On Sunday, May 19, Brigham Health will begin replacing its large-volume infusion pumps with a new model called the Baxter Spectrum IQ pump. Each day, nurses, anesthesiologists and respiratory therapists use large-volume infusion pumps to deliver nutrients, blood and medications to patients in inpatient units, procedural settings, ambulatory clinics and the Emergency Department.

Here are five things to know about the new system:

The transition is part of a system-wide goal of wireless, auto-pump programming and auto-documentation in Partners eCare. These efforts will help to enhance the safety of IV pump programming. Brigham Health is the first institution to “go live” with the Baxter Spectrum IQ pump, and other Partners institutions will follow in a phased approach.

More than 3,800 large-volume infusion pumps will be replaced. Project teams comprising Baxter representatives and Brigham nurses and pharmacists, as well as staff from Materials Management, Central Transport and the equipment pool, will swap out every Alaris large-volume infusion pump throughout Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

The main campus will go live on Sunday, May 19. At 6 a.m., multiple project teams will begin visiting each unit and practice area to replace pumps and tubing. They anticipate completing all areas by 8 p.m. Brigham and Women’s Ambulatory Care Center at 850 Boylston St. and the Brigham and Women’s/Mass General Health Center at Patriot Place will go live on Tuesday, May 21.

Support will be available during go-live and beyond. To ensure that staff have the assistance they need to safely operate the new pumps, the following resources will be available:

  • Super-users and professional development managers on each unit will provide “at-the-elbow” support and serve as the first contact for questions.
  • Baxter leadership and Brigham project leaders will set up a command center in the Shapiro Cardiovascular Center during go-live on May 19 to ensure that the transition is safe and efficient.
  • Baxter educators will round on site and respond to calls for assistance around the clock, from Sunday, May 19, at 6 a.m., to Saturday, May 25, at 7 a.m.

The impact to patients will be minimal. The transition of each pump is expected to take only a few minutes. Patients’ IV access will remain uninterrupted, and a member of the project team will disconnect the primary line from the current pump and plug it into the Baxter pump. If the patient’s care providers feel that it is not an appropriate time for the transition, the project team will return later.

Learn more at BWHPikeNotes.org.