Tune to Channel 19 for peace and relaxation
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From Care Pages - free, private website that allows patients and family members to stay connected before, during, and after hospitalization - to the new C.A.R.E Channel, there's no shortage of ways Backus shows care for patients and families.
Short for Continuous Ambient Relaxation Environment, the C.A.R.E. Channel is now available on every television in patient rooms throughout the hospital.
Offering 24-hour programming that flows from dawn to daylight to sunset to starry night skies, the channel combines peaceful scenes of nature with beautiful sounds progressing to quiet, soothing music to help patients maintain the rhythm of the day.
By replacing extraneous sounds with relaxing music and visuals, the hope is to improve the patient experience by advancing a more therapeutic and healing environment while promoting relaxation and stress relief.
The C.A.R.E. Channel, found on Channel 19, is also in outpatient areas, including Same Day Surgery, Cardiac Cath Lab, Endoscopy, patient lounges and waiting areas, and the Emergency Department.
Laurie Matylewicz, a nurse in the Backus Emergency Department, said Channel 19 has been well received in her unit. "I've had several patients - and staff, too - comment on how nice it is to have soothing music and a nice picture on the television," she said. "A few people even said that it helped relax the tension they were feeling."
Headphones - available to all inpatients thanks to the HUSH committee - are a perfect complement to the C.A.R.E. Channel.
Amy Dunion, a nurse and Coordinator for The Center for Healthcare Integration (CHI), said the C.A.R.E. Channel helps to create a healing environment for patients and staff. "It's a wonderful adjunct to pain and anxiety relief," she said.
Hospital staff may also benefit from the C.A.R.E. channel by using it in staff areas, said Ms. Dunion.