PharMEDium Adds O.R. Medication Verification System
New Orleans—PharMEDium announced the first generation solution designed to support medication safety and documentation in the Operating Room (O.R.). PharMEDium has developed the first bar code scanner to support medication verification administration.
Northwest Michigan Surgery Center Selects RTLS from Versus
Traverse City, Michigan—Michigan’s largest surgery center, Northwest Michigan Surgery Center recently selected the Versus Advantages™ Real-time Locating System (RTLS) to help improve the patient care experience. Key focus areas include relaying patient status information to families in the waiting room and automated process flow management for clinical staff.
GE, Microsoft to Launch Joint Venture Aimed at Global Healthcare System Transformation
Barrington, Illinois, and Redmond, Washington—General Electric Company (NYSE: GE), through its healthcare IT business, and Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT) announced plans to create a joint venture aimed at helping healthcare organizations and professionals use real-time, system-wide intelligence to improve healthcare quality and the patient experience.
Don Berwick Receives 2011 Picker Award for Excellence
Orlando, Florida—The Picker Award for Excellence, which recognizes outstanding achievement in promoting and furthering patient-centered care, was awarded to Dr. Don Berwick on Wednesday, Dec. 7, the last day of the 23rd annual national forum hosted by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, which Dr. Berwick cofounded in 1989.
ISMP Announces 14th Annual Cheers Awards Recipients
Horsham, Pennsylvania—The Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) announced its 14th Annual Cheers Awards winners and Lifetime Achievement Award recipient. The Cheers Awards honor individuals, organizations, and companies that have set a standard of excellence for others to follow in the prevention of medication errors and adverse drug events. The winners of this year’s awards are:
IHI Announces Pilot Program with CDC to Improve Antibiotic Use in Hospital
Cambridge, Massachusetts—The Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) announced the launch of a pilot testing program designed to avoid overuse and misuse of antibiotics in hospitals. Designed in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the program focuses on a new jointly developed initiative, the CDC/IHI Driver Diagram and Change Package for Antibiotic Stewardship.
The Leapfrog Group Announces Annual Top Hospitals List for Highest Quality Care in America
Washington, D.C.—Sixty-five hospitals have earned The Leapfrog Group’s annual “Top Hospital” designation, equaling 2010’s record-setting total. The “Top Hospital” designation, which is the most competitive national hospital quality award in the country, recognizes hospitals that deliver the highest quality care by preventing medical errors, reducing mortality for high-risk procedures like heart bypass surgery, and reducing hospital readmissions for patients being treated for conditions like pneumonia and heart attack.
Conference News – Ready for the Challenge: IHI’s National Forum
by Susan Carr
Each December, I head to the Institute for Healthcare Improvement’s (IHI) National Forum for a reliable dose of news, education, colleagues from around the world, and plenty of new ideas to keep things interesting.
Perioperative Technology Improves SCIP Measurements in a Community Hospital
Perioperative Technology Improves SCIP Measurements in a Community Hospital
One of the most highly regarded quality initiatives in the hospital operating room (OR) sphere is the Surgical Care Improvement Project (SCIP), an ongoing program whose work was initiated in 2003 by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and is coordinated through a steering committee of 10 national organizations committed to improving surgical care quality and patient safety.
The Doctors Company Foundation Young Physicians Patient Safety Award
Dec. 1, 2011—In partnership with the Lucian Leape Institute at the National Patient Safety Foundation, The Doctors Company Foundation presents the Young Physicians Patient Safety Award—an award to recognize young physicians for their deep personal insight into the significance of patient safety work. Six winners will receive $5,000 + registration and travel expenses to the NPSF Annual Congress in May 2012. Application deadline is Feb. 9, 2012.