Patient & Visitor Information

Patient Safety

Your Safety is Important to Us

At Beaufort Memorial, we are committed to providing the highest quality of care and service to the community we serve.


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Click on the image to the right to view a 5-minute online program that delivers safety tips to patients. This presentation will inform you about things you should know before visiting your doctor or visiting the hospital.

SPEAK UP to prevent errors in your care

  • Openly share your health history with your caregiver. This includes the medications you take, any operations you've had, or any allergeries you may have. The more your caregiver knows, the more successful your care plan and recovery will be.
  • Don't recognize a medication? Ask the caregiver to check it before you accept it.
  • Don't understand something about your care? If you have questions or concerns about your condition or treatment options, please be sure to ask.
  • Help reduce the risk of infection. Remind caregivers to wash their hands before they care for you. Wash your own hands and keep any wounds clean and dry.
  • Know how to care for yourself at home. Make sure your partner in care learns what to do, too.

“Understanding Your Caregivers” promotes health literacy
Understanding the often complex medical information your doctor or other caregivers give to you can be difficult, and the consequences of misunderstanding this information can be life threatening. The Joint Commission launched a national campaign to help Americans prevent health care errors by promoting “health literacy” – the ability of patients to obtain, process and understand the basic information and services needed to make appropriate decisions regarding their health. The new education campaign is part of The Joint Commission’s award-winning national Speak Up™ program that helps patients become more informed and involved in their health care. For patients who may have difficulty comprehending the information needed to make important decisions about their care, navigating the health system can be daunting.

Complex forms, conversations with doctors, medication instructions, and coping with a real or perceived lack of attention from hospital personnel all place high demands on patients. Factor in the growing number of people who must manage one or more chronic health conditions, such as hypertension, coronary artery disease or diabetes, and the impacts of health literacy are profound. “Understanding Your Caregivers” offers patients questions and answers that will help them to better understand the care they receive.

View the full brochure (English Version)
View the full brochure (Spanish Version)

Patient safety tips from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)

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