PDC Sentry Bar Code LabelBand®
ANDERSON HOSPTAL (MARYVILLE, IL)
 Photo Courtesy of Anderson Hospital Patient safety is undeniably a critical issue for hospitals. Yet the high cost of delivering quality care can make meeting the high standards of patient safety difficult. Hospitals face the challenge to exceed patient expectations, comply with industry regulations, and reduce costs—demanding but attainable tasks.
Minimizing Costs by 56%
Anderson Hospital (Maryville, Illinois), a non-profit 135 bed acute care medical facility, reduced costs and enhanced patient safety by focusing on its patient identification wristbands.
"At the beginning of the year we were looking at costs", comments Pamela Barker, Director of Admissions at Anderson Hospital. "We looked at areas where we could potentially save money and one of the things that I found when we reviewed our patient wristband system was that it was a huge expense."
Anderson Hospital's bar code wristband system was not cost effective and the quality of the system was mediocre at best, comments Barker. "We were using a competitive product in which we printed wristbands and labels from one sheet. In my opinion, I felt the wristband and label application on a single sheet to be cumbersome, and the overall system too expensive. We were generating excess paper and labels and the wristbands were a major cost."
 After identifying an area with potential cost savings, the staff began evaluating comparable wristband solutions which led them to Precision Dynamics Corporations (PDC) Sentry Bar Code LabelBand®.
LabelBand was ideal, comments Barker. "We didn't have to do anything—it is so easy and effortless to use, and definitely a lot less expensive. Once we found LabelBand, we converted the entire hospital to it. The improvement was obvious."
Every patient admitted into the hospital is issued a wristband. Before choosing PDCs LabelBand, the hospital spent $27,000 a year onwristbands. Now with LabelBand, the hospital saves $15,000 per year or 56% less than the competing product.
Maximizing Patient Safety with Quality Products
Many hospitals are faced with the challenge of upgrading operations while keeping costs down and simultaneously exceeding patient safety standards. Both objectives can be achieved using quality and cost effective products like LabelBand.
Positive patient identification is crucial to patient safety; therefore, the quality of patient wristbands cannot be compromised.
 "Before patients would peel off their ID bands and we would find them in the hallway or parking lot—this was not HIPAA compliant. It was also an added cost to replace and print a wristband every time it came off or was removed prematurely because the wristband and label were part of the same sheet—we don't have this problem with LabelBand. Having a new wristband that is hard to tamper with is definitely the standard for practice."
LabelBand's secure plastic snap provides maximum security as opposed to adhesive closures, making the wristband non-transferable and highly secure. The band also complies with HIPAA, JCAHO, and AHA industry standards.
The nursing staff at Anderson Hospital found that LabelBand is easier to apply than their previous wristband. The easy three step application process is fast and straightforward. Patients say the new LabelBand wristbands are softer and more comfortable than previous bands, states Barker. The wristband is soft, smooth, and non-abrasive to sensitive skin.
Bar Code Scanability for the Future
 "We are in the transition process of implementing a full bar code and eForms system and we need a product that works well with such a system", says Barker. "We tested various wristbands and LabelBand performed the best during bar code scanning—we've had no problems."
LabelBand's clear adhesive shield provides easy and accurate bar code scanning and optimal protection from water, solvents, and other abrasives. LabelBand also supports text, linear and 2-dimensional bar codes, as well as photos and graphics on the wristband. Furthermore, the large label area accommodates both laser and thermal labels.
"I appreciate the fact that PDC knew how to develop an exceptional product, which among many things, is a huge time saver. I did not have to do anything to make the wristband work for me—it just works and it looks good. Its a true hospital wristband that should be used in all hospitals looking to cut costs and improve patient safety."
About Anderson Hospital
Anderson Hospital is a not-for-profit 135 bed acute care medical facility. Established in 1977, Anderson Hospital offers a full range of advanced health care services, from a state-of-the-art obstetrics unit - the Pavilion for Women - to emergency services that treated over 28,000 people last year. Over 200 physicians, constituting over 40 medical specialties, work with Anderson Hospital to meet the medical needs of its communities.
Sentry® is a registered trademark of Precision Dynamics Corporation. LabelBand™ is a trademark of Precision Dynamics Corporation.
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