Prisma Health Invests $41M in Advanced ‘Smart Beds’ Across Greenville to Columbia
In a major step towards modernizing their facilities, Prisma Health has announced a significant investment of $41 million into new ‘smart bed’ technology throughout their system. This transformative move stands to revolutionize the patient experience and uplift the work conditions of the entire healthcare team at the organization.
The investment primarily targets the replacement of inpatient beds in the later stage of their lifecycle with 1,500 top-tier Hillrom smart beds and surfaces. An additional novelty being introduced is the innovative Hercules patient repositioning technology, which will be incorporated into these new beds. This system will enable a single caregiver to reposition a patient in a safe and comfortable manner in just under 10 seconds.
Enhancing Patient Care Experience
The advanced design of these smart beds considerably streamlines the workflow for nurses and other healthcare workers involved in direct patient care. As these beds will be utilized in critical areas including intensive care units, labor and delivery, medical/surgical units, and bariatrics, they heed significantly to the needs of providing specialized individual care for patients.
Along with easing off the manual labor for healthcare workers, these beds also raise the bar on patient safety and satisfaction. They do this by incorporating advanced technology designed for fall prevention, pressure injury reduction, increased comfort, and improved communication.
Mark O’Halla, the President and CEO of Prisma Health, expressed the commitment of the organization to prioritize patient satisfaction and safety. “Incorporating the cutting-edge technology of these beds will streamline clinical workflows and reduce manual tasks, significantly reducing the risk of injury to both caregivers and patients and enabling our team members to provide more efficient, accurate and compassionate care to improve patient outcomes,” he explained.
Extra Features in the Smart Bed Technology
Besides the obvious benefits related to patient care, the smart beds also come with additional features designed keeping in mind convenience for all involved parties. For instance, the new birthing beds are prioritizing safety and comfort aimed at enhancing experience for the mother, baby and the caregivers during the labor and delivery stages.
Another significant feature is that the bariatric beds are designed to enable safe, efficient, and dignified transportation of patients. The intensive care beds are equipped with the latest technology to cater to patients requiring most attention.
The smart beds are designed with colored projections under the bed onto the floor which highlight the status of the bed alarm, bed position, and side rails. This information is also viewable from the hallway for easy access. Other remarkable features include powered transport, a built-in USB port for patient’s personal devices, a storage area for personal belongings, illuminated side rails and an under-bed light.
Prisma Health is expected to have the new smart beds fully functional by mid-September. The health system caters almost 1.5 million unique patients annually in its 21-county market area. The organization has 18 acute and specialty hospitals and is licensed for 2,827 beds.