What is Code HELP?

Sometimes, a loved one can detect subtle changes in a patient that might be overlooked by a nurse or other caregiver.

Code HELP is the emergency response system, used in Baptist Health hospitals, that offers an additional layer of patient safety. Both patients and their family members can use it to bring a team of medical professionals to the patient’s room for immediate assistance.

At first, the concept may seem unnecessary, begging the question: Why would you need an in-hospital 911-type of response?

“Yes, you already have all the caregivers that you need,” explains Geri Schimmel, director of Baptist Health’s Patient Safety Partnership. “But in that rare instance when you feel that you are not being heard, and that you feel that you need someone else to come for an emergency, this is your 911. It is another safety net for you to be able to call.”

The impetus for the nationwide movement to implement Code HELP, or Code H, was borne out of the tragedy behind Josie King, an 18-month-old girl who died as a result of a hospital error in 2002 in Baltimore.

The toddler had been receiving treatment for burns from a bathtub accident. She had been healing well, but she died two days before her scheduled discharge. The hospital staff failed to recognize that the child had become seriously dehydrated, despite pleas by the mother that something was wrong.

After her death, Sorrell King, the girl’s mother, became a prominent patient safety advocate. Because of her diligence in spreading the word, hospitals across the country started implementing Code H or Code HELP.

Baptist Health implemented its system in 2008, early in the movement by hospitals to create Rapid Response Teams (RRTs), essentially medical SWAT teams. Unlike the traditional “code” team, the RRT intervenes before the patient experiences respiratory or cardiac arrest.

“If someone had listened to her (Sorrell King) or she had been able to initiate a call for help, she would have gotten help soon for her daughter,” Ms. Schimmel said. “But people there were not listening and didn’t believe something was wrong. She advocated that a family member should initiate a call for help.”

When should you call a Code HELP?

To Call Code HELP

For patients in a Baptist Health hospital, the process for calling Code HELP is:

Ms. Schimmel says that Code HELPs are rarely called, but hospital staff and switchboard operators are regularly trained on what it means and the process that follows when a code is initiated.

“While we don’t see a lot of Code HELPs called in our hospitals, we want our patients and their families to understand that they are empowered to act on behalf of their loved one,” she said. “Whenever you’re admitted to one of our hospitals, your nurse will teach you and your family about Code Help. We’re partners in your care and your protection.”

For more information, read about Baptist Health’s Quality, Safety & Service.

Tags: Code HELP, community health, health & technology