Teams of the Year

The awards were presented at the annual State of the Hospital meeting in November 2015.

ADAPT Team (Actions for Delirium Assessment, Prevention & Treatment)

Hartford Hospital’s Clinical Team of the Year

Hartford Hospital’s ADAPT Team developed a process to recognize and identify delirium more quickly so treatment and management of the illness could begin sooner. Their process also involves taking steps early to prevent patient delirium, a very serious condition associated with high rates of mortality and complications, including falls, dehydration and malnutrition, which lead to further medical issues. Long-term delirium can even lead to permanent cognitive impairment. Research shows that nearly 40 percent of delirium episodes are preventable and that early treatment improves outcomes. The care process developed by this team has resulted in decreased patient hospitalizations and readmissions. The team’s work has been nationally recognized as a best practice and as contributing to the scientific body of knowledge on delirium prevention, treatment and management.

Noise Reduction Team

Hartford Hospital’s Clinical Support Team of the Year

Hartford Hospital’s Noise Reduction Team, made up of staff members from throughout the hospital, developed a campaign to reduce hospital noise so patients can rest and sleep better, which can result in quicker recovery. With its HUSH Campaign (Help Us Support Healing), the team developed flyers, posters and computer screensavers to alert all staff about the need for quiet. They also appointed a physician’s assistant on each nursing unit as the HUSH contact person and encouraged the following to reduce noise: Closing patient room doors and dimming hallway lights at night; making earplugs, sleep masks and TV headphones available; using Yacker Tracker stop lights and HUSH signs to remind staff to keep their voices down; repairing and replacing noisy equipment such as doors and carts; and decreasing overhead paging. Since the campaign began, the environment is quieter, and patient satisfaction has increased.