Hospital Bed Upgrade Improves Safety and Comfort

Staying in the hospital can be scary, uncomfortable and isolating, so being in the right bed really makes a difference in the quality and outcomes of care. 

With patient safety and comfort always at the top of mind, we have slowly but surely been working hard to upgrade our hospital beds, and so far, more than 1,700 new smart beds have been installed in 10 of our acute care facilities.

The reason for the upgrade was simple: the majority of beds at NYC Health + Hospitals facilities were over ten years old, and given their age and proximity to end-of-life, they needed to be replaced. 

Guided by the expertise of our supply chain and procurement team we have partnered with Hillrom to strategically source and standardize the beds across the system. 

Our new smart beds

• Reduce pressure injuries and prevalence of falls
• Support our nurses using new “turn assist” technology and other ease of access features
• Enhance patient experience by offering features that allow them to plug in their phones and stay connected to family and friends
• Facilitate easier integration with our Nurse Call System, which is currently being upgraded to sync up with the Hillrom systems.   

“These new beds represent the future of hospital care” said Danielle DiBari Senior Vice President, Business Operations, Chief Pharmacy Officer, Chief Procurement Officer. “Bed sores and falls are two of the key challenges our care providers face during prolonged hospitalizations, so to be able to protect our patients from those risks will be a huge step forward.  And from a simple comfort perspective, offering an easily accessible place our patients can plug in their phones and stay connected to loved ones, makes a huge difference.”

Our Medical-Surgical units now have Hillrom Centrella Smart beds, which prevent falls with alarms, audio messages, and icons projected on the floor about the bed’s safety settings, and they are projected to reduce the risk of falls.

Our Intensive Care Units are working with the Hillrom Progressa beds, which can adjust into a seated position to help patients get out of bed and reduce strain on the nursing staff.

“They are good, the alarms are louder, the bed speaks in English and Spanish,” said Maita Ramon, RN, NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln. “The patients tell us how much they like the charging ports for their cell phones.”

“I like the beds, the alarms are loud and helps to easily identify the rooms,” says Mariatou Barry, PCA, NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln. “The verbal communication features are useful with engaging the patients. When you are cleaning the patient, the beds deflate during cleaning, which makes it easier to position and provide care.”

Vibration and rotation therapy settings can loosen fluid in a patient’s lungs while they lay in bed.

Both types of beds have features to reduce the risk of bed sores for immobile patients, including support turning the patient and a mattress that circulates air pressure, heat, and moisture.