Sutter Health Invests $11.5M For Patient Lifts in Northern California

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Nonprofit Sutter Health is committing $11.5 million to install overhead patient lifts at 19 intensive care units and acute rehabilitation centers across its Northern California network. The investment will fund the installation of 1,036 lifts.

Overhead lifts are used to reposition and move patients, without strenuous lifting for caregivers. Sutter’s second investment in patient lifts matches its initial $11.5 million in 2011. Since then, hospitals that have been using the lifts have been able to reduce employee injuries by more than 50 percent.

“The decision to invest in overhead patient lifts helps us provide a safe work environment for employees," said Dan Perrot, Sutter’s director of Employee Health and Safety, in a statement. “We value our employees and want them to have long, productive careers. The investment also reflects our concern and compassion for our patients.”

Overhead lifts enhance patient safety and clinical quality by allowing hospital staff to turn and move patients in a manner that reduces the risk of skin ulcers and debilitating falls. Additionally, the lifts allow physical therapy staff to provide early mobilization therapy to patients in intensive care units, which has been shown to advance recovery.

According to the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA), musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are a major source of injury to healthcare workers, and they’re due in large part to overexertion related to repeated manual patient handling activities, often involving heavy manual lifting associated with transferring and repositioning patients and working in extremely awkward postures. In 2010, there were more than 27,000 cases of MSDs. Sprains and strains are the most often reported nature of injuries, and the shoulders and low back are the most affected body parts.

OSHA statistics reveal that as much as 20 percent of nurses who leave direct patient-care positions do so because of risks associated with the work. Direct and indirect costs associated with only back injuries in the health care industry are estimated to be $20 billion annually.

Sutter Health’s network is comprised of more than 50,000 doctors, employees and volunteers.

“We’ve long focused on creating the safest possible environment for patients and employees,” Perrot said. “The lifts supplement existing safety programs and equipment already in place across our network, such as mobile floor lifts, sit/stand devices and patient mobilization programs.”