Longmont United Hospital

Commitment to patient safety and dedication to constant improvement— these are the driving forces behind Longmont United Hospital's Silver Beacon Award for Excellence standing. THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION of Critical-Care Nurses' Beacon Award program recognizes intensive care units (ICUs) that achieve exceptional patient care and meet the rigorous safety standards outlined in the program. The award is given out at three levels: gold, silver and bronze. "We applied for the Beacon Award for the first time in 2014 and were awarded a silver status," says Lisa Keck, RN, CCRN, Nursing Supervisor for the ICU at LUH. "It says a lot about our program and the people who work in the ICU that we won the award the first time we applied. Every person in the unit works together to create the best outcomes for each patient who comes through our door." That dedication shines in the achievements of the ICU. Working as a team, the ICU has been able to consistently have zero central line infections for several years, reduce the number of days patients have to spend using catheters and the risk of catheter-associated infection, and maintain the number of ventilator-associated pneumonia incidents, which are well below the national average. The ICU is constantly evolving to become more effective and efficient— a key element for evaluators to consider when the LUH ICU reapplies for the Beacon Award in 2017. › To learn more about the Beacon Award and other achievements at LUH, visit luhcares.org and choose "Awards" from the "About Us" menu. A Planetree Healing Environment For permission to reprint any portion of this magazine, to let us know that you are receiving more than one copy, or if you would prefer not to receive the publication, please write to: CIRCULATION@TRUENORTHCUSTOM.COM OR CALL 800-624-7496 To submit a publication idea, email barbara.turney@luhcares.org or call 303-485-4298. Dear Friends, At Longmont United Hospital, our goal is to focus on wellness, prevention and keeping people out of the hospital unless absolutely necessary. In order to do this, we work closely with community leaders, healthcare providers, and public and private agencies to identify and meet the healthcare needs of the communities we serve. It was no surprise to us that the area where our communities need the most help is mental health and access to care. Mental health is a signicant topic facing our country. One challenge is the lack of resources to meet these demands, and this is especially true in Colorado. On Dec. 18, 2015 the Senate passed by unanimous consent the Mental Health Awareness and Improvement Act. Sponsored by Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-WA), the bill reauthorizes federal programs to prevent suicide, help children recover from traumatic events and improve mental health awareness for teachers and others. The American Hospital Association voiced support for the legislation in August as part of the Mental Health Liaison Group—a coalition of national organizations representing consumers, providers and others. Thebill must be passed by both the House and the Senate in identical form and then signed by the President to become law. At LUH, we believe a person's mental health is every bit as important as his or her physical health, and we want to make sure that our families and communities—especially our young people—have the support they need to address mental health challenges. To this end, you can rest assured that we will be advocating for these reform measures as this Act moves forward. It's the right thing to do for the patients and families we serve. In addition, LUH is taking steps to enhance our relationships with mental health providers across the Front Range and supporting organizations that provide much needed mental health services. We are also working on a program to train community members how to identify mental health issues and what resources are available. We are looking forward to the many programs and services we have planned for our communities in 2016. We will continue to be your community hospital—oering services and programs to keep ourcommunity healthy and thriving. Sincerely, Mitchell C. Carson President and CEO Longmont United Hospital A MESSAGE FROM OUR President and CEO Get Moving TO SUPPORT LIFELONG HEALTH A Beacon of P ati ent Saf ety 2 / LONGMONT UNITED HOSPITAL WINTER 2016

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