Rapid Evaluation Team Implementation Collaborative Begins Jan. 25

Posted on December 16, 2021 by Julie Apold

Over the next six months, three critical hours of your time can positively impact resident safety and your organizational culture. A new opportunity is available to participate in a learning collaborative designed to provide the support you need to build and strengthen your processes for responding to urgent and emergent situations.

By joining the Rapid Evaluation Team (RET) Implementation Collaborative, you will participate in 30-minute sessions each month for six months designed to support you in implementing or strengthening one step of your rapid response process each month.

Consider these real-life scenarios.

Resident found unresponsive; staff calls a colleague from another area to come and verify client status; 911 is called 20 minutes later and instructs staff to begin CPR.

Resident found unresponsive. Staff had received CPR training, but this was the first time encountering a real-life situation where it was needed.  Waited 15-20 minutes for 911 responders who initiated CPR.

Resident discovered with no pulse or respirations.  When EMS arrives, they are told resident was not to receive CPR.  However, when staff goes to the office to check, they find that the client was full code.

Imagine instead:

Resident is found unresponsive. Designated process is used to call for assistance immediately. Team members hear the call for help and come running armed with all the equipment and documentation needed to respond. A designated staff person takes charge of the situation and gives assignments to check code status (which is readily accessible and accurate), call 911, initiate a response, and contact the family within minutes.  Staff are confident in their response because they have practiced their roles, and staff calling for assistance feels supported by their team. 

This is the power of Rapid Evaluation Teams (RETs).  Watch this 10-minute video to learn more about RETs and how they can improve resident safety and provide support and assurance to staff.

The RET Implementation Collaborative is free to LeadingAge Minnesota members.  Register by Jan. 14 to join your colleagues in building effective Rapid Evaluation Teams.

Questions, contact: Julie Apold, Vice President of Quality & Performance Excellence.