December
2002
Volume 26 •
No. 11
Stanford gets high marks in managed-care plan's quality report
Promotion criteria clarified for professoriate
School of Medicine faculty and staff physician rank structure
SHC readies for madate requiring outcomes data on coronary bypass
Santa Clara County hospitals adopt uniform emergency codes
Dr. O retires after four decades of dedication
One-day SEIU strike passes; negotiations still under way
Instructions: Radiology Imaging Studies Available via Web
Santa
Clara County hospitals adopt uniform emergency codes
When an emergency occurs at or near a hospital, accurate information and
clear communication are crucial elements that can help health-care personnel
respond quickly and effectively to protect patients and staff.
With this in mind, Santa Clara County hospitals have agreed to standardize the emergency codes they use to alert physicians and staff to situations ranging from a bomb threat to an earthquake to an infant abduction. Under the new system, scheduled to take effect after Jan. 1, all hospitals countywide have adopted a uniform set of 11 emergency codes. The move is part of an effort to standardize codes at all hospitals statewide. Southern California hospitals adopted the uniform codes in 2000.
"This is a positive, common-sense step that will enable us to respond more quickly and effectively to emergencies," said Per Schenck, disaster preparedness coordinator for Stanford and Lucile Packard Children's hospitals.
On a practical level, physicians who work at multiple hospitals no longer must learn different sets of codes for different hospitals. And, a uniform system will eliminate the confusion that arises when several hospitals affected by an emergency try working together to coordinate their response.
"Valley Medical Center might call a certain code one thing, while Santa Theresa might call it something else," Schenck said. "That can make it difficult for everyone to understand what's going on and whose job it is to do what."
A 2000 survey by the Healthcare Association of Southern California revealed that a uniform code system is, in fact, needed. The survey found that while 90 percent of the 442 California hospitals queried used the same codes for fire (Code Red) and medical emergency (Code Blue), there were 47 different codes used for infant abduction and 61 for combative person.
While some codes at Stanford Medical Center will remain the same, a handful will change and three new codes have been created (see chart). For example, Code Yellow previously meant an internal emergency but will now signify a bomb threat. A few codes have been divided into subcategories for greater specificity. While Code Blue previously signaled a medical emergency involving a child or adult, Code Blue will now be used for an adult and Code White for a child.
Detailed explanations of all the codes, including descriptions of the appropriate response tasks and who should perform them, are available in the Healthcare Facility Emergency Codes handbook, published by the Hospital Council of Northern and Central California. A copy of the handbook may be obtained from the Stanford Hospital Environmental Health and Safety Department at (650) 723-8143
