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HOUSTON HOME JOURNAL
HEALTH
HHC promotes Patient Safety Awareness Week
Special to the Journal
A week long celebration that
began Sunday encourages local
health care professionals to focus
on improving patient safety within
the hospital setting and to speak
more openly with consumers about
health care safety.
Houston Healthcare’s recogni
tion of National Patient Safety
Awareness Week urges patients
to take greater responsibility for
their own health care by becom
ing a more informed health care
consumer; keeping track of their
medical history and medications;
working with physicians and other
health care professionals as a
team; involving a family member
or friend in one’s care; and follow
ing a physician’s directions.
“Patient safety is a priority at
Houston Healthcare year-round,”
comments Skip Philips, Chief
Operating Officer for Houston
Healthcare. “Houston Healthcare
is honored to participate in Patient
Try a no-diet approach to taking off pounds
Special to the Journal
Years of battling excess
pounds can make anyone
frustrated enough to throw
in the diet towel. Despite
the setbacks, there is good
reason to reach and main
tain a desirable weight.
Extra pounds are linked to
high blood pressure, diabe
tes, high cholesterol, some
forms of cancer and other
illnesses. Losing weight not
only has a positive effect on
one’s health, it can also help
a person look, feel and sleep
better. Before giving up, try
the no-diet approach to lose
those extra pounds.
Get committed. The key
to losing weight - simply
eating well - takes a lot
of work. It involves shop
ping for whole-grain prod
ucts, fresh produce, legumes
and lean proteins as well as
reading nutrition labels on
packaged foods. According
to Perry Hospital dietitian
Sandra Brenner, RD, PhD,
CDE, it also means planning
and preparing healthy meals.
“That’s quite a challenge if
you usually eat on the run,
grabbing whatever is conve
nient no matter the quality
or the quantity,” she says.
“You have to ask yourself
how much time, effort and
patience you are willing to
invest in your own well-being
as well as that of your fam
ily.”
Get real. Is it really possi
ble to wear a size six again or
size 32 jeans? Maybe not. But
a person can still be healthy,
happy and attractive at a
larger size. “When is comes
to losing weight, every little
bit helps,” explains Brenner.
“Losing just 10 percent of
your weight can help lower
high blood pressure and/or
improve your cholesterol
profile.” She suggests setting
mini-weight loss goals - five
to 10 pound losses - so as not
to get discouraged.
Put food in its placa.
Respect food as the fuel that
keeps the body running and
refuel every four hours or
so. For chronic dieters who
ignore hunger pangs and
binge later, Brenner suggests
trying something new - sat
isfy that hunger every time
with a nutritious meal or
snack. The catch, she says, is
to eat only when truly hun
gry. She suggests drinking a
tall glass of water and wait
ing 10 minutes. If the hunger
pangs don’t go away, then it’s
time to eat.
Losa tha food-mood con
nection. Many of us turn to
food for comfort in times of
stress, loneliness or depres
sion. The better solution is to
confront problems, acknowl
edge those emotions, and find
ways to de-stress. Brenner
suggests keeping a food jour
nal to identify which moods
trigger an eating binge.
“Record what you ate and
when you ate it, where you
were, whom you were with
and how you were feeling,”
she says. “That way you can
look for patterns and come
"Patient safety is an ongoing commitment lor us.
We are always looking at ways in whicli we can
continue to improve patient safety at our
facilities."
- Director of Qyality and Resource Management for Houston Healthcare
Safety Awareness Week to under
score our commitment to protect
ing the health of our patients and
encourage the public to be more
informed consumers of health care
services.
“Patient Safety Awareness Week
offers our organization the oppor
tunity to recognize and celebrate
the continuous enhancements our
staff is making to make patient
care even better. We encourage
our community to join us in cel
ebrating this occasion and to par
ticipate in ongoing dialogue aimed
at enhancing the overall patient
experience.”
up with some ways to break
those patterns. For exam
ple, if you eat when you’re
stressed, try walking or talk
ing to a friend instead.”
Use the eyeball system.
