Inspirien, as manager of the Healthcare Workers’ Compensation Fund, is thrilled to share the 2023 HWCF Grant Program Recipients for projects aimed at improving employee safety and reducing workers’ compensation exposures at their facilities. This year, our recipients will collectively receive over $94K in Grant dollars, bringing our total awarded to over $438K since the Grant Program’s inception in 2017.
These outstanding organizations have shown their commitment to creating a safer work environment for their employees. Let’s give a round of applause to the following grant winners:
1️⃣ DCH/Northport Medical Center: Their project CAARES focuses on specialized secure training with therapeutic verbal interactions, redirection, engagement, and when to call for help. Along with implementing advanced safety training programs, this Grant will help purchase ARKs (Agitation Reduction Kits) to help patients experiencing agitation and anxiety by placing focus elsewhere. Their goals include a 10% decrease in employee injury rate and lost time due to combative patients, 100% non-licensed staff trained, debriefing with all staff injury due to patient violence, and 100% debriefings after Code Strongs.
2️⃣ Huntsville Hospital: This organization will implement Project AVERT (Active Violence Emergency Response Training). Hospital Security will coordinate AVERT training as Train the Trainers to educate other team members. This initiative will be in conjunction with MOAB Training (Management of Aggressive Behavior) which has already begun in their facility. In addition to these risk reduction programs, training on TAC and PAC kits to stop bleeding and save lives will be utilized. Their goal is to decrease staff assaults by 2% and prepare staff using the specific techniques provided with this project.
3️⃣ Jackson Hospital and Clinic: Their project aims to enhance its existing safety protocols by introducing three new patient lifts in the hospital’s high-risk Critical Care and Post-op Bariatric units. Jackson Hospital’s goal is to decrease the number of employee injuries related to patient handling by 50% in the first year following implementation and increase employee injury reporting with workforce training.
4️⃣ Jackson Medical Center: They will install WiFi-enabled wearable and fixed panic devices that connect to 911 and other support staff in the Emergency Department, Detox Department, and Radiology and Lab Department. The team will install Fixed Panic devices in Patient Registration Offices, Nurses Stations, ED, and Outpatient Clinics.The overall goal is to decrease incident response times by 35%, incidents of escalated violence to less than 2%, and improve employee satisfaction for a safe work environment by 20%. By prioritizing the health of their employees, they are creating a safe and supportive work environment.
5️⃣ Russell Medical Center: During their annual HVA (Hazard Vulnerability Analysis), the team identified the need to improve communication for the safety of team members and patients. This grant will be used to purchase and install a Motorola VHS Repeater radio, Motorola portable analog and digital radio, as well as add video security cameras/hard drives in unmonitored areas. The overall goal is to increase communication, even during severe events, and a 10% reduction in hazard-specific relative risk and a 1% decrease in technology-related risk in communication failure.
Congratulations to all the grant recipients! Your dedication to employee safety and risk reduction initiatives is making a significant impact in the workplace. Your efforts are not only protecting your employees but also setting a benchmark for others to follow. Together, we can create a culture of safety and ensure a safe future for our members.
We extend a special thanks to the HWCF Board of Trustees for their continued support and commitment to fostering safe work environments for our members. Your dedication to the fund and safety of our members is truly commendable.
Let’s celebrate these great organizations and their exceptional work promoting employee safety!