HMHP buys new beds for units in 3 hospitals

By William K. Alcorn

The main purpose of the new beds is patient comfort and safety, hospital officials said.

YOUNGSTOWN — Humility of Mary Health Partners has spent $7.5 million for new beds for medical/surgical and intensive care units in its three hospitals in Youngstown, Warren and Boardman.

HMHP operates St. Elizabeth Health Center in Youngstown, St. Joseph Health Center in Warren, and St. Elizabeth Boardman Health Center.

The hospital system purchased 460 new medical/surgical beds and 80 new ICU beds and updated a number of other ICU beds with new beds that are in use in the hospitals, said Rod Neill, director of physician services.

The main purpose of the new beds is patient comfort and safety, particularly in ICU, where patients are more vulnerable to bed sores and pneumonia if they have pulmonary problems, Neill said.

Bed sores (pressure ulcers) and skin breakdown are a major focus of the federal Centers for Medicare Medicaid Services. This initiative enables HMHP to address that emphasis, Neill said.

The beds, manufactured by Hill-Rom, also make it easier for caregivers to move patients and to get them up, he said.

Models of the beds were on display at St. Elizabeth’s on Tuesday. The bed mechanically tilts the mattress to help hospital personnel in turning patients for treatment or to prevent pressure ulcers and becomes a chair and lowers to make it easier to get a patient sitting or standing.

The ICU beds, which cost about $45,000 each, have features such as thicker mattresses, which minimize moisture and percussion capability, and built-in continuous lateral rotation therapy, which helps prevent pneumonia, said a Hill-Rom spokeswoman.

The bed monitors patients and can electronically signal caregivers if patients try to get out of bed, or if a patient’s head angle falls below 30 degrees, the optimal angle to safeguard against ventilator-associated pneumonia, officials said.

Other features include air mattresses that automatically redistribute pressure to reduce pain and help prevent pressure ulcers and built-in scales that eliminate having to move the patient for weight measurement, Neill said.

alcorn@vindy.com