YNHHS rolls out first wave of new patient beds 

YNHH units NP 12 and SLA 5 were among those to receive new Hillrom patient beds that will be deployed throughout Yale New Haven Health System in the coming months. The beds have a number of advanced features designed to enhance safety, quality and the patient experience.

Months of analytical work is starting to bear fruit, as the first new patient beds have been deployed at Yale New Haven Hospital. The deployment is part of a massive project to replace nearly every bed across Yale New Haven Health System. 

“The patient bed is central to everything we do,” said Jeannette Bronsord, RN, executive director, Nursing Surgical Services, and bed project lead for nursing at the system level. “Many people have been involved in this project, including members of the clinical team, Food and Nutrition, Environmental Services, Patient Transport and, of course, the patients.”

Bed replacement began in September, with YNHH receiving 120 Centrella Smart+ beds from Hillrom on SP 5-2 and 5-3, NP12 and SLA 5. More replacement beds are expected to arrive in 2022.

“We’re hearing from these first units that everyone loves the new beds,” said Kelly Grimshaw, RN, DNP, value analysis nurse, YNHHS. “The staff was very excited when the beds arrived because they were visible signs of the investments we’re making. People are using the new beds and getting firsthand experience with their improvements over the older models.”

The new beds’ features include fall alarms connected to the staff call system and integrated scales that can send patients’ weights to Epic, said Jeffrey Blood, outsourced services coordinator, YNHHS.

The next-level features run the gamut from direct clinical enhancements to patient experience upgrades.

The five-year plan to replace nearly 2,500 beds – including1,500 at YNHH – kicked-off last summer with what project organizers called the 2021 Bed Road Show, an on-site demonstration of two models under consideration. That evaluation was conducted in tandem with a financial assessment of the cost of repairs and maintenance of current beds, and the potential reduction of rental bed expenses.

Ultimately the Hillrom bed was deemed best in show.

While the hospital has always conducted periodic bed upgrades, Bronsord said this is the first time nearly all beds throughout the health system will be replaced under a single, multi-year upgrade plan. 

“The goal is to use this project as a starting point to maintain our bed fleet moving forward,” said bed project team member Cynthia Johnson, RN, patient services manager, Heart and Vascular Center, SP 5-2. “It’s exciting because these new beds are versatile and user-friendly and have enhanced safety features that will benefit patients and staff.”