Patient Safety Awareness Week

(West Islip, NY) During the week of March 4–10, Patient Safety Awareness Week, Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center recognized the hospital’s Safe Patient Handling Committee for their efforts in ensuring patient and staff safety.  The 2012 theme of the National Patient Safety Foundation is “Be Aware for Safe Care”, focusing on the importance of every member of the health care team in safeguarding safety.

Good Samaritan’s Safe Patient Handling Program developed in 2010, as an expansion of the longstanding Ergonomics Program, designed to identify hospital-wide policies and procedures.   “Safe Patient Handling Champions” are designated from every area of the hospital responsible for patient care.  

Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center is a 537-bed (including 100 nursing home beds), voluntary, not-for-profit hospital located in West Islip.  The medical center, which has more than 4,500 employees and almost 900 physicians on staff, had nearly 30,000 patient admissions and more than 95,000 emergency department visits in 2011.  Good Samaritan is a member of Catholic Health Services of Long Island. Visit the website at www.good-samaritan-hospital.org.

Good Samaritan provided more than $43 million in community service and charity care in 2011.  The medical center supplies residents with the tools necessary to maintain good health.  This includes community lectures, screenings, health fairs and other community programs and services.