Contact: Debra Titlebaum
(513) 558-8136
debra.titlebaum@uchealth.com
Administrative Director Anya Sanchez, MD, in the new acuity-adjustable unit.
CINCINNATI — Patients recovering from neurosurgical procedures at University Hospital will benefit from an entirely new experience. On May 1, UC Health will open its first acuity-adjustable patient unit, adding 10 new patient rooms with exciting upgrades.
In a continuous effort to improve patient care and satisfaction, an acuity-adjustable room is designed to eliminate the need for patients to be transferred to different care settings as their recovery progresses. Instead, the room and nursing staff transform to the needs of the patient. It is not uncommon for a patient to move two to three times from admission to discharge. An acuity-adjustable unit allows the patient to maintain the same care team throughout his or her hospital stay, minimizing concerns about medical errors, falls and patient anxiety when readjusting to new accommodations.
“Hospitals around the world have implemented this design within cardiovascular care with impressive results, but we believe this is the first time the model has been used for neurosurgical patients,” says Anya Sanchez, MD, Administrative Director of the University of Cincinnati Neuroscience Institute. “When used for cardiovascular care, some hospitals have seen as much as a 90 percent reduction in monthly transfers to new beds, correlating to a 70 percent reduction in medication errors and a 75 percent decrease in patient falls. We expect to see significant benefits for our neurosurgical patients.”
“Generally, these patients are recovering from significant conditions, such as brain tumors, Chiari malformations, and elective surgery for aneurysms, where family support can be the critical element in their recovery,” says Ronald Warnick, MD, Medical Director of the UC Brain Tumor Center. “The new rooms are designed to allow a family member to stay with the patient around the clock. Enhanced family participation has a direct impact on patient satisfaction and has been shown to reduce stress and expedite recovery. Our new unit elevates care to an entirely new level administered by University Hospital’s highly skilled team of neurosurgical nurses in a serene, pleasant environment.”
In addition to acuity-adjustable patient rooms, University Hospital has expanded and completely renovated the visitor waiting areas to include family consultation spaces and an educational area where family members can access information about specific diseases.
About the UC Neuroscience Institute The UC Neuroscience Institute, a regional center of excellence, is dedicated to patient care, research, education, and the development of new treatments for stroke, brain and spinal tumors, epilepsy, traumatic brain and spinal injury, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, memory disorders, mood disorders, neuromuscular disorders, and disorders of the senses (swallowing, voice, hearing, pain, taste and smell).
About UC Health UC Health includes University Hospital, ranked the best hospital in the region by US News and World Report; West Chester Hospital, Cincinnati’s newest hospital; Drake Center, Cincinnati’s premier provider of long-term acute care; UC Physicians, Cincinnati’s largest specialty practice group with 650 board-certified clinicians and surgeons; the Lindner Center of HOPE, the region’s premier mental health center, and the UC Cancer Institute, the UC Cardiovascular Institute, the UC Neuroscience Institute and the UC Diabetes and Endocrinology Institute. To learn more, visit UCHealth.com.
