Atlantic Health System vision

This booklet has been prepared to educate and familiarize non-employees with the mandatory requirements for Atlantic Health System.

Atlantic Health System will be recognized as one of the nation’s best health care systems.

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  Deliver high-quality, safe, affordable patient care within a healing culture
  
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  Educate, in an exemplary manner, present and future health care professionals
  
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  Innovate through leadership
  
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  Improve the health status of the communities we serve
  

Patient Rights are posted in every patient room, waiting areas and other departments where care is provided. Patient rights include, but are not limited to the following: Privacy, Confidentiality, Right to Information, Informed Consent, Pain Management, Participation in Care Decisions, Advance Directives, Restraints and Seclusion, Abuse and Neglect, Patient Complaints.

Cultural awareness refers to the understanding that our patients, employees, physicians, and visitors may have different cultural, spiritual, or religious beliefs than our own. Direct patient care providers are expected to identify and support the cultural or spiritual needs of every patient, respecting the customs and traditions of other people.

Atlantic Health provides risk management services 24 hours/7 days a week. Check the Risk Manager Web oncall director for the covering individual on evenings, nights, weekends and holidays. An electronic Quantros Report (occurrence report) is completed for any unusual occurrence involving patients, visitors, damage to equipment or property.

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  Sharps injury from needles, scalpel, or anything than can pierce, puncture, or cut your skin.
  
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  Exposure to non-intact skin (open cuts, sores or nicks in skin).
  
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  Exposure to mucous membranes (splashes or sprays of blood to your eyes, nose or mouth).
  

Methods to Prevent Exposure Include:

Following standard precautions

Following work practices: These are procedures that you must follow to reduce your and your co-workers risk of exposure. For example: Promptly dispose of needles and sharps in appropriate containers, do not recap needles or eat or drink in patient care areas. Always wash your hands before and after patient contact and when they are visibly soiled.

Wearing appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) will reduce exposure risks. Wear the following PPE when you may have contact with body fluids:

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  Gloves to protect your skin.
  
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  Fluid resistant gowns to protect skin and clothing.
  
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  Masks to protect your nose and mouth from splashes and sprays of body fluids.
  
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  Protective eyewear to protect your eyes from splashes and sprays of body fluids.
  

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  Clean all equipment and work surfaces as soon as possible after contact with body fluids.
  
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  Clean up contaminated broken glass using a dust pan and brush, not your hands.
  
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  Handle linens as little as possible. Confine and contain trash in plastic bags by keeping them closed.
  
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  Dispose of body fluids that may be contaminated with potentially infectious materials into a liquid regulated medical waste (RMW) located in soiled utility rooms. Non liquid items soiled with bodily fluids go into red bag containers. A biohazard symbol indicates a potentially infectious material.
  

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   Wash the affected area immediately with soap and water. If exposure is to your eyes, nose, or mouth; flush with large amounts of water or saline.
   
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   Immediately report the exposure to whoever is in charge of the department. Contact the “Off Shift Supervisor” as there may be a need to complete an incident report.
   
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   Proceed to the Emergency Department (ED) for an evaluation. Take the name of the source patient with you to the ED, if possible.
   
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   A report of the incident may be required. For guidance on procedures to follow you may contact the hotline numbers at each facility:
   

Chilton Medical Center: 973-831-5116

Morristown Medical Center: 973-971-5819

Newton Medical Center: 973-579-8577

Overlook Medical Center: 908-522-5304

If you have questions regarding bloodborne pathogens contact one of the following resources for assistance:

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  Infection Control Department, CMC phone: 973-831-5150
  
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  Infection Control Department, MMC on call cell phone: 973-294-0512
  
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  Infection Control Department NMC on-call cell phone: 973-222-4933
  
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  Infection Control Department OMC on-call cell phone: 973-294-0645
  
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  Occupational Medicine Service pager: 877-595-7143
  

This includes:

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  Placing the patient in a negative air pressure isolation room (NPIR). Contact unit resources for proper procedures.
  
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  Particulate respirators (N95) must be worn when entering patient rooms. Anyone caring for TB patients must be fit-tested annually in order to use these respirators.
  
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  When caring for patients with or who may have TB disease –
  
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    Minimize the transportation of patients; when they must leave their isolation room, when possible, have them wear a surgical mask.
    
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    Keep patients on airborne precautions until three (3) negative sputum tests are confirmed.
    
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    Discontinue airborne precautions only when an infectious disease specialist, pulmonologist, or the Infection Prevention Department approves it.
    

