Patient Safety | Partners in Safety
The Basics
We encourage you and your family to be involved in your care and all your treatment decisions. If you don’t understand what is happening or something doesn’t seem right, please let us know. There are no wrong or bad questions.
- Preventing Infection
- Invasive Procedures and Consents
- Time Out
- Preventing Falls
- Medications
- Rapid Response Team
Preventing Infection
We take hand washing seriously. It is the most effective way to prevent the spread of infection. Please encourage your health care providers to wash their hands before touching you. For everyone’s protection, also encourage visitors to wash their hands with soap and water or waterless gel. We ask that your visitors delay their visit if they have a cold or cough.
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Invasive Procedures and Consents
The health care professional responsible for your care will check your identity, what kind of surgery you are having and the part of your body on which surgery is to be performed. You will be asked these questions many times. This is done for your safety. Please be patient with us.
If you are undergoing a medical procedure that involves your right or left side, your surgeon will mark the site with a “yes.” Right- or left-side procedures on your face will be marked with a dot to indicate the correct side. This procedure is very important to ensure your safety.
It is important to carefully look at and read any consent prior to signing it.
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Time Out
Before your procedure the team will do one final check for your safety. They will stop and do a “time out” or “pause” to assure that all the checks have been completed and that they have what they need to take care of you.
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Preventing Falls
You are at greater risk of falling while in an unfamiliar place such as a hospital. Most falls occur as people are trying to move to and from the bathroom.
Always ask for help when you need to get up. Your caregiver will stop in at least every hour, but please call for help whenever you need it and remember these fall prevention basics:
- Use your call button to summon help.
- Wear the pair of non-skid slipper socks you received on admission.
- Family members should help make sure safety rules are followed and that surroundings are free of clutter.
- Family members should ask a caregiver to help a patient out of bed, even if they are able to do it alone at home.
- “Call, don’t fall” signs at the foot of the bed and in the bathroom
- A yellow “fall risk” wrist-band
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Medications
Your medical team needs to know what medications you take.
Please bring all your medications, including non-prescription medications, vitamins and herbal supplements, with you to the hospital or have a friend or family member bring them. Your nurse will go over the medications with you to be sure we understand how often and when you take them.
- Please have the medications taken home after your nurse has seen them.
- Know and tell your health care providers about any allergies you have.
- If you do not recognize a medication, check with the nurse to confirm that your doctor ordered it.
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Rapid Response Team
A dedicated rapid response team will come to your bedside if there is a change in your condition. This team is specifically trained to manage rapid health changes and will work together closely with your nurses and doctors. If you or your family feel that immediate help is needed to manage a change in your condition, please ask any staff member to call the rapid response team.
If you have concerns regarding patient safety, please contact:
Mills-Peninsula Health Services
Patient Relations
1501 Trousdale Drive
Burlingame, CA 94010
650-696-5565
You may also contact:
Department of Public Health
District Office
350 90th Street, 2nd floor
Daly City, CA 94015
800-554-0353
The Joint Commission
1 Renaissance Blvd.
Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181
800-994-6610
Thank you for working with us to make your visit a safe one.
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