Fitsi Health Wins 2015 Patient Safety Movement Innovation Award
Chicago, IL — Fitsi Health, a healthcare innovation firm, announced today the Fitsi bedside caddy received second place, and a $25,000 prize, from the 2015 Patient Safety Movement Innovation Awards. The award was presented at the 4th annual World Patient Safety, Science Technology Summit, which featured keynote speaker President Clinton.
Over 60 international applications were submitted for the awards, and each entrant was required to show how their design would aid in the Patient Safety Movement goal of ZERO preventable patient deaths by the year 2020.
Fitsi is the first hand hygiene solution designed specifically for patients and improving the patient experience. The idea for Fitsi is rooted in founder Kathleen Puri's years of experience as a nurse and nursing professor. The product attaches to hospital beds to give patients easy access to hand sanitizer and a place to store personal items such as their cell phone, glasses and hearing aids. Fitsi not only helps reduce the risk of infections and patient falls but also increases the quality of care and saves healthcare workers time.
The revolutionary bedside caddy was chosen, in part, because it can be implemented immediately to empower patients, and visitors, to be committed to good hand hygiene.
To make sure Fitsi was built strong enough to last year-after-year, the founders teamed up with Plastics Color Corporation, a leader in plastic innovation. It was decided that Fitsi would be built with the help of MicroBlok® S to inhibit the growth of a broad spectrum of microorganisms, greatly reduce stains and odors and impede product deterioration. All of which means Fitsi is built to last.
Fitsi is only the first of many patient-centered products for the innovation firm. When asked about the prize money, Puri stated, "Our goals are in line with the Patient Safety Movement Foundation. We are committed to helping our healthcare system get to ZERO preventable patient deaths. We are currently developing a technology enhanced Smart Pump to teach patients how to clean their hands, as well as collect data on hand hygiene."
About Fitsi Health, LLC
Fitsi Health, LLC is a healthcare innovation firm dedicated to developing well-designed solutions to everyday healthcare problems. Fitsi, the company's signature product, is a bedside product that helps patients perform hand hygiene while providing a place for storage of important personal items such as glasses. It promotes patient independence and saves healthcare workers time and effort. Fitsi Health can be found at www.FitsiHealth.com, and on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram.
About Plastics Color Corporation
Established in 1964, Plastics Color Corporation leads the industry in colorants and custom polymer technologies. With an enduring commitment to new and innovative products, Plastics Color's North Carolina based Solution Center is the foundation to many state-of-the-art products that go on to lead an extensive range of markets. With manufacturing facilities in California, Illinois, North Carolina, and China, Plastics Color continues to deliver top of the line products backed by the accreditation of the American Association for Laboratory Accreditation. For more information, visit www.PlasticsColor.com, or follow us on our social networks here: Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, or Google+.
MicroBlok® is formulated with antimicrobials to help suppress the growth of odor and stain-causing microorganisms on the treated plastic. MicroBlok is not intended as a substitute for good hygiene or to prevent foodborne or infectious illnesses.
