The Josie King Call

Condition H

(H = Help)

“The Josie King Call”

At UPMC Shadyside Hospital, we are building the hospital of the future with the help of the patients and families we care for. We believe in teamwork and ask that families/patients/visitors be a part of the team when visiting the hospital.

The Story.

Josie King was an 18 month little girl who died because of hospital errors in one of the best hospitals in our country. Through the creation of a patient safety program, the King family’s hope is to help prevent this from ever happening to another patient.

The Josie King Call “Condition H” has been created here at UPMC Shadyside out of our desire to provide our patients and families an avenue to call for immediate help when they feel it is needed. Josie’s mother, Sorrel King, has worked with UPMC Shadyside to design Condition H. We are dedicated to making the hospital the safest place possible for patient care to happen.

Condition H -- What does the H stand for? Help -- “Condition HELP” Patients and families can call for help by initiating a “rapid response team”. A rapid response team is made up of designated members of the hospital’s healthcare team, including at least a doctor and nurse, who come to the patient’s bedside in an emergency and manage the situation, much like an ambulance team does in the community.

The reasons for the Condition H can be:

·  A report from a family member or visitor to a healthcare provider (i.e. nurses, physicians) of a serious noted change in the patient’s condition that is not being addressed

·  An emergency situation where a noted change in the patient’s condition is not being recognized by the caregiver or does not receive the attention deemed appropriate by the family.

·  If after speaking with a member of the healthcare team, confusion or conflict of what needs to be done for the patient is evident.

Who will respond to a Condition H? An internal medicine physician or nurse practitioner, the administrative nursing coordinator/supervisor. a floor nurse, and a patient relations coordinator, when in house.

We hope that you never need to call a Condition H; however, this valuable resource for patients and families is another way that UPMC Shadyside Hospital is partnering with patients and families to provide the highest quality and safest care possible.