Radiologist Aims to Prevent Needlesticks, Invents Safety Device

[Guest guest]

http://www.infectioncontroltoday.com/news/2011/07/radiologist-aims-to-prevent-ne\

edlesticks-invents-safety-device.aspx

Radiologist Aims to Prevent Needlesticks, Invents Safety Device

Radiologist Dr. Bruce Hedgepeth of St. 's, part of Sisters of Mercy Health

System, knew there had to be a better way to prevent himself and his colleagues

from a common health care workplace danger -- accidental needlesticks.

Needlestick injuries are hazardous for healthcare workers due to the risk of

exposure to bloodborne pathogens, including hepatitis and HIV. These injuries

not only cause physical pain, but also lasting emotional and psychological

stress to the employee.

It’s a problem so prevalent that the federal government passed a law requiring

safer syringes and blood-drawing devices in medical facilities across the

nation. But still, 10 years after the passage of the Needlestick Safety and

Prevention Act, a 2008 study by the American Nurse Association showed nearly

two-thirds of nurses reported being accidentally stuck. And a recent study shows

that injuries actually have increased 6.5 percent in surgical settings.

Hedgepeth’s idea was to create a device that provides a physical, protective

barrier between the needle and the holder’s hand. He took that idea to Mercy

Research and Development (R & D). The R & D team works closely with clinicians and

co-workers to identify areas of patient care that could be improved and strives

to create innovative, affordable solutions. Together with Mercy R & D’s

multidisciplinary team, Hedgepeth invented Safety Shield, a patent-pending

device that protects the holder of the medication vial from the needle.

To use the Safety Shield, the healthcare worker simply slides the vial into the

shield, clicks it into place in the locking channel, and it is ready to use,

with fingers safely behind the protective barrier. The integrated features of

the Safety Shield remove and secure the " flip-off " cap without touching the

rubber septum area, leaving it clean and ready for immediate use. This simple

" Slide, Click, Go " method makes the Safety Shield a quick addition to improve

the safety of procedures.

Safety Shield was specifically designed to prevent injuries in high risk areas

such as the emergency room, interventional medicine and radiology, while not

adding time to methods already in place. These areas are where the device is

currently being tested at St. ’s Hospital. Mercy R & D’s unique model of being

integrated with a healthcare system allows devices to be tested by end users,

insuring the product is meeting a clinical need.

" Many products focus on covering the needle when not in use, but fail to provide

protection when the needle is in action, " Hedgepeth explains. " The Safety Shield

focuses on the healthcare professional by protecting his or her hand from a

stick, while holding a medication vial. "

Mercy Health System is the eighth largest Catholic healthcare system in the U.S.

and serves more than 3 million people annually. Mercy includes 28 hospitals,

more than 200 outpatient facilities, 36,000 co-workers and 1,400 integrated

physicians in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma. Mercy also has outreach

ministries in Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas.

[Guest guest]

http://www.infectioncontroltoday.com/news/2011/07/radiologist-aims-to-prevent-ne\

edlesticks-invents-safety-device.aspx

Radiologist Aims to Prevent Needlesticks, Invents Safety Device

Radiologist Dr. Bruce Hedgepeth of St. 's, part of Sisters of Mercy Health

System, knew there had to be a better way to prevent himself and his colleagues

from a common health care workplace danger -- accidental needlesticks.

Needlestick injuries are hazardous for healthcare workers due to the risk of

exposure to bloodborne pathogens, including hepatitis and HIV. These injuries

not only cause physical pain, but also lasting emotional and psychological

stress to the employee.

It’s a problem so prevalent that the federal government passed a law requiring

safer syringes and blood-drawing devices in medical facilities across the

nation. But still, 10 years after the passage of the Needlestick Safety and

Prevention Act, a 2008 study by the American Nurse Association showed nearly

two-thirds of nurses reported being accidentally stuck. And a recent study shows

that injuries actually have increased 6.5 percent in surgical settings.

Hedgepeth’s idea was to create a device that provides a physical, protective

barrier between the needle and the holder’s hand. He took that idea to Mercy

Research and Development (R & D). The R & D team works closely with clinicians and

co-workers to identify areas of patient care that could be improved and strives

to create innovative, affordable solutions. Together with Mercy R & D’s

multidisciplinary team, Hedgepeth invented Safety Shield, a patent-pending

device that protects the holder of the medication vial from the needle.

To use the Safety Shield, the healthcare worker simply slides the vial into the

shield, clicks it into place in the locking channel, and it is ready to use,

with fingers safely behind the protective barrier. The integrated features of

the Safety Shield remove and secure the " flip-off " cap without touching the

rubber septum area, leaving it clean and ready for immediate use. This simple

" Slide, Click, Go " method makes the Safety Shield a quick addition to improve

the safety of procedures.

Safety Shield was specifically designed to prevent injuries in high risk areas

such as the emergency room, interventional medicine and radiology, while not

adding time to methods already in place. These areas are where the device is

currently being tested at St. ’s Hospital. Mercy R & D’s unique model of being

integrated with a healthcare system allows devices to be tested by end users,

insuring the product is meeting a clinical need.

" Many products focus on covering the needle when not in use, but fail to provide

protection when the needle is in action, " Hedgepeth explains. " The Safety Shield

focuses on the healthcare professional by protecting his or her hand from a

stick, while holding a medication vial. "

Mercy Health System is the eighth largest Catholic healthcare system in the U.S.

and serves more than 3 million people annually. Mercy includes 28 hospitals,

more than 200 outpatient facilities, 36,000 co-workers and 1,400 integrated

physicians in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma. Mercy also has outreach

ministries in Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas.

