Preparing for a safer home health care visit

Abstract

Allegheny Home Care and Hospice (AHC/H) is a hospital-based Medicare and Joint Commission on Accreditation of Hospitals (JCAHO)-certified home health agency located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The parent institution for AHC/H is Allegheny General Hospital (AGH), a 700- plus bed tertiary care hospital located within city limits. Currently the office location for ap proximately 90 visiting staff members is located off campus from AGH. Service areas for the agency include urban, suburban, and rural settings. Reflecting our national concern focusing upon gang violence, the majority of safety issues recently capturing this region's attention is urban related. This article details actions and outcomes of AHC/H and a newly formed commu nity health and human services group from the Pittsburgh area. This organization has named itself Safe Access For Everyone (SAFE). Key words: communications tool, gang activity, home health care, safety, staff driven