Staxis get a refresh at Richmond Hospital
Richmond Hospital’s set of Staxis have mastered the art of disappearance. Rarely can you find one in any of the dedicated Staxi stands. Instead, they’re usually found scattered across the hospital, left in the parkade or abandoned even further afield.
Recently, in fact, two Staxis were retrieved from the Lansdowne Mall by hospital volunteer Brenda Hourie after an anonymous tipster informed the Information Desk that a pair of the chairs were sitting in the parking lot.
“Brenda offered to drive past the mall on her way home to check it out,” said Patti Etkin, manager, Volunteer Resources. “They did belong to the hospital, so she loaded one into her SUV, brought it back to the hospital, then went back for the second. This equipment is costly, so her efforts were greatly appreciated.”
Staxis clean and shiny
The Staxi program has been in place at Richmond Hospital since the late 1990s. Lately, though, the Staxi fleet and stations have begun to look a little worse for wear – faded paint, dirty frames, wheels that barely roll.
Over the past month, VCH Richmond undertook a Staxi refresh that will saw its fleet of chairs cleaned, repaired and put on a regular maintenance cycle. New Staxis are also on-order.
Staxi cleaning stations will also be located near all parking areas to encourage users to wipe down the chair after use and upon return to the Staxi rack.
Daily Staxi collection
Staxi stations are located at all main entrances to the hospital, and in front of the Information Desk in the Atrium. Staxis are wheelchairs designed for patient transport into and out of the hospital. They are not meant to be used as unit-to-unit transport chairs.
A new process is now in place whereby volunteers will collect Staxis daily from across the hospital in the late afternoon to return them to the entrances. Please allow them to remove Staxis from your areas so that patients can access them as they enter the hospital.
What we need from you
We’ve not been able to locate all 29 of our existing Staxis. Do you have a Staxi hiding somewhere in your unit? If you do, we’d you to return it so we can ensure it’s cleaned, repaired and ready for patient use.
You can return all unused Staxis to the Equipment Depot, located in the RH Rotunda. If you find a Staxi abandoned off-site, please contact Mary Flesher who will arrange pick up.