Moab Regional Hospital is implementing new safety procedures to protect the safety and privacy of patients, employees and visitors.
Beginning May 1, visitors will now check in at the main admissions desk. Each visitor will sign a visitor log and receive a visitor sticker. (After 6 p.m. in the evenings, visitors will check in at Urgent Care or the Emergency Room.) The brightly colored sticker will easily identify visitors when they are within the walls of the hospital.
Also beginning May 1, the doors to the medical/surgical unit including the in-patient rooms, labor and delivery and the infusion center will be locked.
Individuals may request entry by ringing a bell to the nurse’s station. A camera and intercom will allow the nursing staff to identify visitors. This will allow the nursing staff to ensure patients’ desire to see visitors.
Local law enforcement has advised this additional safety measure at Moab Regional Hospital, similar to area schools.
Additional factors have contributed to the safety protocol including: the protection of newborn babies from abductions, infection and disease control for newborns and high-risk patients with compromised immune systems and to comply with HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act), which are nationally recognized patient privacy standards. Hospitals are required by law to have an emergency preparedness plan.
The new visitor procedure will allow the facility to account effectively for all individuals in the event of an emergency.
“It is our responsibility to protect the physical security and privacy of our patients during their stay,” said Jen Sadoff, CEO at Moab Regional Hospital. The new procedure was developed by the Hospital Operations Council, which is comprised of physician department chairs, nurse management and the administrative team. They met with local law enforcement and reviewed other hospital’s safety protocols as a part of creating this plan.
Patient areas become more secure
“It is our responsibility to protect the physical security and privacy of our patients during their stay.”
