicated wirelessly to central monitoring stations or mobile devices so that caregivers can check on patient position and movement.  The system provides alerts when necessary to ensure that all patients wearing a Leaf Sensor are repositioned according to their prescribed turning schedules to reduce incidence of pressure ulcers.  The device has been cleared for sale by FDA 510(k).   

Institution-acquired pressure ulcers are a leading threat to modern quality healthcare. Research by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality shows that pressure ulcers cost the nation's healthcare system more than $11 billion a year.   The condition is both excruciatingly painful for patients and costly for providers since it is considered preventable and, therefore, does not qualify for reimbursement by government and other payers.

About Desert Valley Medical Center

Desert Valley Medical Center is an innovative, 148-bed acute care hospital that provides state-of-the-art, quality health care.  The hospital's emergency department is the most efficient in the region, with Fast Track that significantly reduces patient wait times. 

Desert Valley received a coveted "accreditation with commendation" designation in its first year of operation from the Joint Commission. It is a five-time winner of the Top 100 Hospital® in the Nation award presented by Thomson Reuters and has been recognized by Premier/CareScience as one of the Top 1 Percent of Hospitals in the Nation for quality of healthcare. The Hospital Facilities Accreditation Program gave the hospital the highest marks of any hospital in California for quality patient care, with a 99.4 percent score of achievable standards. PacifiCare's Quality INDEX survey conducted in 2004 ranked the hospital the top of the Top 10 Hospitals in California.

About Leaf Healthcare, Inc.

Leaf Healthcare creates wireless patient monitoring solutions for health care providers seeking more efficient, cost effective ways to improve patient safety and clinical outcomes.  The Leaf Patient Monitoring System wirelessly monitors a patient's position and movement and uses that data to automate and document the management of prescribed turn protocols for patients at risk for hospital acquired pressure ulcers.  The company continually seeks to incorporate more patient monitoring features and capabilities into its technology platform, enabling ever-broader improvements to patient safety, clinical efficiency and patient outcomes. To learn more, visit www.leafhealthcare.com

Leaf Healthcare is a proud supporter of the National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel (NPUAP).  The NPUAP is an independent organization and does not endorse or promote the products or services of any of its supporters.

SOURCE Leaf Healthcare, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.leafhealthcare.com