Patient Safety

Your Safety
At Verde Valley Medical Center, safety is central to our healthcare delivery system and is the top priority. We have an integrated system of staff training, procedures, equipment and teamwork processes that support an environment of safety.

The hospital continuously networks with other healthcare facilities, regulatory agencies and patient safety organizations to receive and give information on the most current and best safety practices in healthcare delivery. We incorporate patient safety initiatives into all services on an ongoing basis and have patient, medication and equipment safety committees in place to coordinate and guide priorities, and use strong communications and teamwork. VVMC also practices and improves emergency preparedness procedures with city, county, state and regional emergency response organizations to respond to natural, accidental and intentional disasters.

What you can do
Everyone has a role in making healthcare safe – physicians, nurses, technicians, support staff, healthcare executives, family members – and you! Please work with us to keep you safe. Research shows that patients and their families who are more involved with their care feel they are safer, get better results and are more satisfied. To become an active, involved, and informed member of your healthcare team, we recommend you:

• Take part in decisions about your treatment.
• Follow your treatment plan.
• Watch for problems, and be involved in solving them.
• Speak up if you have any concerns.
• Feel free to question anyone involved in your care.
• Identify yourself and why you are there.
• Wear your name band at all times.
• Know what procedure you are to have, and make sure healthcare workers tell you what they plan to do before consenting to a procedure.
• Consider asking all healthcare workers who have direct contact with you if they have washed their hands.
• Wash your hands before eating and after using the bedpan or toilet.
• Describe your symptoms and/or pain clearly.
• Bring a list of your medications or your actual medications in their original containers to the hospital with you. Include over-the-counter; home remedies; herbal medications, including tea, vitamins, weight loss or gain products such as shakes, pills or bars. They sometimes can be dangerous when you take them with other medications.
• Understand your medication, which may be different than what you take at home. Know what you are taking and why. If it looks different, ask why. Make sure your arm band is checked before any medication is given.
• Help prevent falls. Use your call light to ask for help. Wear slippers with non-skid soles when walking. Use the call light in the bathroom if you become weak or need help getting back to bed.
• Tell a staff member if a spill occurs.
• If a fire alarm sounds, do not leave your room. A hospital staff member will come to your room with instructions. Please note: not every alarm is an actual fire.