As the nation grapples with COVID-19, medical facilities and first responders continue to lead on the front lines of the relief and recovery effort.
Recognizing this, Councilman Rafael Salamanca, who began his career in health care, allocated $2.9 million in capital funding to overhaul and create a state-of-the-art nurse call bell system at NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln on Jan. 7.
In 2020, the lawmaker secured $884,000 for Lincoln to facilitate a new digital radiology suite within the emergency department.
“Nurses need to communicate with their patients and what a better way to do that than providing the call button,” Salamanca said. “I understand the value of nurses. This was a no-brainer for me.”
Lillian Diaz, chief nursing officer at Lincoln, thanked the councilman for the financial assistance and stressed how much of an impact the new call system will have.
Diaz told the Bronx Times the current system is outdated and the new one will be wireless, have a touch screen with icons where patients can select what they need, such as food, water or pills and these notifications go right to a nurse’s phone.
“Nurse call systems are essential as they support health care workers ability to respond to patients’ needs timely and efficiently,” she said. “I think it will be a great benefit to both patients and staff.”
The new call system should be fully operational within six months.
