October 1, 2007
St. John’s Implements New Wristband Color-Code System
Adding another level of protection for local patients, St. John’s Regional Medical Center has announced it has joined other hospitals across Missouri to adopt new standards to prevent medical confusion.
Over 90 percent of Missouri hospitals use colored wristbands as a means of quickly identifying important information about patients. A statewide survey by the Missouri Center for Patient Safety (MOCPS) found that wristbands are commonly used for alerts such as allergy warnings, fall risks or do-not-resuscitate orders. Because many health professionals work in multiple facilities, they must memorize multiple, often conflicting, meanings for colors. Prior to this summer, there was no standard in Missouri defining what color identifies which alert.
As part of St. John’s ongoing commitment to patient safety, we are immediately implementing the new color-coded wristband program. The new wristband colors will not only be recognizable to our medical staff, but also to patients and their families. This recognition will allow everyone to know what each wristband means, so even family members can make sure the patient has been given the appropriate wristband. Patient safety is our highest priority and the wristbands only enhance patients’ safety by providing a universally recognized system of identifying patients.
St. John's Regional Medical Center is a 367-bed facility, serving 19 counties in Missouri, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Arkansas, providing state-of-the-art healthcare services, specializing in cardiology, orthopedics, neurosciences, and oncology. St. John’s has been leading the way in healthcare throughout the four-state area for more than 100 years and has earned the Gold Seal of Approval from the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) and received the 2004 Distinguished Hospital Award for Patient Safety from HealthGrades®.