Customer Success Story

Moffitt Cancer Center Finds Safe Patient Handling Success with HoverMatt®Air Transfer System

Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL

Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, FL has been using the Single-Patient Use and reusable HoverMatt® Air Transfer Systems for lateral patient transfers and repositioning since February of 2010.  Their Safe Patient Handling Coordinator, Nancy Keating, recently took some time to talk about how the HoverMatt has impacted the safe patient handling program at their facility. 

Nancy first found out about the HoverMatt at the Annual Safe Patient Handling and Movement conference.  The product made sense to Nancy because of the “many potential risks for our patients and caregivers.”  One of Nancy’s main concerns was for their large population of oncology patients, who experience pain with transfers and repositioning and boosting up in bed.  As for caregivers, she noted that “patients are larger, sicker and weaker and we felt that the HoverMatts would decrease the risk for lateral strain.”

Since implementing the HoverMatts, injuries and the associated workers compensation costs are “way down”, which pleases the upper management, who are data driven, and helps with justification of the product within their facility.  What Nancy has also noticed is an overwhelmingly positive response from the staff:  “We implemented the product in February 2010, and almost 2 years later, people still say ‘thank you’ for bringing the technology to our facility!”

Word of mouth from actual caregivers has been a big indicator of the product’s success, and Nancy noted that positive feedback has come from nurses and doctors alike.  One surgical floor nurse wrote, “This is just a brief note to let you know how much the [HoverMatt] is appreciated.  I've seen a lot of good changes in my years of nursing and this product ranks at the top for me.  No longer do I have a ‘stiff’ back on my first day off from pulling patients from stretchers.”

In addition to protecting caregivers’ backs, one doctor cited that using the HoverMatt would help to manage patient pain and even protect the placement of an implanted device for one procedure: “Each time [the patient is] transferred (3) there is a possibility of displacement of the catheters as well as pain/discomfort for the patient.  The thinking of [using] the [HoverMatts] is to reduce both of these.” 

The HoverMatt has certainly made a difference for Moffitt’s patients, who “love it [because] they are comfortable and not being jerked around.”  Their families are similarly happy about the use of this technology because they see that their loved ones are comfortable and being treated with dignity, which is especially important for bariatric patients. 

Overall, the HoverMatt has made a significant impact on Moffitt’s Safe Patient Handling program.  The facility had other equipment, such as lifts, before, but staff members were apprehensive to use them because of the time and effort involved in understanding and utilizing the products.  As Nancy explained, the HoverMatt is so “simple and easy to use that it broke down a huge barrier” and changed the way caregivers reacted to safe patient handling equipment.   When they saw the benefits of using the HoverMatt, they were inclined to use other equipment that the facility had because they had seen what Safe Patient Handling equipment could do for them.  The HoverMatts became one stepping stone that helped to facilitate cultural change.

Today, Moffitt continues to grow and develop their Safe Patient Handling program.  When I spoke with Nancy, she was very excited to report they had just received their first two HoverJack® Air Patient Lifts, for patient falls.  Moffitt also recently welcomed Kent Wilson, HoverTech’s Special Programs Director, to perform a facility wide assessment.  Moffitt had already done their own hazard analysis, but also wanted a third party to provide an additional perspective that they could show to management in order to tell them more about “where they are at and where they are going”.

For information on how you can acheive similar results, contact your local HoverTech sales representative.

 Safe Patient Handling Quiz

Test your knowledge….check out this month’s Safe Patient Handling Quiz! 

1. What percent of the adult U.S. population is considered “overweight?”

A)     35%

B)     55%

C)     75%

D)     95%

2. What percent of nurses will sustain a back injury some time during their career?

A)     30%

B)     40%

C)     50%

D)     60%

3. What percent of nurses will leave their profession because of these back injuries?

A)     12%

B)     15%

C)     21%

D)     25%

 Look for the answers at the bottom of the newsletter!

HoverTech might be an international company, but we are proud to maintain a distinct “family feel” that helps to define who we are as an organization.  From our employees in the Bethlehem, PA office to our large network of independent sales representatives and distributors, to our customers who are located all over the world, we at HoverTech value all of our relationships.  In fact, our innovations are directly fueled by the desire to listen and respond to those whom our products help.  To do this, we try to learn as much as we can about all of you and your needs, and we thought you might like to know more about who makes up our team as well!

Here is a glimpse of the HoverTech group at our Christmas Party this year.  It was a great time for employees to get together outside of the office and enjoy the spirit of the season.  In the upcoming issues of the newsletter, we will be introducing you to everyone who makes up our HoverTech team, department by department.  We look forward to letting you know more about who we are!

The HoverTech team at the annual  Christmas party