Graham Hospital Spotlights Pressure Ulcer Prevention Successes at Illinois Health and Hospital Association Quality Advocacy Showcase

PLEASANTON, Calif., April 2, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The story of one hospital's dramatic reduction in patient pressure ulcers will be showcased at the Illinois Health and Hospital Association (IHA) Quality Advocacy Showcase, to be held April 3 at the State Capitol building in Springfield, Ill.

Graham Hospital of Canton, in central Illinois, will tell state lawmakers that it eliminated 95 percent of its pressure ulcer cases after deploying the Leaf Patient Monitoring System.

"Graham Hospital felt we needed to aggressively address the problem of pressure ulcers – the nation's most common hospital-acquired condition – by deploying the Leaf Patient Monitoring System to all of our nursing units," said Teresa McConkey, Chief Nursing Executive of Graham Hospital. "The Leaf System notifies our staff when a patient needs to be repositioned to reduce the risk of pressure ulcers.  After six months, the system more than paid for itself by protecting our patients, eliminating costs of treating patients who acquire pressure ulcers and helping patients to more quickly return to their normal daily activities."

This is the fourth annual IHA Quality Showcase.  The event spotlights initiatives undertaken by Illinois hospitals to improve quality and patient care. Nearly 230 quality improvement initiatives were presented during the first three showcases.

The Leaf Patient Monitoring System has been used to track the mobility of more than 25,000 patients for more than 2.5 million hours and was recently shown in a published, randomized, controlled trial of over 1,250 ICU patients to reduce the number of hospital-acquired pressure ulcers by 73 percent while promoting early patient mobility.

Studies have shown the Leaf System improves patient turning and mobility, reduces pressure injury rates, helps nurses prioritize patient care, improves unit workflow, and saves hospitals non-reimbursed costs associated with the treatment of pressure injuries.

The Leaf System, the first FDA-cleared medical technology that continuously monitors patient activity and position to identify those who could benefit from repositioning, has been deployed in healthcare facilities since 2014.  It tracks patient movement and activity in bed-bound, chair-bound, and ambulatory patients.

The federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) recently reported the number of pressure injuries has increased by 10 percent nationally and that they are the fastest-growing hospital-acquired condition. Serious pressure injuries affect 705,000 patients a year and add $10.2 billion to annual U.S. healthcare costs.

About Leaf Healthcare, Inc.

Leaf Healthcare is a medical technology company dedicated to preventing hospital-acquired pressure injuries/ulcers and other immobility-related complications, which are some of the most common and costly hospital-acquired conditions. Several studies have shown that the FDA-cleared Leaf Patient Monitoring System is a powerful tool that reduces hospital-acquired pressure injuries/ulcers, allows providers to prioritize care, and helps provide a safer environment for patients. The Leaf System is available through Leaf Healthcare and Smith & Nephew. To learn more, visit www.leafhealthcare.com

Media Contact:

Mark Smith
Leaf Healthcare
844-826-5323
[email protected]

Jim Martinez
312-543-9026
[email protected]

SOURCE Leaf Healthcare

Related Links

http://www.leafhealthcare.com