| |
Collaboration & Inspiration
In 2003, inspired to find a better and safer way to move heavy wheeled objects and beds in hospitals, StaminaLift founders Ken Bell, Peter March and Adam Lear began developing the StaminaLift Bed Mover. Instead of guessing at what would help healthcare staff move beds and other heavy wheeled objects more safely, StaminaLift went directly to the users.
Eric Hofmanis, Senior Occupational Health and Safety Advisor at The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, was looking for a solution to the high rate of injuries resulting from pushing beds around the 330 bed hospital, located in South Australia. A close and fruitful collaboration followed. Eric and his team identified workplace hazards associated with moving beds and trolleys, StaminaLift responded by engineering solutions to the hazards, and finally hospital staff gave input on prototypes and made suggestions for improvements. Eric’s determination to find a solution, continuous design input combined with his understanding of the engineering requirements and related safety legislation were significant. The collaboration resulted in a 100% reduction in bed pushing injuries at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (when StaminaLift bed movers were used), and a StaminaLift Bed Mover adapted to the unique demands of the healthcare environment and staff work practices.
To ensure that the Bed Mover meets the needs of staff and patients, StaminaLift continues to work closely with The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, other South Australian hospitals, the ACT Health Injury Prevention and Manual Handling Unit and the Canberra Hospital. |
|
Benefits
Where patients are moved in beds pushed by StaminaLift Bed Movers, several Australian hospitals have been able to rapidly reduce related injuries to zero.
Associated benefits include:
- Reduced work cover claims
- Reduced insurance costs
- Reduced staff absenteeism
- Reduced fatigue
- Improved staff morale
- Improved efficiency and consistency to avoid disruptions to high thru-put areas such as operating-rooms/theatres and radiology
- More nursing hours into patient care because beds can now be moved by a single-person (where a medical escort is not required)
More detail on injury prevention and benefits StaminaLift users have achieved are available.
|
|
Management
The StaminaLift management team is based in Adelaide, South Australia. Founders Ken Bell and Peter March continue to work closely with local users to understand first-hand how the movers are used and to inform future product developments.
The management team includes experts in business development, marketing and strategy. With a product proven in the Australian market and delivering injury reductions, the focus for 2010 is on realizing the sizeable market opportunity by developing international partnerships, distribution and servicing networks.
If you are a distributor already selling capital equipment into hospitals, we would like to hear from you. |
|
|
