February 14, 2020

Both Good Samaritan and Bethesda Hospital will undergo renewal surveys for The Joint Commission Gold Standard of Approval of The Advanced Inpatient Diabetes programs. The survey date for BN is Feb. 19th and for GSH is Feb. 20th. BNH and GSH independently achieved The Joint Commission Gold Standard of Approval of The Advanced Inpatient Diabetes programs in February 2018. This was a significant achievement because all team members at the flagship hospitals participated in obtaining the certification.

There are many requirements for certification (a whole manual) but the requirements can be summed up as measures to provide evidence based care that is both safe and produces the best possible outcomes for patients who have diabetes. One of those requirements is that all team members, whether they are clinical or nonclinical, be able to recognize the signs and symptoms of hypoglycemia. Hypoglycemia is an abnormally low blood sugar which patients with diabetes may experience unexpectedly. It is a medical emergency which requires prompt recognition of the symptoms and treatment. The person with diabetes experiencing hypoglycemia will likely recognize the symptoms themselves but confusion is a possible symptom of hypoglycemia and may prevent the patient from recognizing his/her hypoglycemia and responding appropriately.

Recently an amazing catch was made.by Kevin Thomas, a member of the GSH transport team. Kevin had taken the patient in a wheelchair to the exit for discharge home. Kevin recognized that the patient had become confused during the trip to the exit. He took the patient back to his room and called the RN. The patient’s blood sugar was checked and found to be very low. If the team member had not recognized that the patient had signs and symptoms of low blood sugar, the patient would have gotten into the car and may have had a loss of consciousness due to hypoglycemia. Hats off to Kevin!!

Great job Mr. Kevin Thomas- you are a great asset to the Trihealth Team.
Posted by: Mary Terrell on February 19, 2020
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Put some pages of Signs of Low Blood Sugar by Gift Shop, ER Dept. , all floors by Nurse stations Free Information
Posted by: Kathleen Jackson on February 19, 2020
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Thank you to everyone for supporting our Diabetes Program!
Posted by: Lindsey Neese on February 18, 2020
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Great picture to help all team members understand!
Posted by: Nancy Hardewig on February 17, 2020
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