“It’s all about portion con
trol,” explains Brenner. A
serving of meat, or three
ounces, is as big as a deck
of cards or the size of the
palm of the hand minus the
fingers. A one cup serving of
rice, pasta or cereal is about
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PRESENTING OUR ADVANCED SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS
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general, vascular, ENT, urology, gynecology and orthopedic surgery. Backed by the staff and resources of a full-service
healthcare system, we offer surgery and recovery services that make your comfort and well-being a priority. In fact, we’ve
earned exceptional patient satisfaction ratings for post-op comfort and care, along with national recognition for patient safety.
When you need expertise and quality care from someone you trust, the answer is within reach.
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OUIOJMQ AMBRICA TO MTTSK tigaLTMCAtf '
Houston Healthcare routinely
implements safety initiatives as
part of its ongoing commitment to
patient safety.
For example, each automated
Pyxis medication dispensing unit
at Houston Medical Center and
Perry Hospital is designated as a
“Patient Safety Zone.” Anytime a
nurse enters a Pyxis room to pull
medication, he or she hangs a red
Stop sign on the door to alert other
staff members.
“The Stop sign serves as a visual
reminder to staff that the nurse
is not to be disturbed while pull
ing medication,” explains Todd
the size of a tennis ball or
a closed fist. An ounce of
cheese or a teaspoon of but
ter or margarine is about the
size of the top joint of the
thumb.
Fuel up for less. “Always
eat low-calorie, low fat, high
fiber foods first,” encourag
es Brenner. “That way you
will have less room for more
calorie-dense foods.” That
means eating vegetables,
boiled or baked potatoes,
Houston Medical Center I Perry Hospital I The Surgery Center
Edenfield, Clinical Director of
Nursing at Perry Hospital. “This
ensures the nurse is able to con
centrate 100 percent on the task of
pulling medication to ensure the
safety of our patients.”
As another example of improving
patient safety, Perry Hospital was
recently recognized by the Georgia
Hospital Association Partnership
for Health and Accountability
(PHA) with the prestigious Patient
Quality and Safety Award for
reducing after-hours entries into
the hospital pharmacy.
According to Laura Gentry,' RN,
Quality and Resource Management
at Perry Hospital, at times it is
necessary for nurses to enter the
pharmacy after-hours if they need
medications; however, staff at
Perry Hospital decided to limit or
eliminate after-hours entries into
the pharmacy to reduce the likeli
hood of medication errors.
Limiting after-hours entries into
the hospital pharmacy also puts
fruit, legumes and whjle
grain rolls before eating the
main entree. Brenner adds
that it is also important to
recognize when you are full
and put down your fork. “Eat
slowly to give your stomach a
chance to send the full signal
to your brain,” she says.
Get creative. “To cut fat
and keep flavor, use your
imagination,” explains
Brenner. She suggests saute
ing in broth or wine instead
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of oil and using other low
fat cooking methods like
steaming, broiling, bak
ing and poaching. “Salads
can be dressed up with fla
vored vinegars,” she adds.
“Experiment with herbs and
spices to boost flavor instead
of using salt. Make meatless
dishes your main entree or
eat meat as a side dish. Try
different fruits and vegeta
bles and stay away from pre
pared, processed or refined
Perry Hospital in compliance with
The Joint Commission’s require
ment that safeguards be in place
when non-pharmacist healthcare
professionals are allowed by law
to obtain medications after-hours
when the hospital pharmacy is
closed, adds Gentry.
Perry Hospital and Houston
Medical Center are two of the
156 hospitals involved with the
PHA, a unique statewide collab
orative formed in January 2000
and sponsored by the GHA that
brings together health care provid
ers with community agencies and
individuals to increase account
ability and to achieve safer care
and healthier communities.
“Patient safety is an ongoing
commitment for us,” states Jerry
West, Director of Quality and
Resource Management for Houston
Healthcare. “We are always look
ing at ways in which we can con
tinue to improve patient safety at
our facilities.”
products.”
Move more. Walking,
climbing stairs, playing with
the children - any move
ment will burn calories. “You
should aim for 30 minutes of
activity at least five days a
week,” says Brenner. “Doing
this should help you reach
and maintain your goal
weight. Just be sure to check
with your physician before
you start an exercise pro
gram.”
*
Houston Healthcare
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