Patient Safety Project Awarded Grant

WellStar recently received a grant from Medline Industries to fund a project that will measure the effectiveness of fall prevention team training. The $100,000 grant, one of only 11 awarded nationwide, is the largest our System has ever received for a clinical care initiative. Principal investigators for the grant are Bethany Robertson, executive director and chief learning officer; LeeAnna Eaton, director of Nursing Research; and Marcia Delk, M.D., senior vice president, Medical Affairs, and chief quality officer.

The project’s objective is to decrease falls and fall-related injuries through the implementation of an evidence-based team training program. Two units at WellStar Douglas Hospital - 2 South and 2 North - will participate in the study. WellStar Cobb Hospital’s 4 South and 2 South will serve as control units. The year-long project began in March; if successful, study findings will provide a platform for larger funding opportunities and the model has the potential to be replicated across the System.

“Recruiting has begun at Douglas Hospital and we have engagement from all departments and disciplines involved in patient care on our interventional units,” said Sara Patrick, project manager. “Thanks to our Safety First initiative, they realize fall prevention is a true team effort.”