Tag Archive for: Nurse Call

nurse call systems for temporary hospital

The Challenge:
UMass Memorial Hospital had a problem. At the peak of the COVID-19 outbreak, it was being flooded with patients, and needed to expand capacity, fast. 

The Solution:
To convert the 50,000 square foot Exhibit Hall of the DCU Center, a convention center and arena, into a “pop-up” temporary field hospital, to handle the overflow of patients.

The Timeline:
They had just ten days. They finished in eight.

The Story:
The DCU Center is an indoor arena and convention center in downtown Worcester, MA. In April, its Exhibition Hall was converted to a field hospital to help nearby UMass Memorial Hospital handle the overflow of COVID-19 patients, those sick enough to require hospitalization, but not sick enough to require ICU care or a ventilator. It was repurposed to act as both a field hospital led by UMass, and a shelter for homeless people who tested positive for the disease.

Despite the unconventional setting, with its many challenges, the quality of care needed to be top-notch, and that included the nurse call system. It had to be quick to install, and completely reliable, because lives would depend on it.

Signet Electronic Systems, a trusted RCare integrator, used RCare’s Rapid Development Kit (RDK) nurse call solution to help UMass create the temporary hospital. The installation was quick, smooth and successful. 

Signet has a long-standing relationship with UMass Memorial Health Care. It installs the majority of the beds in both of their Worcester campuses as well as satellite locations, with high-end wired nurse call solutions, in addition to managing other systems such as public address and master clocks. They knew they could count on RCare for a solution that works.

A Rapid Deployment Kit nurse call system includes a touchscreen server, one pendant for each patient, and four pagers. No internet connection is needed for the system, and no phone lines. The system is designed to be plug and play, and is pre-programmed to be ready to use right out of the box. One RCare RDK is fully programmed for up to 40 patients and 4 caregivers, however it can be expanded with RCare’s Expansion Kits. Patient beds are outfitted with clip-on placards that correspond to patient call buttons, so caregivers can see which patients are calling. RCare’s G4 platform provides best-in-class range to cover large campuses and deepen building penetration, which allows it to be reliable in any setting. 

nurse call systems for hospitals

The UMass temporary hospital was created in a 50,000 sq ft exhibition hall with cube-type barriers separating patient spaces. Nothing could be permanently mounted. The server was placed behind folding tables that nurses use for charting, on a box, with the paging encoder on top of it. Locators were hung on centrally-located poles with tie wraps. The server and paging encoder were plugged into a network switch with a patch cable. Pendants were given to the staff for distribution to patients as they were admitted. The openness of the space proved to be a benefit for signal transmission, allowing calls to be initiated from a pendant and received the full length of the space.

The system was installed overnight, and was completed and tested the following morning. Mark Roy, Senior Client Executive at Signet, described the scene. 

“Everyone was in there doing everything at the same time. Hospital folks were setting up computers, networking and other technical infrastructure, pharmacy was loading Picsys machines, Biomed was setting up all their equipment, contractors were running O2 infrastructure, and news crews were there at the same time, documenting the whole thing. 

Despite the tight schedule, Mark praised the UMass staff, who were very helpful, and provided everything needed in record time.

RCare’s Rapid Deployment KitUMass returned the compliment. Sean Grady, Unit Coordinator for UMass Memorial said this about the installation:

“The RCare rollout was probably the best of any  vendor rollout involved with the DCU project. From project management to technical install, it could not have gone any more smoothly. I can tell you that the nurse call system has worked great for us at the field hospital we have set up in Worcester.”

RCare is proud to be part of the solution for this ambitious project. Our Rapid Deployment Nurse Call Kit (RDK) is a plug-and-play, portable, pre-programmed nurse call system in a box that can be set up in hours instead of days, in a situation lacking standard infrastructure, while providing the critical, reliable communications required in a hospital setting, even a non-traditional one.