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  A documented positive TST
  
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  Adequate treatment for TB disease or preventive therapy for TB infection
  
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  A medical contraindication
  

Infection Prevention addresses factors related to the spread of infections with the healthcare setting. This practice improves patient safety by reducing risk of infection. It requires the commitment of every healthcare worker to achieve this goal.

Healthcare Acquired Infections (HAI) are infections a patient acquires while receiving treatment for a condition. It is one of the top 10 leading causes of death in the United States. These infections: Urinary Tract, Bloodstream, Ventilator Associated Pneumonia, Surgical Site, and Multidrug Resistant Organisms can be acquired through patient medical equipment, tubes used to administer IV fluids, machines that help a patient breathe, body parts where surgery took place, and from medications, the environment, and your hands. National Patient Safety Goal #7 refers to improving patient safety by reducing the risk of healthcare acquired infections. Complying with hand hygiene, following hospital protocols, as well as personal protective equipment (i.e. gloves) complies with this safety goal and reduces this risk.

Seasonal flu usually occurs in the Fall through early Spring. It most severely affects the very young, the elderly and those with chronic illnesses. Symptoms include: fever, headache, fatigue, dry cough, sore throat, runny or congested nose, muscle aches, and can include diarrhea, vomiting and nausea.

On average 5% to 20% of the U.S. population contracts the flu. More than 114,000 are hospitalized and approximately 36,000 people die from this virus. The annual shot is the most effective method to prevent infection with this virus.

The CDC recommends the following precautions for healthcare workers: practice hand hygiene before and after patient contact; follow standard precautions; wear a surgical mask when working within 3 feet of the patient; and get the flu vaccine.

A “pandemic” is an epidemic that occurs in many parts of the world at the same time. For an influenza pandemic to occur, a new strain of the virus must emerge and spread easily from person to person. The 2009 H1N1 was classified as a pandemic with increased risk for serious flu-related complications. The precautions recommended by the CDC have been standard, respiratory, airborne, as well as wearing respiratory protection such as the N95 respirator which requires fit-testing.

In the event of a pandemic, visitors may be restricted. In a serious pandemic, it may be necessary to close most facility entrances and to post security at the open entrances. Staff and visitors may need to be screened for flu-like symptoms.

Occupational Medicine Services asks that all staff, volunteers, visitors, and physician are aware of the symptoms. They ask that individuals experiencing symptoms go home, and if needed, follow up with your physician.

Hazardous Materials and Waste
Hazardous materials and waste in use at Atlantic Health include: several EPA listed chemotherapy drugs, xylene; mercury, solvents, various chemicals, reagents, and spill clean-up materials.

Regulated Medical Waste (RMW) classes of materials or products at Atlantic Health include needles, syringes, and sharps, human blood, blood products and pathological waste, isolation waste, cultures and stocks of infectious agents and associated biological.

Sharps including needles, pipettes, test tubes, vacutainers, cultures/stocks and glass sides are to disposed of in the approved rigid containers. Non-sharps including bloody gauze pads, empty feeding bags and tubing, and empty suction canisters are disposed of in “Red Bag Receptacles.”

Liquid RMW are disposed of in “red and biohazardous liquid receptacles.” All articles and containers with free-flowing RMW must be placed into liquid receptacles to comply with the US Department of Transportation.

Unless IV Bags or tubing has been contaminated with blood or regulated body fluids, they are not considered RMW and can be disposed of in regular waste.

All batteries, lamps, mercury containing devices and consumer electronics must be collected and handled separately.

Emergency Management
The Atlantic Health System Emergency Operations Plan is available on the Atlantic Health intranet under Forms and Policies then Safety Manual and Emergency Management. Each department has a role in emergency management and department specific plans/policies are defined.

The Atlantic Health System Emergency Operations Plan addresses the four phases of Emergency Management: Mitigation, Preparedness, Response and Recovery. Refer to manuals for further guidance. A Hazard Vulnerability Analysis is done as a risk assessment. Emergency Management exercises are conducted a minimum of twice a year for Internal and External Disasters, ensuring preparedness, response and protocols to follow. Further reference includes the EM Quick Reference Guide posted throughout the facilities, as well as Communications Matrices available in the Biological, Chemical and Radiological Response Plans.

The Incident Command Center (ICS) is a standardized all-hazard incident management system that enables hospitals and others to organize resources, staff, and facilities in order to remain operational during an emergency and promote the restoration of day-to-day operations. Communications are maintained through a variety of methods including email, internet/intranet, dedicated call-in lines, department snowball lists, faxes, emergency telephones, handheld radios and information sharing with the state.

Atlantic Health has standardized Emergency Codes: