Among the other preventive measures that St. Luke’s implements are: compliance to isolation precaution, multi-drug resistant organisms monitoring, environmental care, equipment sterilization and disinfection, antibiotic use, education and update, monitoring and control of emerging infections, outbreaks, water and food safety, engineering safety, renovation and construction safety and surveillance.
Along with the promotion of patient safety, the center also ensures that safe medication practices are being implemented.
"A medication error is any preventable event that may cause or lead to inappropriate medication use or patient harm while the medication is in the control of the health care professional, patient, or consumer," said Dr. Oscar Naidas of the medication safety team.
As such, the center campaigns to raise staff awareness about banned abbreviations, illegible handwriting of doctors, and sound-alike/look-alike drugs, all of which could potentially cause medical error.
St. Luke’s has also pioneered the prohibition of using neckties, white gowns and nurse’s cap due to a study, which showed that these garments are fertile areas for bacteria growth.
Even the pillows used by patients harbor bacteria, which is why they now provide personal pillows to each patient.
