Long Beach Medical Center has instituted a life-saving initiative called the Rapid Response Team (RRT). The RRT is a team of hospital clinicians with critical care expertise who can be summoned to a patient’s bedside when non-specific signs or changes may indicate the patient’s condition is declining. Research has shown that many critical events involving hospitalized patients are preceded by warning signs for an average of 6.5 hours.
By involivng the Rapid Response Team before patients develop serious medical problems, the incidence of cardiac arrests and other acute life-threatening events are diminished, length of stay is decreased and patient mortalitiy rates are reduced.
"The Rapid Response Team picks up on early symptoms and implements interventions that will stabilize the patient and prevent them from becoming life-threatening," says Faye Duda, Chief Nursing Officer.
Since the team’s inception, Long Beach Medical Center is making great strides toward improving patient outcomes.