CARMEL – Today, the St.Vincent Heart Center of Indiana announced that it is the first hospital in the state to use the Symbiq infusion system, an advanced medication-delivery device designed to promote patient safety and improve clinician workflow.
The "smart pump" allow clinicians the ability to administer intravenous (IV) medications and fluids more accurately to patients. It helps minimize the risk of medication errors by applying hospital-defined medication guidelines; ensuring patients receive predetermined dosing ranges.
Nationwide, about 90 percent of hospital patients receive some form of IV therapy per year.
"By incorporating this new safety technology within our facility, our patients will have the required medications prescribed by our medical staff," said Jackie Estok, chief nursing officer at St.Vincent Heart Center of Indiana. "The smart pump has the necessary safeguards to protect our patients when receiving IV medications."
Approximately 300 St.Vincent Heart Center nurses were trained for the user-friendly safety device. It features an easy-to-read LCD display that provides clinicians with a view of a patient’s medication status up to 12 feet away. The "smart pump" uses simple layouts and touch-activated buttons to minimize the potential for programming errors.
The system allows St.Vincent Heart Center of Indiana to customize dose and rate limits for multiple medications, and log events and alerts to track trends in medication dosing to support quality improvement.
More than 200 dual pumps are installed at the freestanding heart center.
###
St.Vincent Health
St.Vincent Health is a nonprofit, spiritually-centered health care system, sponsored by Ascension Health of St. Louis, Missouri, the nation’s largest Catholic health system. St.Vincent Health is Indiana’s largest healthcare employer with 17 health ministries serving 45 counties in central Indiana. The St.Vincent Health ministry includes St.Vincent Indianapolis Hospital; Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital at St.Vincent; St.Vincent Heart Center of Indiana; St. Joseph Hospital in Kokomo; Saint John’s Health System in Anderson; St.Vincent Carmel Hospital; St.Vincent Women’s Hospital; St.Vincent Clay Hospital in Brazil; St.Vincent Frankfort Hospital; St.Vincent Jennings Hospital in North Vernon; St.Vincent Mercy Hospital in Elwood; St.Vincent New Hope; St.Vincent Randolph Hospital in Winchester; St.Vincent Stress Center; St.Vincent Williamsport Hospital; and St.Vincent Seton Specialty Hospital.