Related Post – RCare’s Rapid Deployment Nurse Call Kit – an Emergency Nurse Call System in a Box

When there’s a national health crisis, RCare can help you be ready.

Designed for speed and ease-of-use in emergency situations, RCare’s Rapid Deployment Kit installs in only five minutes and offers a reliable, secure, 40-patient nurse call system in a box. RCare’s G4 platform provides best-in-class range to cover even the largest of campuses and deepen building penetration.

“The overall risk from this virus is still unknown, but what we do know is that many hospitals and providers are being overwhelmed with patients,” said Myron Kowal, CEO of RCare. “We decided to quickly extend our technology capabilities to places where they are in dire need.”

The plug-and-play system is preprogrammed by RCare’s expert technicians and ready for use immediately out of the box. It includes one small touchscreen server, one pendant for each resident or patient, and four pagers. Expansion kits are available. Only one internet connection is required, and no landlines are necessary.

RCare Rapid Deployment Kit Includes:

  • NurseCall Master with Integrated Touchscreen Console
  • 40 Pushbutton Pendants (waterproof; reusable if disinfected or disposable)
  • 40 Clip-On Bed Signs
  • 4 Alpha-Numeric Apollo Pagers
  • G4 Master Receiver
  • 2 G4 Locators
  • Single-Input Serial Page Encoder 5W
  • Compact, Heavy Duty Pelican Case
  • Easy step-by-step instructions and link to instructive video

The touchscreen console displays incoming patient calls with an audible tone. Patient beds are outfitted with clip-on placards that correspond to patient call buttons, so caregivers know which patients are calling. UL 1069 version available. If interested please contact us.

RMan from RCare at the AHCA-NCAL Convention and Expo

With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility.

Are you going to the AHCA/NCAL Convention & Expo in Orlando this year? Are you “ready for any challenge?” RCare is ready to provide you with the latest and greatest technologies and reporting tools to help you improve your response time. Are you ready to accept this challenge?

This industry spends countless dollars catering to residents’ needs, wants and desires. So, what do we come up with? Enhanced workout centers, bistros (OK, everybody likes bistros), golf putting greens, insides that look like the outside, fake clouds, circadian lighting, and the list goes on and on.

But we are not addressing the single most important thing we can do for residents. Improve call response times. Response times are critical to resident health, resident safety and resident satisfaction. When residents are admitted, they’re instructed to push the button or pull the cord whenever they need help. What they don’t know is that most likely it will take around 8-15 minutes for someone to respond.

When a resident needs help, they need to know that their call was received, and that help will arrive soon. Otherwise, you know what will happen: they’ll try to take care of things themselves, whether it’s getting out of bed, using the restroom, taking a shower. And, too often, that leads to falling.

What is the average response time for your community? Do you know? Is it the same for every shift? Every wing? Can you measure it? Is it improving? Are you proud of it?

You can’t manage what you don’t measure. And everyone in the community benefits when response time improves. Look at your response times and make the change. When you do, you will start to see immediate benefits.

No matter what kind of community, no matter what your size or budget, RCare can help. Stop by Booth #1512 and talk to RCare about how RCare’s advanced nurse call systems can empower you to make big improvements in your response times. And while you’re there, take your photo and post it on Twitter or Facebook with the hashtag #RMan or #RWoman for your chance to win great prizes.

RCare at the AHCA-NCAL Convention and Expo

RCare provides you the power to improve your response time! Who’s ready to take on this challenge? #RMAN #RWoman #RCareChallenge

Myron Kowal, Founder and CEO of RCare

Myron Kowal
Founder and CEO of RCare

AHCA/NCAL Annual Convention & Expo
October 14–16, 2019
Orange County Convention Center
Orlando, FL

RCare Booth #1512
Expo Times/Dates
Monday, Oct. 14, 11:30am-3:00pm
Tuesday, Oct. 15, 10:30am-1:30pm

#AHCANCAL19 #RMan #RWoman

Rise up. Change starts with RCare at the Eden Alternative International Conference

RCare's GeoPendant and The Eden AlternativeAt RCare, we are not only proud to be the maker of the most advanced wireless nurse call and monitoring systems in the world, but we are also honored to be a member of the Eden Alternative initiative. In fact, we’ve been selected to showcase our products at this dynamic and passionate event in May.

