St. Joseph Health System Focuses on Delivering Perfect Care with New Technology to Mitigate Risk and Improve Patient Safety
Orange, California, April 30, 2011—St. Joseph Health System, a $4.6 billion healthcare system headquartered in Orange, California, announced a partnership with RF Surgical Systems, the market leader in the prevention and detection of retained surgical sponges. As part of its ongoing commitment to providing the highest quality of safe patient care, St. Joseph Health System will utilize the RF Assure Detection Technology in operating rooms throughout its system to improve patient safety.
”At SJHS, it is our goal to ensure the care we provide is the safest care to our patients. We are always looking for opportunities to implement evidenced based technology as part of our commitment to continuously raise the bar on patient safety,” states Dr. Clyde Wesp, Chief Medical Officer at St. Joseph Health System. “The partnership with RF Surgical Detection will help provide additional patient safety measures in our hospitals utilizing a sustainable approach, which aligns with our desire to achieve perfect care.”
RF Surgical’s RF Detection Technology utilizes radio-frequency (RF) detection technology to identify and prevent retained surgical items (RSI) from remaining inside a patient following surgery. A RSI is any item such as a sponge, gauze or towel, left inside a patient after a surgical procedure is completed, which can result in a variety of medical complications including the need for follow-up surgery. St. Joseph Health System will use the RF Assure Detection System in addition to its current best practices, which include manual counting of surgical materials and verifying counts. The RF Detection Technology, along with St. Joseph Health System’s current practices, will increase intraoperative efficiency across all surgical services including trauma and maternity services.
“RF Surgical is pleased to partner with St. Joseph Health System to bring the radio frequency detection technology into all of the operation rooms in the St. Joseph Health System,” said Dr. Jeffrey Port, founder and chairman of RF Surgical. “We are excited to support St. Joseph Health System’s leadership in patient safety and committed efforts for achieving optimal care.”
About St. Joseph’s Health System
The St. Joseph Health System (SJHS) is a $4.6 billion, integrated Catholic healthcare delivery system sponsored by the St. Joseph Health Ministry. We provide a full range of care facilities including acute care hospitals, home health agencies, hospice care, outpatient services, skilled nursing facilities, community clinics, and physician organizations throughout California, Texas and New Mexico. Our 24,000 dedicated employees strive daily to provide perfect care while building the healthiest communities and ensuring every encounter is sacred. SJHS is committed to maintaining a continuum of care that matches the diverse needs of the communities we serve. For more information about SJHS, log onto www.stjoe.org.
About RF Surgical Systems, Inc.
RF Surgical Systems, Inc. is the market leader in the prevention and detection of retained surgical sponges. The RF Surgical Detection System is the preferred solution in more than 1,000 operating rooms, trauma and labor & delivery suites nationwide. RF Surgical Systems is based in Bellevue, Washington with R & D facilities in San Diego, California. The advanced technologies used in the RF Surgical Detection System are protected by U.S. patents. Regulatory clearance to market the system was granted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in November 2006. The company is online at http://www.rfsurg.com/.