Banner Health Community Hospital implements new Positive Patient Identification System

TORRINGTON, Wyo. (June 2, 2010) - Community Hospital will implement a new Positive Patient Identification System (PPID) on June 2. 

The system consists of the nurse scanning the patient’s arm band barcode, as well as the medication barcode, before administering the medication.

In the United States, medication errors cost billions of dollars, affecting heath care providers, patients and insurance companies.  Implementing patient identification systems helps to alleviate some of those costs by reducing errors, as well as keep patients safe.

Community Hospital is the fifth Banner Health hospital to implement PPID as part of a system wide initiative.  All 20 Banner Health hospitals will implement PPID by the end of 2011. 

About Banner Health
Phoenix-based Banner Health is one of the largest, nonprofit health care systems in the country. The system owns or manages 23 acute-care hospitals, long-term care centers, outpatient surgery centers and an array of other services including family clinics, home care and hospice services, and a nursing registry. Banner Health facilities are located in seven states: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Nebraska, Nevada and Wyoming.