The Eden Alternative International Conference challenges us to change the way we think about providing care to our elder population. It challenges us to develop innovative approaches to genuinely person-centered care. The Eden Alternative philosophy asserts that as we age, we do not go into a decline, but rather we enter another stage of learning and growing. Based upon this, EA caregivers learn that the caregiving process is not just a one-way arrangement, but rather it’s a collaborative partnership.

RCare’s mission is to improve the lives of elders and those who care for them. Our innovations are designed with the resident at the center, while providing helpful and user-friendly technologies that make the environment more comfortable and pleasant–and that ultimately lead to better outcomes. Every community is different, and RCare takes the time to understand the unique resident needs, caregiving process, and other issues, to build customized solutions that last.

A Quieter Approach

Recently, CMS issued restrictions on loud bed and chair alarms, classifying them as a “restraint.” There are many good reasons for this regulation. Communities and senior advocates are increasingly drawing attention to the indignity of these loud alarms. They disrupt sleep. They disrupt daily life. They embarrass elders unlucky enough to trigger them. Worse, they may immobilize them when the elders begin to avoid activities that risk triggering an alarm. And, like the boy who cried wolf, frequent alarms tend to get tuned out, which could put elders at risk.

RCare’s alerts are quiet and discreet. Whether an elder pulls a cord, pushes a button, or leaves a safe zone, the alerts are sent directly to the care staff. Calls are “claimed” by a caregiver using the “I got it” button on the RPhone, ensuring that every call is answered without duplication of effort.

In addition to bed and chair sensors, the RCare system integrates with motion sensors, contact sensors, and passive environmental sensors to detect unsafe room temperatures, refrigerator temperatures, and water overflows. And, of course, the system integrates with a full range of elder-activated devices such as push-button pendants, pull cords, and the like.

Setting Safe Zones with the GeoPendant

With RCare’s new GeoPendant, you can set safe zones for residents who need them, so care staff are discreetly alerted if and when particular residents move outside their designated safe area, without embarrassing alarms. Like everyone else, elders value their independence and RCare GeoPendant at the Eden Alternative International Conferencedignity. Moving to a locked ward is a big step that should only be taken as a last resort. For many, the GeoPendant can now be a better option. Elders wearing the GeoPendant are free to go about their day within an area defined as safe for them. The only time their movements are brought to anyone’s attention is if they move outside their personalized safe zone.

Each call made contributes to an incident record that helps staff tailor a plan of care for each resident. This record helps staff and families know when the situation has changed, and the care plan needs to change. It keeps a record of the the resident/care staff interaction, too, which is critical for elder-centered care and quality.

Powerful Data

RCare’s RMetrix reporting module has been redesigned to provide stronger tools to communities initiating and managing Quality Assurance and Performance Improvemenet (QAPI) and other quality programs. WIth RMetrix, you can measure important information about calls, such as call volume, frequent callers, and response times, that will help you improve the experience of elders and their families, and staff work loads. For communities with multiple facilities, Enterprise RMetrix provides a dashboard that makes it easy to compare facilities on key metrics, by day, month or quarter. RMetrix gives administrators the kind of reporting that turns data into insight, and insight into action.

Join RCare as we RISE UP at the Eden Alternative Conference. Together we are changing the nature of elder care, making it more collaborative, more dignified, and more satisfying.

Eden Alternative International Conference
May 3-5, 2018
The Westin Buckhead Atlanta
3391 Peachtree Rd NE
Atlanta, GA 30326
Twitter – event: @edenalt  RCare: @ResponseCare
Facebook – event: @theedenalternative  RCare: @RCareInc