How a 340-Bed Regional Medical Center Reduced Fall Injuries by 71% and Achieved 4.4× ROI
The Challenge
A 340-bed regional medical center — serving a mixed population of medical-surgical, memory care, behavioral health, and ER patients — had 86 IP cameras recording continuously across patient wards, corridors, restricted clinical zones, and parking areas. Patient fall response averaged 8 minutes from event to first staff contact. Two elopement incidents in 6 months triggered state investigation reviews. Staff reported 14 workplace violence events in the prior year — most undocumented until HR follow-up. The facility passed its previous Joint Commission survey but received 3 environment of care observations that required corrective action plans.
What VivyaSense Found — First 30 Days
- 1
Patient falls in ward corridors and bathrooms: averaging 11 per month — with nursing response times ranging from 4 to 14 minutes. 60% of falls occurred between 10 PM and 6 AM when staffing was lowest.
- 2
Elopement attempts at 3 exit points: 6 events detected in the first 30 days — 4 involving memory care patients and 2 from the behavioral health unit. None had triggered existing door alarms.
- 3
Unauthorized access to pharmacy and medication rooms: 9 instances of uncredentialed entry — including 3 after-hours events with no security response.
- 4
Aggressive behavior in the ER waiting area: 5 escalating confrontations detected — 3 of which progressed to physical contact before security arrived. Average security response time: 4.5 minutes from incident start.
Results — 12 Weeks
- ✓
Patient fall injuries reduced by 71% — average response time dropped from 8 minutes to 47 seconds. Night shift falls detected and responded to within 60 seconds, directly impacting CMS reimbursement eligibility for fall-related injuries.
- ✓
Zero elopement incidents after Week 3 — all 3 exit points monitored with boundary alerts. Memory care and behavioral health unit exits flagged before patients reached unsecured areas.
- ✓
Joint Commission survey passed with zero environment of care findings — all 3 prior observations resolved with timestamped monitoring evidence and documented corrective actions.
- ✓
ER workplace violence incidents fully documented with timestamped evidence — security response time reduced to under 90 seconds. HR and legal teams received automated incident packages for all 3 events requiring follow-up.
ROI Summary
“We went from hoping our nurses would catch a fall on rounds to knowing — within seconds — when a patient was on the ground. That change alone justified the entire investment. The Joint Commission survey was just the bonus.”— Chief Nursing Officer, Regional Medical Center, Midwest US