How Richardson Medical & Woman’s Hospital Became Safety Stars

Each year, LHA Trust Funds presents a select number of Louisiana healthcare facilities with the Safety Star Award in recognition of their efforts to reduce violence in healthcare.

But what does it actually take to be a Safety Star recipient?

Explore how Richardson Medical Center and Woman’s Hospital developed their Safety Star Award-winning healthcare safety initiatives last year — and why your facility should consider applying during our ongoing 2023 nomination season.

Empowering Staff Through MOAB Training

2022 Safety Star recipient Richardson Medical Center believes that Management of Aggressive Behavior (MOAB) training is critical for all healthcare professionals on their staff, especially in the Emergency Department.

Before requiring all ED staff to receive MOAB training, a third of the aggressive behavior incidents in Richardson Medical’s ED resulted in injuries to the patient or staff involved.

Within six months of all ED staff becoming MOAB-trained? Incidents resulting in injuries dropped to zero, and all aggressive behavior incidents are now followed up by staff debriefs.

“Our frontline staff feel safer working in our Emergency Department at night, and we are able to de-escalate aggressive behavior incidents with no injuries,” says Brittni Giesbrecht, Infection Control RN and Director of Risk Management at Richardson Medical Center.

Promoting Safety Through Enhanced Security Programs

An effective healthcare safety program features many layers that work together to create overall organizational safety. Facility security is one of those layers — an aspect of healthcare violence prevention that 2022 Safety Star Award Recipient Woman’s Hospital plans very carefully.

After recognizing a need for stronger security for its facility community, Woman’s Hospital analyzed how it could best ensure a safe environment for patients, staff, and visitors. In response, the organization implemented a Fast-Pass visitor tracking process, restricted areas of the facility, and revamped the way security officers were employed and equipped on the job. The new security measures decreased security incidents by approximately 37%.

“The in-house armed Security Officers have had a major positive impact on the safety and security of the hospital and have lent such a positive sense of security and safety as routinely expressed by our staff,” says Bill Icenogle, Director for Emergency Preparedness, Security & Safety at Woman’s Hospital.

One key piece in the ongoing success of Woman’s Hospital security efforts is the unwavering commitment, support, and communication across all medical and support departments.

“At the end of the day, security and safety require the commitment of all of your hospital staff from the C-Suite on down,” Icenogle says. “Building trust, relationships and networking fosters investment by everyone on Woman’s staff.”

Are You Our Next Safety Star?

The Safety Star Award for Healthcare Facilities recognizes projects that reduce the risk of violence in your organization. Recipients receive:

• A $10,000 cash award

• Paid conference registration and expenses for a designee to attend the annual American Society of Healthcare Risk Management (ASHRM) conference.
• A recognition luncheon for your project team
• Recognition by LHA Trust Funds on our website, in our promotional materials, and to our members

While Icenogle was tight-lipped on whether Woman’s Hospital was entering the running for the 2023 award, he encourages other healthcare facilities that have implemented workplace violence strategies to apply.

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Safety Star nomination season is open! Has your healthcare organization implemented a workplace violence prevention solution that you want to brag about?

Healthcare facilities apply here.