Volume Eleven, Issue Five

A publication of Roseau Area Hospital and Homes, Inc

October / November 2006


Our Mission
To enhance the health
of the people of the
region by providing
accessible,
cost effective, quality
health services.

 Our Vision
RAHH will lead the
region’s healthcare
system by engaging
consumers, communities,
physicians and other
professionals in
improving health and
quality of life.
RAHH will be seen
as “ours” by the
communities it serves,
by the consumers
and families it provides
care to, by the people it
employs and by the
physicians who provide
care here.

 To achieve this
vision,
RAHH will:
Maintain and strengthen
confidence and pride
in RAHH by consistently
demonstrating the
quality of care that
patients, residents,
and clients expect.

Be flexible, accessible,
friendly and quality-driven
so that people of the
area choose RAHH.

Encourage the
community to play
a role in its
development so that
consumers, providers,
and the people of the
region remain central
to RAHH’s planning
and governance.

 Key Values
We actively
look to the future.

We treat all with integrity
and respect, and
approach all we serve
as partners.

We foster the personal
growth of our employees,
physicians, and
other professionals.

We measure the results
of our work and
continuously improve
the quality of our
services on the basis
of that measurement.

We respect and nurture
the relationship between
providers and patients.

We provide cost-effective
healthcare services that
meet the needs and
exceed the expectations
of consumers.

We work closely
with physicians
to develop and sustain
mutually supportive
relationships that
effectively address
the health needs
of the community.
 

RAH joins Mayo Clinic as first Minnesota hospitals to implement new IV pumps


Joan Hulst, LPN (right) and a product spokesman from Hospira MedNet Systems examine a new I.V. pump at RAHH. To date, these new patient-controlled pain medication pumps are currently used by only two healthcare facilities in Minnesota: the Mayo Clinic and Roseau Area Hospital & Homes.

Roseau Area Hospital and Homes is among some elite company these days.

In September, RAHH joined the Mayo Clinic as the only two hospitals in Minnesota to implement the next generation of patient I.V. pumps.

These pumps are used to administer I.V. fluids and any number of medications taken interveneously, including antibiotics, OB medications, chemotherapy, and more.

The new LifeCare PCA I.V. pumps from Hospira MedNet Systems also allow hospital patients to control the flow of their pain medication within carefully specified limits.

It also offers enhanced safety features through its compatibility with the manufacturer's customizable computer software that defines medication dose limits.

"The new intravenous pumps are a great addition to our list of patient care products. It gives each individual patient the ability to control their own amount of medication while reducing the potential of a medication error," says RAHH head nurse Carolyn Sabourin, RN.


A closer look at one of RAHH's new IV pumps.

This new IV pump is the first and only pain management medication delivery system with a built-in bar coded reader that is compatible with pre-filled, bar coded medication vials. This includes pharmacy-generated bar codes for customer-filled vials.

The software helps prevent drug error by ensuring that the medication in the bar-coded vial inserted in the pump is infused within RAHH guidelines.

"This is certainly the next generation in patient-controlled pain management," says Sabourin.

Being one of the first hospital's in Minnesota to implement the pumps is another feather in the cap for this rural healthcare system.

"The fact that the Mayo Clinic is the only hospital in the state to implement this product ahead of us is a testament to Roseau Area Hospital's promise to stay at the leading edge of modern medicine," says Keith Okeson, President/CEO of RAHH.

For more information contact Roseau Area Hospital and Homes at (218) 463-2500
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