Excellence Every Day represents an MGH commitment to providing the highest quality, safest care that meets or exceeds all standards set by the hospital and external organizations.

A focus on disabilities—creating a welcoming and accessible environment for all

AN MGH PATIENT EXPERIENCE

Accessibility—MGH

Autism Care Plan

Creating a Welcoming and Inclusive Environment for Patients with Disabilities

Etiquette: Basic Guidelines for Interacting with People with Disabilities

Sensory Assist Devices
(free to MGH patients)

What’s in a Word?—Helpful tips you can use when you speak with and about a person with a disability

Wheelchair Scale Procedure—Instructions

Improving access-ability
Approximately one in five Americans has a disability, and that prevalence will likely increase as the population ages. Joining with BWH and the Boston Center for Independent Living, MGH is involved in a major initiative to improve access and care for people with disabilities. The effort focuses on employee awareness and education, the physical environment, patient services, and equipment. read more...

The Council on Disabilities Awareness (CDA) was formed in 2003 to help the hospital address the many and diverse needs of Mass General staff, patients and families, and visitors with disabilities. Its mission is clear:  to advise, challenge, and engage the Mass General community in moving beyond the mandates of compliance to create a welcoming and accessible environment for all. read more...

The MGH Disability Program... read more...

Policies, Procedures & Guidelines:
(TROVE: internal access only)

Care of Patients with Disabilities

Sign Language Interpreters

Service Animals

Council on Disabilities Awareness :
Meets Quarterly
March 15, June 14, Sept. 6 and Dec.6 11:30-1pm, Founders 130

Employees with Disabilities Resource Group (EDRG)
launched in October 2011, the EDRG provides networking opportunities, social connection and collaboration to MGH employees. Upcoming meetings will be held in the Wilkins Conference Room, Founders 136:

• Thursday, July 19 12-1p
• Thursday, October 18 12-1p

For more information, please email MGHAccessibility@partners.org.

IN THE NEWS

How practices can make room for mobility—American Medical News, November 28, 2011

Coverage of the exoskeleton—engaget

Quadruple amputee gets new hands—The Boston Globe, October 14, 2011

Lives Worth Living—PBS Documentary, 2011

Creating a welcoming and inclusive environment for patients with disabilities—Caring Headlines, February 3, 2011

Multidisciplinary team recognized for individualizing care—MGH Hotline, August 5 , 2011

Re-defining autonomy: Challenges in caring for individuals with newly acquired disability—Caring Headlines, June 16 , 2011

ACCESSIBILITY RESOURCES

Educational Resources at MGH

Disabilities Training Sessions

HealthStream Offerings:
(internal access only)

• Equal Access to Healthcare: Working with Patients with Disabilities (Clinical and Non-clinical modules)
• Good Practice Series: Weighing Patients with Disabilities
• Guidelines for using Wheelchair Accessible Scale

MGH Contacts:

MGH Council on Disability Awareness
Bonnie Michelman, Chair
Director of Police and Security
(617) 726-7979

Fred (Alfred) White, Cochair
Operations Manager, Clinical Support Services, Department of Radiology
(617) 726-3066

MGH Office of Patient Advocacy
Wang Ambulatory Care Center Lobby, Room 018
8:30am-5:00pm, Monday through Friday
(617) 726-3370

Zary Amirhosseini, MEd
MGH Disability Program Manager
(617) 726-3370 or (617) 643-7148

Links to Resources (partial listings)

(Click here for extended lists: internal | external)

Internal

• MGH Disability Program
  Email: MGHAccessibility@partners.org
• Coordinated Care Clinic in MGHfC
• Partners Ergonomics

External

• Boston Center for Independent Living
• Disability.gov
• Massachusetts Commission for the Blind
• Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf and
  Hard of Hearing (MCDHH)
• The MBTA RIDE

For many patients, communication may be inhibited by language differences, hearing, visual or cognitive impairments, health literacy, or other disabilities. The Joint Commission has new and revised requirements to improve patient-provider communication that will increase quality and safety through effective communication, cultural competence and patient- and family-centered care. Read more about the eight new and revised elements of performance...click here

Magnet Recognition

The American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) requires Magnet-designated organizations to track nationally-benchmarked nursing sensitive indicators (NSIs) to continually inform improvement efforts related enhance patient outcomes. Examples of NSIs include, but are not limited to: patient falls, hospital-acquired pressure ulcers, blood stream infections, ventilator-associated pneumonia, and restraint use.

click here...

There are numerous terms and acronyms in healthcare that may be unfamiliar. Please click here to visit a Glossary of Terms that may be helpful. And please email any suggested additions.

This month's featured term: Assistive Device
A technical aid, communication device or medical aid modified or customized, that is used to increase, maintain or improve the functional abilities of people with disabilities. Assistive technology can include mobility devices such as walkers and wheelchairs, as well as hardware, software and peripherals that assist people with disabilities in accessing computers or other information technologies. For example:

• people with limited hand function may use a keyboard with large keys or a special mouse to operate a computer
• people who are blind may use software that reads text on the screen in a computer-generated voice
• people with low vision may use software that enlarges screen content
• people who are deaf may use a video
• or people with speech impairments may use a device that speaks out loud as they enter text via a keyboard

If you have questions or suggestions related to the EED portal, please contact Georgia Peirce at (617) 724-9865 or via email at gwpeirce@partners.org.

updated 4/27/12

 

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