Published on June 01, 2023

New Device Makes Patient Repositioning Easier

Team Members Standing

Owensboro Health Regional Hospital recently started using the Hercules Patient Repositioner system – a device to assist bedside caregivers in safely and easily boosting patients up in bed – in two in-patient units to provide a better patient experience and outcomes and improve team member safety and efficiency. 

Using a drive unit at the head of the bed and a special, long sheet that clips into a mattress cover, the system works similarly to a conveyer belt, gently boosting patients weighing up to 500 pounds higher in their bed with just a push of a button. Each sheet provides 10-12 boosts before needing to be changed. The system is installed on all beds in the Critical Care and Ortho/Neuro/Medical units since patients in those areas often need to be repositioned and are more at risk for developing pressure ulcers. 

The traditional manual boosting task not only demands time but also contributes to team member injuries. Hercules has offered a more efficient, safer way to boost patients. It also saves time for caregivers who were accustomed to spending a significant portion of the workday searching for a coworker to help reposition patients. 

Team members at Owensboro Health Regional Hospital’s Ortho/Neuro/Medical unit said they feel better at the end of the day because they aren’t using their backs to lift patients. Along with being an easier way for team members to move patients, it eliminates chaffing and the possibility of further injury to patients. 

In Critical Care, team members said the team member and patient experiences are improved because they don’t have to wait for a second team member to come and help reposition them. A single team member can boost them any time they need it. 

OHRH leadership will evaluate the impact of the Hercules systems and make decisions on the next steps. 

About Owensboro Health

Owensboro Health is a nonprofit health system with a mission to heal the sick and to improve the health of the communities it serves in Kentucky and Indiana. The system includes Owensboro Health Regional Hospital, nationally recognized for design, architecture and engineering; Owensboro Health Muhlenberg Community Hospital; Owensboro Health Twin Lakes Medical Center; the Owensboro Health Medical Group comprised of over 350 providers at more than 30 locations; three outpatient Healthplex facilities, a certified medical fitness facility, the Healthpark; a weight management program, and the Mitchell Memorial Cancer Center.

On average each year, we have more than 19,000 inpatient admissions, deliver 2,000 babies and provide the region’s only Level III NICU. Owensboro Health physicians perform nearly 33,000 surgical procedures, including nearly 150 open-heart surgeries. Our physicians and staff have 90,000 Emergency Department visits and more than 1.25 million outpatient visits annually. Visit our home page for more information.