Providing an environment focused on hope, healing, and recovery, while reducing risk of self-harm, or loss of life, is the goal of behavioral health facilities. Because these care facilities admit patients who are at a crisis point in their lives, it is imperative that ligature points, and barricade scenarios, which may result in loss of life, are eliminated.
Northwest Community Hospital (NCH) is a 489-bed acute care hospital in Arlington Heights, IL. The hospital serves 200,000 outpatients and 20,000 inpatients annually, and is part of NorthShore University Healthcare System.
Both the hospital and the healthcare system are longtime Anderson Lock customers. Our Hardware Sales Representative, Rose Umana, regularly meets with Eddie Sanchez, NCH Maintenance Coordinator. When he told Rose that NCH wanted to convert a half dozen Emergency Department patient room doors to meet updated behavioral healthcare regulations, she consulted with her manager, Jim Walsh.
Our security professionals are knowledgeable about current codes and risk assessments. When Jim and Rose met with Eddie they discussed options and measured openings, then created a quote for materials and labor.
Six custom-sized Curries doors, to be hung on electrified double-acting Pemko anti-ligature hinges, and secured with Corbin anti-ligature mortise locksets were specified to provide the level of protection required by the occupancy.
Due to the alarming increase in suicides in behavioral healthcare environments, updated policies, which assure the safety and dignity of patients, while also providing security for staff members, are stringently enforced by the Joint Commission (TJC) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
Double swing door hinges allow a door to move in both directions, but they are not like a restaurant kitchen’s swinging doors. When combined with an emergency release stop, these doors provide safe and controlled entryways for patient rooms.
Supply chain delays caused a longer than usual wait, but Eddie was informed as soon as the final products were delivered to us. He worked with Gary Ipsen, our Installation Manager, to promptly schedule Nick Nikolaev and Brian Kurfess for three days to install the heavy 4’0 x 7’0 90-minute fire-rated doors and electrified behavioral health hardware. Actual labor took 36 hours.
Installations done within busy ER’s are always challenging. Patients need to be transferred into and out of rooms, and existing doors and hardware need to be removed, then replaced, one opening at a time.
Eddie says, “The support, knowledge and customer service you provide has always been wonderful. No matter how big or small our project is, Anderson Lock is always very helpful.”
