CMS Gives $347M to Improve Patient Safety
In the last week of September, CMS gave $347 million to 16 different hospital associations, Quality Improvement Organizations (QIO), and health system organizations to continue efforts in reducing Medicare readmission and hospital-acquired conditions.
FL Safety Initiative Saves $28.7M
In one year, Hospital Engagement Network programs that teach best practices and instill a culture of safety prevented at least 5,283 instances of patient harm in 77 hospitals across Florida.
Victim Advocate Serves the Community at Cleveland Clinic
Ashley Withrow, MSSA, LISW-S, is a member of the Cleveland Clinic’s police department and has served the community as a victim advocate since February 2014. In that role, Withrow, supports anyone connected to the Clinic who has experienced violence, providing information and referrals in addition to emotional support.
Paralyzed by Mistakes: Reassess the Safety of Neuromuscular Blockers in Your Facility
Problem: Neuromuscular blocking agents are high-alert medications because of their well-documented history of causing catastrophic injuries or death when used in error. These drugs are used during tracheal intubation, during surgery of intubated patients, and to facilitate mechanical ventilation of critically ill patients.
Using a Screening Program to Improve Suicide Prevention
Suicides were the third most common sentinel event of 2015, with 95 reported cases in 2015’s Sentinel Event Statistics. The total number of patient suicides reported to The Joint Commission is now up to 1,184 since the start of the decade.
CDC awards $26 million for Prevention Epicenters
The CDC announced it will award $26 million to five academic medical centers to reduce infections and improve patient safety. The medical centers were provided funding through the Prevention Epicenters Program which has been extended through 2020. Already six other academic medical centers are working on similar research thanks to funding that was previously awarded … Continued
How MRSA Rates Sunk 42% at SC Health System
After a South Carolina health system introduced an electronic system for monitoring handwashing compliance among clinical staff, it saw MRSA rates plummet.
Noted Patient Advocate Joins National Patient Safety Foundation Think Tank
The National Patient Safety Foundation’s Lucian Leape Institute welcomed Sue Sheridan, MBA, MIM, DHL, as a member at the beginning of September. Ms. Sheridan, director of patient engagement for the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), is widely known in the patient safety field as an advocate and leading voice for patient engagement in health … Continued
Drug Diversion is Difficult to Identify, Impact on Patient Safety is Devastating
In October 2015, McKay-Dee Hospital in Utah revealed that as many as 4,800 people had been potentially exposed to hepatitis C (HCV) after a state investigation linked the same hepatitis genotype from a patient treated at the hospital to a nurse who was caught diverting drugs in 2014.
Patient Identification Deficiencies Plague Quality of Care
Before receiving care at a medical facility – before even seeing a doctor or a nurse – every patient has to go through the simple registration process.
But that seemingly simple process is rife with complications that can linger throughout every step of a patient’s stay, creating the potential for inefficient care, unnecessary tests, and serious medical errors.