Enhancing Patient Care, One Pump At A Time

On average, 77% of patients admitted to York Central Hospital require an IV Pump during their stay; that’s more than 14,000 patients every year and this number continues to grow. 

“IV pumps are one of the most crucial pieces of equipment at a hospital. They are used to administer pain relief, vital medications, blood products and in some instances, provide patients with the one of the most basic necessities of life: hydration,” said Dr. Larry Grossman, Chief of Staff at York Central Hospital.

Currently, the hospital uses eight different infusion pump systems that do not have built-in safety features.  The inconsistency creates several challenges and presents greater exposure for human error when dispensing medications.  In addition, learning each pump system means on-the-job training, which takes away from the amount of time health care providers spend with their patients.

One of York Central Hospital’s most pressing priorities is to standardize IV pumps hospital-wide.  The pump selected by the Hospital is the Symbiq Infusion System – one with a near perfect safety rating.

This pump system increases safety for patients by auto-programming medications, preventing human errors.  They are electronically manufactured to detect potential errors, averting mistakes while tracking “near misses” for future improvement.  In addition, since the pumps are programmed to dispense the appropriate dosages, nurses and other staff members have more time to spend with patients, improving the overall quality of care.

“Over and above improving patient safety, one standardized pump system will also increase staff satisfaction and reduce expenditures associated with having eight different infusion systems including supplies and service contracts,” said Dr. Grossman.

The pumps communicate wirelessly with installed software, allowing administrators to gather infusion data remotely.  This data is provided in standardized reports to support quality assurance directly related to patient safety and quality of care.

York Central will be the first Hospital in the region to install this system, which has a clinician safety compliance rating of 99.6%.

The total cost of implementing the required 441 new pumps hospital-wide is estimated at $4.8 million.  The Foundation has been challenged to raise $1.2 million for this project in the 2010/2011 fiscal year.

York Central Hospital’s vision is to “be the finest community hospital in Canada”. One standardized infusion pump system hospital-wide will help us achieve this goal.

To find out how you can help us fund this vital initiative, contact Tammy Bucci at 905-883-2032, ext. 5.