Michigan hospital prioritizes inclusive skin and hair care

When Ascension Providence Rochester Hospital leadership was looking for skin and hair care products to meet the unique and diverse needs of their acute care patients, they turned to Medline for help.

Part of the Michigan hospital’s new diversity and inclusion program called ABIDE (Appreciation, Belongingness, Inclusivity, Diversity and Equity), a new skin and hair care initiative aims to make each patient feel optimally cared for — inside and out.  Medline partnered with Ascension Providence Rochester’s nursing team to pull together a selection of Remedy Intensive Skin Therapy products, along with Remedy Phytoplex Hydrating Cleansing Gel combination shampoo and body wash, and  help integrate their use into daily patient care protocols. Initially a pilot program at Rochester, the program has expanded to seven additional Ascension hospitals.

“These new products have truly been a change in our environment and an important component of the ABIDE program,” said Ascension Providence Rochester Vice President of Nursing Administration Cecilia Rutherford. Rutherford’s memories of her own grandmother’s hospitalization, and the initial lack of attention to her personal grooming, were the inspiration for the new initiative.

“When the nursing staff began to take care of my grandmother’s hair, skin and lips, my family started trusting the healthcare team,” said Rutherford.

There are many factors that contribute to a patient’s skin and hair care needs. Some patients may have hair more prone to injury and damage. And darker skin, which has higher levels of melanin, can dry more easily. In addition, medications; diseases, such as diabetes or kidney disease; age; prolonged exposure to moisture or sun; immobility; incontinence and nutrition can cause skin dryness, rashes or injuries.

At Ascension Providence Rochester, staff conduct a personal care assessment with each new acute care patient. The results are then matched with Remedy color-coded skin care products—green for “clean,” purple for “proper moisturization,” blue for “barrier before breakdown,” orange for “open skin” and red for “rash”—and/or the Remedy Phytoplex combination shampoo and body wash.

“Patients assume that if you are taking care of their appearance and outer body that they are also getting the best medical care that they need to heal on the inside,” said Mary Favata, a wound care nurse at Ascension Providence Rochester Hospital. “This attention to personal care is among the best things that we’ve done for our patients.”

Learn how Medline is improving skin health.