How generosity enhanced patient care

Baptist Health Richmond is committed to improving the health and well-being of our patients and the community we serve. This unwavering mission is rooted in philanthropy, and it’s reflected in the generous support of donors like you.

Thanks to your support, our Intensive Care Unit (ICU) is now equipped with multiple Hercules Patient Repositioners. This unique system allows a single caregiver to reposition a patient, while keeping both the patient and the caregiver safe during the process.

"My mother-in-law was recently a patient in a small hospital in Illinois. While visiting her, every time I would go into her room she was all scrunched up in the bed and unable to get comfortable," said Greg D. Gerard, Baptist Health Richmond president. "She couldn't scoot herself up so she would have to call in staff to lift her. As I was watching this, I was smiling thinking of the Hercules Patient Repositioning System we will soon be deploying. This piece of equipment will allow us to improve the patient experience and assist our staff while providing great care."

The implementation of this system makes the process of repositioning patients more comfortable and less embarrassing for the patient, while increasing a caregiver's capacity. The Hercules Repositioning System consists of a drive, a sleep surface and a specialized sheet. When a patient has slid down in the bed, the caregiver simply needs to press a button. The drive pulls the sheet up the sleep surface, moving the patient back up toward the head of the bed. The process takes less than 10 seconds, requires no physical exertion on the caregiver's part and is comfortable for the patient.