Foundation Purchases 52 Fixed Vital Sign Monitors for Cheyenne Regional Medical Center

February 2, 2015

Cheyenne, WY—State-of-the-art fixed vital sign monitors were recently installed in 52 patient rooms at Cheyenne Regional Medical Center with a contribution provided by the Cheyenne Regional Foundation.

Each year the Foundation uses proceeds from its Denim ’N Diamonds campaign to fund a project that will benefit the hospital. The 2014 campaign raised more than $200,000, which was used to purchase and install the new monitors.

“Hospital leaders and the Foundation’s Board of Directors work together to determine a much-needed project each year that will benefit patients and our clinical staff,” said Stephen Stone, the Foundation’s Executive Director.

“These units were selected because our nurses said that having fixed vital sign monitors would be of value to our patients and nurses,” Stone said.

“This is a tremendous contribution for our patients and our community,” said Cynthia Vais, clinical nurse manager on Cheyenne Regional’s surgical and orthopedic/neurosurgery units. “Having these units is helping our nurses in their day-to-day work, which ultimately benefits our patients.”

Vital signs are used to measure basic body functions and are taken to help determine a person’s general health. The new monitors can measure blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate and oxygen saturation. They are also able to wirelessly transmit patient data to Cheyenne Regional’s electronic charting system.

Previously, Cheyenne Regional used mobile vital sign monitors in most of its inpatient rooms. The mobile units provide accurate readings but aren’t as convenient or as sophisticated as the new fixed monitors.

“Having these units permanently affixed in patient rooms means the nurses can quickly check a patient’s vital signs. This is especially important during a crisis or if a patient’s condition is rapidly changing,” said Tara Leinart, Cheyenne Regional’s interim administrator of inpatient nursing.

The new monitors are also beneficial because they are dual mode, meaning they can be attached to a patient for continuous monitoring or can be used to spot-check a patient’s vital signs.

Yet another benefit is that the fixed monitors are mounted on the wall, which saves floor space around the patient’s bed and reduces the risk of anyone running into them or tripping over them.

“And having the monitors in a fixed location should reduce the chance that they will break down. That is a concern when you have to move any equipment from room to room,” Leinart said.

A reduced infection risk is another benefit of the new monitors. “Our nurses and staff disinfect the mobile units before they are moved, but having the fixed units in place reduces the risk even further,” Leinart added.

The monitors funded by the Foundation were placed throughout the hospital’s patient tower. About two-thirds of the rooms in the tower now have fixed monitors, said Leinart, and there are plans to purchase more in the near future.

“We are so grateful that the Foundation decided to fund this project. We also want to thank the many people in our community who contribute to the Foundation. It’s really all of them who made this project possible,” Vais said.