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Connecting
PatientsWith
Their Care
By Andrea Nagel
When Kootenai Health
opened the east expansion
last year, every patient room included an interactive
patient care system, powered by the GetWell Network.
This system serves as a central communication and
information hub for patients, families and care team
members—providing up-to-date and personalized care
information that is easy to navigate and understand.
The system has now been expanded beyond the east
wing of the hospital to the rest of the inpatient units.
“We are excited to have the GetWell system in all of
our patient rooms. This system allows patients to be an
active member of their care team,” said Julie Hoerner,
patient engagement specialist at Kootenai Health.
“Studies show that patients who are actively engaged
in their care experience fewer medical errors, have bet-
ter outcomes and have lower readmission rates.”
The GetWell Network automatically populates
important patient information and identifies who makes
up the patient’s medical team. Clinical staff, along with
patients and their caregivers, use the system to leave
messages and reminders and provide educational
information about the patient’s condition and medica-
tions. The system houses over 900 educational videos
about procedures and conditions, which patients can
also access from home after they leave the hospital;
provides instructions for home care; and offers enter-
tainment, such as TV, movies, music and games.
Patients can also use the system to order additional
services. They can:
◗
◗
Request room service, chaplain services, pharma-
ceutical service, nutrition counseling or lactation
consultations
◗
◗
Compliment staff or make a suggestion
And soon, patients will be able to request a visit from
one of the hospital’s volunteer therapy dogs.
“Being able to make requests and order services in-
dependently gives our patients a lot more control while
they’re at the hospital,” Julie said. “They don’t need to
use their nurse as an intermediary. Having those things
at their fingertips can be empowering.”
LEFT: Marj Spangler knits
baby hats for the infants in
Kootenai Health’s neonatal
intensive care unit.
BELOW: Willow Wilkerson was
the first baby to receive one of
Marj’s hats.
S T E A D Y H A N D S
If you or someone you
know has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s,
essential tremor disorder or dysphasia, call Koo-
tenai Clinic Neurology at
(208) 625-5100
or visit
KH.org/
neurology
to see if deep brain stimulation could help.
and once I made several I didn’t know what to do with
them,” she said. “Then while I was at a doctor appoint-
ment, I decided I would give them to Judy to give to the
babies. To be able to do this for someone is so special.”
Marj has a soft spot for babies in the NICU. She
became pregnant eight times in her life and delivered
all of her children prematurely.
“That might have been part of why I decided to knit
baby hats,” Marj said. “It makes me feel so good to
be able to do something for somebody else. Because
of Judy; William Ganz, M.D.; and Charles Britt, M.D.,
I can do this. It is so amazing to me—20 years ago I
wouldn’t have been able to do this.”
KH . ORG
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