Nurturing our Safety Culture

The care provided by our skilled, compassionate staff is a critical component in the prevention, intervention and healing of our patients. Therefore, UHS takes the training of its staff—and especially clinical staff that directly interact with patients – very seriously.

Fast Facts:

• Staff training includes completion of numerous courses online, including those related to patient safety, skills training, regulatory and quality.
• Employees completed numerous in-person trainings throughout the year based on their role as well as facility and regulatory requirements.
• All Behavioral Health Division patient care staff, regardless of status or role, were trained and certified in various nationally accredited or recognized behavior management techniques. Certification is maintained according to the standards and requirements set forth by these certifying bodies.
• Many UHS facilities augmented this training with their evidence-based verbal de-escalation curriculum to support patients in times of crisis.
• Training on compliance, privacy and information security policies are conducted upon hire though computer-based learning systems and annually thereafter for all new employees.

High Professional Standards

It is essential that staff involved in the therapeutic inter­ventions of patients provide adequate modeling of appropriate coping skills, personal behaviors, communi­cation and how to develop and maintain interpersonal relationships. Therefore, high personal and profes­sional standards are to be maintained by staff members in their con­tacts and interactions with patients, other staff and the community.

Fast Facts:

• UHS personnel who violate the law, UHS or facility policies, or the guidelines described in the UHS Code of Conduct, UHS Compliance Manual and the Code of Business Conduct and Corporate Standards, including the duty to report suspected violations, are subject to disciplinary action.
• Disciplinary actions will reflect the severity of the noncompliance, up to and including immediate termination.
• Adherence to compliance and ethical standards will be part of the job performance evaluation criteria for all personnel.

Continued Focus on Quality Improvement

While we have mandated 15-minute wellness checks at the Behavioral Health facilities, UHS has been testing out technological improvements (e.g., electronic medical record documentation of rounding, wearables) to help employees to keep patients safe and secure.

• In the Fall 2023, the Behavioral Health Division expanded and enhanced its focus on Trauma Informed Care (TIC) across the entire Division.
• As of May 2024, approximately 6,300 RTF staff members have completed formal TIC training. Training participants included clinical and educational services staff, as well as RTF staff from other departments (e.g., Intake, Human Resources, Nutrition).