FIRST HAND 

 A Publication For Employees of Lawrence and memorial Hospital

June 1, 2007

 

L&M's "Lift-Free" Program Makes Its Mark; Costs of Injuries

Associated with Patient Handling Drops by 85%

L&M's Employee Health department reports an 85% reduction in costs of patient handling injuries

directly related to the 160 new "high tech" Hill-Rom beds, and the "Get A Lift" training program, coordinated by Catherine Gouvin, L&M's ergonomics specialist, Jessica Babineau, PT, and Ruth

Moreau, Director of Occupational Health. Both the beds and the 2007 acquisition of patient lifting devices were made possible by proceeds received in 2004 from the estate of Chester W. Kitchings.

     According to Moreau, a full ergonomics plan was approved in 2004, and included hiring a full-time ergonomics specialist. The first area of focus was to decrease patient handling injuries. The new beds, which arrived at L&M in 2005, were a cornerstone of the safe patient handling program. Building on

the program, that same year L&M also purchased certain pieces of lifting equipment and began training employees. In 2006, L&M's President, Bruce D. Cummings, asked Moreau and her team about making L&M  a "lift-free" hospital, which paved the way for the formal introduction of the "Lift Free" program in 2007. Adds Moreau, "Persistence really does pay off. When Catherine, our ergonomics specialist, started she was working 4 hours a week. To see how the program has evolved

and what a difference it's made is remarkable." Adds Gouvin, "We're way ahead of most hospitals in the depth and scope of our program, but it's a process. We win people over one success story at a time."

     863 employees have taken part in the Lift-Free training, so far. Says Gouvin, "The training

is a collaboration between employees and the trainers. We continue to make changes as we

learn more about what employees need."