ACHIEVEMENTS
American College of Cardiology lauds Bryan electrophysiology and heart cath labs The American College of Cardiology has recognized Bryan’s heart program for demonstrating expertise and commitment in treating patients. The electrophysiology lab and cardiac catheterization lab earned accreditation following a rigorous on-site evaluation. “We are very excited to learn the ACC had accredited these two areas,” says Cardiac and Vascular Services director Jennifer Preston, RN, MHA. “The accreditation process was truly a team effort and not only validated our wonderful care but also pointed out ways in which
we can continue to improve the heart services our region has counted on for decades.” ACC Accreditation Services helps hospitals implement evidence-based guidelines, quality initiatives and best practices to improve cardiovascular outcomes and reduce variations in care. Phillip Levy, MD, chair of the
ACC Accreditation Management Board, adds, “Bryan has demonstrated its commitment to providing Lincoln and surrounding communities with excellent heart care. ACC Accreditation Services is proud to award accreditation in these areas.” Dr. Levy says facilities that achieve accreditation meet or exceed stringent criteria and have organized a team of physicians, nurses, clinicians Nancy Hakel-Smith was invited and administrative staff who to speak at two conferences. earnestly support efforts leading to better patient education, improved patient outcomes and efficient disease control. n
Hakel-Smith presents findings
Microsoft salutes life-saving artificial intelligence developed in Lincoln, tested at Bryan Ocuvera, a Lincoln-based tech company, teamed up with Bryan’s rehabilitation unit to perfect a device that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to prevent patient falls. These efforts earned them a Microsoft Corp. 2020 Health Innovation Award in the Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning category. Patients falling is one of the leading causes of injuries in America’s hospitals, leading to serious injuries and 11,000 deaths each year. The Ocuvera system can predict when a patient is going to try to get out of bed — many
falls are attributed to confused or weak patients trying to exit their beds unaccompanied. Ocuvera’s system helps prevent falls by leveraging the Microsoft Azure Kinect depth camera and AI predictive technology to monitor patients. Nurses are alerted through smartphones when a patient begins to move. “I was sold on it as soon as they described it,” says rehabilitation unit manager Christie Bartelt, RN. “We have a lot of patients who have memory issues, problem solving issues, or they’re recovering from a stroke or brain injury.
They’re at very high risk for a fall because they’re very uncoordinated.” Ocuvera and Bryan Health started working together three years ago — Bryan was the tech company’s first client. Now Ocuvera is in a dozen hospitals and the system has cut patient falls by more than half. Bryan’s rehab staff has grown to rely on the monitoring system to help alert them. “This never looks away, never blinks, never has to take a break — we’ve seen a significant decrease in bed exit falls because of Ocuvera,” Bartelt concludes. n
Nancy Hakel-Smith, PhD, RDN, LMNT, conducted nutrition diagnoses research that was accepted at two gatherings of specialists. She presented during this spring’s virtual meeting of the American Society for Nutrition (ASN). She also will present this September at the International Congress of Dietetics (ICD). Originally scheduled to be in Cape Town, South Africa, it will be a virtual conference. She notes, “This work, with its focus on acute care practice, is a nice addition to the validation of nutrition diagnoses research being done. Paula RitterGooder, PhD, RDN, CSG, LMNT, FAND, helped write the abstract, and we hope to have an article published in a journal.” n
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