Safety First and Re-Defined

For several weeks, I’ve done my best to reinforce this vital message about safety:

At Inspira, we put patients first and safety first while focusing on the relationship among patients and caregivers to create the trust patients need to also feel safe. As a high reliability organization, we have maintained a sensitivity to our operations through enhanced situational awareness. Our Emergency Operations Center monitors the pulse of our response to COVID-19 and provides guidance to our clinical staff through subject matter experts and evaluation of best practice.

In this response to this pandemic, Inspira continues to leverage our high reliability tools and behaviors to keep our patients and staff safe while operating under these unprecedented demands. We have further defined how we ensure an environment to safely care for our patients.

• Everyone entering our facilities is screened for temperature and a brief health status.
• Every staff member entering our hospital wears a surgical mask and practices social distancing. We also encourage anyone from the community to wear a face covering and will provide one if needed.
• Our patients with COVID-19 symptoms are cared for in separate areas by their own care team.
• We have 350 negative pressure rooms on our patient floors and Emergency Departments which provide an extra level of protection. Negative air is achieved by reducing the volume of supply air into the room and discharging a greater amount of “exhaust air” out of the room. This produces a negative pressure within the room and removes contaminates from the air.
• Care sites are deep cleaned multiple times a day to minimize the chance of infection.

If you have specific questions about how we are providing a safe environment, I encourage you to call our community hotline, 1-800-772-2848, 8 am. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays.

Our Own Safety Practices Must Continue!

As the nice weather motivates all of us to get outside, please don’t forget your own safe practices:

• Commit to clean hands by washing your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not readily available, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. Cover all surfaces of your hands and rub them together until they feel dry.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Cover your mouth and nose with a cloth face cover when around others.
• Practice social distancing, keeping 6 feet between yourself and others. Remember - the cloth face cover is not a substitute for social distancing.

Health Employee Appreciation Week and Blue Hearts for Heroes Go Together

The second week of May is traditionally the month that health care organizations celebrate our employees. At Inspira, for our Health Employees Appreciation Week a week, we look forward to the time to enjoy an outdoors barbecue and reconnect with each other. For sure, we have postponed our celebratory events for now, but we will find a time to honor all of our employees for their efforts and dedication to our employees.

Here’s another way for you to join us in expressing your gratitude for all health care workers on the front-line: place a blue heart – an icon that is simple and easy to make, yet clearly defined and recognizable – in your window as a way to express your gratitude for health care workers on the frontline.

Be sure to take photos or videos of your blue hearts and share on your social platforms using the hashtag #BlueHeartsForHeroes to recognize the bravery of front-line staff and their unwavering commitment to protecting the local community.