In recognition of Patient Safety Awareness Week, Hackensack Meridian Mountainside Medical Center offers tips to help patients stay safe and take an active role in their care. Patient Safety Awareness Week, March 14 – 20, 2021, is observed annually to raise awards of important patient safety issues.
“Patient safety is integral to the care we provide at the hospital, and we encourage our patients to take an active role in their care,” said Mountainside Medical Center Chief Executive Officer, Tim O’Brien. “We welcome the opportunity to celebrate Patient Safety Awareness week with our patients, team members and community.”
“Engaging patients in their care, and designing safe systems and processes, are critical in reducing events such as falls, infections and medication errors,” says Jill Ryan, director of patient safety.
Mountainside Medical Center offers the following tips to help patients stay safe and comfortable during their hospital stay:
- Speak up. You must trust your health care provider, but remember communication is a two-way street. If you have a question or concern about your care, ask your doctor.
- Keep your hands clean. Hand hygiene is the most effective way to prevent the spread of infection, especially during the pandemic. Keep your hands clean and make sure providers clean their hands before touching you.
- Educate yourself. Unfortunately, it’s possible to get an infection in the hospital while being treated for something else. Know the signs and symptoms of infection, and let your health care provider know if you experience them.
- Participate in treatment decisions. Your health care provider has your best interests in mind, but you must be an active participant in your own care. Discuss all treatment options so you can make an informed decision together.
“From care providers to patients and visitors, patient safety is everyone’s responsibility,” says Karen Palatella, vice president of risk and chief compliance officer. “We must all work together to ensure that patients receive the best, safest care.”
To find more information about Patient Safety Awareness Week visit www.unitedforpatientsafety.org.
Mountainside Medical Center is dedicated to the safety of our patients, visitors and team members. To learn about the hospital’s enhanced safety practices, please visit www.mountainsidehosp.com/safety.
About Hackensack Meridian Health Mountainside Medical Center
Mountainside Medical Center has been serving Montclair and its surrounding New Jersey communities since 1891. The hospital provides patients immediate access to innovative and effective treatment alternatives at specialized centers within the hospital that focus on imaging, women’s health, cancer care, surgery, obesity, stroke and chronic kidney disease. Mountainside Medical Center is designated as a Primary Stroke Center by the NJ State Department of Health and Senior Services and is one of only a few community hospitals licensed by the State to perform emergency cardiac angioplasty. To learn more about Mountainside Medical Center visit www.mountainsidehosp.com.
