LUTCHER — St. James Parish Hospital patients will soon have access to specialized beds to reduce pressure ulcers.

The pressure redistribution beds, to be installed in the next year, are funded through the 2019 Funds for Safety Grant sponsored by Louisiana Hospital Association trust funds. With a goal to improve patient and visitor safety, the grant program has translated to more than $2.1 million for 100-plus unique projects in Louisiana facilities.

St. James Parish Hospital has received the grant on five other occasions, most recently in 2018. The St. James Parish Hospital team is “dedicated to continually seeking innovative means to improving both quality and safety for patients,” according to a press release.

Through the years, safety grants have funded reduction of readmissions through use of cable channel insertion, improvement of radiation safety through development of radiation metrics tracking tools, implementation of a safety CASH program to improve involvement in hospital safety culture, funding prevention of hospital-acquired infections with a cleaning verification system and improvement of Code Silver response.

According to a St. James Parish Hospital release, funds have also been used to reduce risks of C.difficile infections and MRSA and enhance the hospital’s fall prevention program by purchasing patient handling devices and recessed entrance mats.