[Guest guest]

http://www.infectioncontroltoday.com/news/2011/07/radiologist-aims-to-prevent-ne\

edlesticks-invents-safety-device.aspx

Radiologist Aims to Prevent Needlesticks, Invents Safety Device

Radiologist Dr. Bruce Hedgepeth of St. 's, part of Sisters of Mercy Health

System, knew there had to be a better way to prevent himself and his colleagues

from a common health care workplace danger -- accidental needlesticks.

Needlestick injuries are hazardous for healthcare workers due to the risk of

exposure to bloodborne pathogens, including hepatitis and HIV. These injuries

not only cause physical pain, but also lasting emotional and psychological

stress to the employee.

It’s a problem so prevalent that the federal government passed a law requiring

safer syringes and blood-drawing devices in medical facilities across the

nation. But still, 10 years after the passage of the Needlestick Safety and

Prevention Act, a 2008 study by the American Nurse Association showed nearly

two-thirds of nurses reported being accidentally stuck. And a recent study shows

that injuries actually have increased 6.5 percent in surgical settings.

Hedgepeth’s idea was to create a device that provides a physical, protective

barrier between the needle and the holder’s hand. He took that idea to Mercy

Research and Development (R & D). The R & D team works closely with clinicians and

co-workers to identify areas of patient care that could be improved and strives

to create innovative, affordable solutions. Together with Mercy R & D’s

multidisciplinary team, Hedgepeth invented Safety Shield, a patent-pending

device that protects the holder of the medication vial from the needle.

To use the Safety Shield, the healthcare worker simply slides the vial into the

shield, clicks it into place in the locking channel, and it is ready to use,

with fingers safely behind the protective barrier. The integrated features of

the Safety Shield remove and secure the " flip-off " cap without touching the

rubber septum area, leaving it clean and ready for immediate use. This simple

" Slide, Click, Go " method makes the Safety Shield a quick addition to improve

the safety of procedures.

Safety Shield was specifically designed to prevent injuries in high risk areas

such as the emergency room, interventional medicine and radiology, while not

adding time to methods already in place. These areas are where the device is

currently being tested at St. ’s Hospital. Mercy R & D’s unique model of being

integrated with a healthcare system allows devices to be tested by end users,

insuring the product is meeting a clinical need.

" Many products focus on covering the needle when not in use, but fail to provide

protection when the needle is in action, " Hedgepeth explains. " The Safety Shield

focuses on the healthcare professional by protecting his or her hand from a

stick, while holding a medication vial. "

Mercy Health System is the eighth largest Catholic healthcare system in the U.S.

and serves more than 3 million people annually. Mercy includes 28 hospitals,

more than 200 outpatient facilities, 36,000 co-workers and 1,400 integrated

physicians in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma. Mercy also has outreach

ministries in Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas.

[Guest guest]

http://www.infectioncontroltoday.com/news/2011/07/radiologist-aims-to-prevent-ne\

edlesticks-invents-safety-device.aspx

Radiologist Aims to Prevent Needlesticks, Invents Safety Device

Radiologist Dr. Bruce Hedgepeth of St. 's, part of Sisters of Mercy Health

System, knew there had to be a better way to prevent himself and his colleagues

from a common health care workplace danger -- accidental needlesticks.

Needlestick injuries are hazardous for healthcare workers due to the risk of

exposure to bloodborne pathogens, including hepatitis and HIV. These injuries

not only cause physical pain, but also lasting emotional and psychological

stress to the employee.

It’s a problem so prevalent that the federal government passed a law requiring

safer syringes and blood-drawing devices in medical facilities across the

nation. But still, 10 years after the passage of the Needlestick Safety and

Prevention Act, a 2008 study by the American Nurse Association showed nearly

two-thirds of nurses reported being accidentally stuck. And a recent study shows

that injuries actually have increased 6.5 percent in surgical settings.

Hedgepeth’s idea was to create a device that provides a physical, protective

barrier between the needle and the holder’s hand. He took that idea to Mercy

Research and Development (R & D). The R & D team works closely with clinicians and

co-workers to identify areas of patient care that could be improved and strives

to create innovative, affordable solutions. Together with Mercy R & D’s

multidisciplinary team, Hedgepeth invented Safety Shield, a patent-pending

device that protects the holder of the medication vial from the needle.

To use the Safety Shield, the healthcare worker simply slides the vial into the

shield, clicks it into place in the locking channel, and it is ready to use,

with fingers safely behind the protective barrier. The integrated features of

the Safety Shield remove and secure the " flip-off " cap without touching the

rubber septum area, leaving it clean and ready for immediate use. This simple

" Slide, Click, Go " method makes the Safety Shield a quick addition to improve

the safety of procedures.

Safety Shield was specifically designed to prevent injuries in high risk areas

such as the emergency room, interventional medicine and radiology, while not

adding time to methods already in place. These areas are where the device is

currently being tested at St. ’s Hospital. Mercy R & D’s unique model of being

integrated with a healthcare system allows devices to be tested by end users,

insuring the product is meeting a clinical need.

" Many products focus on covering the needle when not in use, but fail to provide

protection when the needle is in action, " Hedgepeth explains. " The Safety Shield

focuses on the healthcare professional by protecting his or her hand from a

stick, while holding a medication vial. "

Mercy Health System is the eighth largest Catholic healthcare system in the U.S.

and serves more than 3 million people annually. Mercy includes 28 hospitals,

more than 200 outpatient facilities, 36,000 co-workers and 1,400 integrated

physicians in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma. Mercy also has outreach

ministries in Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas.