New York Times Letter to the Editor:

Color-Coded Bracelets Face Hurdles asThey Fix Hospital Hazard

My first letter to the New York Time is published!

Following is an edited version of your letter, which we are hoping to publish in the next few days, either in the printed paper and the Web site, or on the Web only. Please review it and reply to this e-mail or call our office at 212-XXX-XXXX or 212-XXX-XXXX as soon as possible to accept the editing.

Please note that this is the only space we have. Thank you.

Sxxxx Kxxxx

Letters Office

To the Editor:

Re "Color-Coded Bracelets Face Hurdles as They Fix Hospital Hazard" (front page, Sept. 25):

You report that "some hospitals have also had problems with colored bracelets that patients bring from home, like the ubiquitous yellow Lance Armstrong 'Livestrong' bracelets."

A solution to that problem and the problem of different colored wristbands at other hospitals might be taken from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's rail commuter tickets. These tickets have the M.T.A. logo staggered across the colored field.

A hospital might imprint its own logo as a pattern on the wristband, avoiding the visual confusion with decorative or fund-raising wristbands. Chris Lent

New York, Oct. 1, 2008

The writer is the manager of the Louis and Jeanette Brooks Engineering Design Center at Cooper Union.

(Image from New York Times)

http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2008/09/25/nyregion/25bracelets-600a.jpg

Dear Mx. Kxxxx,

A beautiful job of editing.

I am honored.

Please publish the edited version

Chris Lent

My original version follows:

Dear Editors,

Regarding Anemona Hartocollis, "Hospital Bracelets Face Hurdles as

They Fix Hazard", Thursday, September 25, 2008, pp. A1+A21.

To help avoid confusion with Lance Armstrong "Livestrong" bracelet,

and those wristbands of other hospitals, a solution might be taken

from the MTA's rail commuter ticket. These tickets have a MTA logo

staggered across the colored field. A hospital might imprint their

own logo as a pattern on the wristband, avoiding the visual confusion

with decorative or fundraising wristbands. A further benefit would be

for the unfortunate patient who manages to leave the hospital in an

altered state. The authorities would have an easier time finding the

patient's hospital.

Kudos to Mr.Chester Higgins Jr. for his striking graphic for the

article. Excellent work.

In response to:

Anemona Hartocollis, "Hospital Bracelets Face Hurdles as They Fix

Hazard" New York Times 24 Sept. 2008

<http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/25/nyregion/25bracelets.html>

References:

Web version of article:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/25/nyregion/25bracelets.html

Images of different MTA monthly passes:

Monthly mailed ticket:

http://www.mta.info/lirr/pubs/MailAndRide/MailAndRide.jpg

Vending machine printed ticket:

http://trainjotting.files.wordpress.com/2007/11/ipass.jpg

MTA's ticket info:

http://www.mta.info/lirr/pubs/MailAndRide/

Sincerely,

Chris Lent

Adjunct Associate Professor of Computer Science,

Advisor to First-Year Engineering Students,

Manager, Louis and Jeanette Brooks Engineering Design Center (BEDC)

Tel: +1.212.353.XXXX