Until recently, there was no standardized benchmark for the quality of service in Mechanical Ventilation (MV) facilities. This posed potential risks to the well-being of patients and their families, resulting in problems such as lung-related injuries and dependence on MV. Meanwhile, the facilities struggled with inefficient resource utilization and elevated liability insurance rates.

Endorsed by the American Society of Respiratory Care (AARC), Enhanced Respiratory Care is the pioneering standard within the field. It’s developed on evidence-based principles and refined through extensive practice in Tennessee, where it has served as a ventilation standard since 2003. The standard includes advancements in weaning, patient care, and ventilator unit technology. It’s beneficial to both sides: patients and their families can expect quality-of-life improvements that make positive outcomes more likely, while facilities gain a competitive edge through accreditation and optimize their resource utilization.

Clyde Heflin MD, FACCP spoke about the need for recognized standards of care, “Previous to the Enhanced Respiratory Care Standards of Care, there were no established standards of care. Patients were sent to healthcare facilities based on other factors – bed availability, the smoothness of the marketing process, the look of the building, and so on. Enhanced Respiratory Care provides a standard of care that ensures that patients are receiving care based on an established standard and not on extraneous factors.” Dr. Heflin is also a member of the Enhanced Respiratory Care Standards Committee.

Michael Wong, JD (Executive Director, Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety) emphasized the patient safety and quality of care that the State of Hawaii will now enjoy, saying, “When families send their loved ones and friends to a healthcare facility, they want to make sure that they are receiving the best care possible. For the State of Hawaii, Islands Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation is such a facility.”

The Enhanced Respiratory Care Standards of Care are supported and endorsed by the AARC. Carl Hinkson, MS, RRT-NPS, ACCS, FAARC (President, AARC) writes:

“The American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC) would like to express our support and endorsement of your efforts in developing standards of care and facility accreditation for long-term mechanical ventilation in skilled nursing facilities. As the leading professional association for respiratory therapists in the United States, we recognize the importance of ensuring patients receive the highest quality care possible.”

Gene Gantt RRT, FAARC, whose team has developed and managed the Enhanced Respiratory Care program in Tennessee since 2013, said, “The Enhanced Respiratory Care Program is based on standards published by the American Association for Respiratory Care. Utilized in Tennessee, this Program has achieved liberation rates of 65% and has earned national recognition of excellence from the American College of Chest Physicians.”

For more on the Enhanced Respiratory Care Accreditation, please visit https://ppahs.org/accreditation-of-facilities/ To apply for Accreditation, please go to https://ppahs.org/apply-for-accreditation/

About Islands Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation

Islands Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation is Hawaii’s premier post-acute and respiratory care community specializing in short-term rehabilitation, ventilator, and tracheostomy rehab care program. Our 42-bed facility is equipped to provide the same kind of care that you would receive in a hospital or intensive care unit. Partnering with your physician, we put together a personalized post-acute care team for you. This team can include physical, occupational, speech, and respiratory therapists, a social worker, a nutritionist, post-acute care nurses, and nurse assistants. Our community design and specialty therapeutic equipment enable us to provide the first-class quality care needed to support your needs.

The goal is to help transition you to as normal a life as possible. Whether it’s a short stay to help with rehabilitation from a COPD, heart attack, or stroke, or a long-term stay to assist with daily ventilator or tracheostomy care. Islands Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation has you covered. For more information on Islands Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation, please visit www.islandsnr.com.

About Physician-Patient Alliance for Health and Safety

Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety is ranked internationally as a top-100 patient safety organization (Agilience Authority Index, August 2023) and is a national advocacy force for addressing patient health and safety priorities shared by patients, physicians, regulators, and industry. PPAHS seeks to ensure that the best medications, medical inventions, and technology that can improve care and reduce costs are employed. PPAHS works to advance patient health and safety by developing and highlighting best practices and recommendations through better use and application of clinical practices and experiences, information technologies and checklists, and healthcare information. As a voice in support of ideas and innovation that can improve care, we encourage a health ecosystem that fosters a culture of patient safety. For more about PPAHS, please visit www.ppahs.org.

Media Contact

Michael Wong, PHYSICIAN-PATIENT ALLIANCE FOR HEALTH & SAFETY, 1 8477705582, [email protected], https://ppahs.org/

SOURCE PHYSICIAN-PATIENT ALLIANCE FOR HEALTH & SAFETY