31 Oct 2008
Four hospitals that achieved outstanding, quantifiable patient safety improvements were recognized at the Delaware Valley Healthcare Council's Annual Meeting on October 30, 2008.
The 2008 award recipient, Albert Einstein Healthcare Network, appplied the concept of bundles to the medication delivery cycle. This initiative reduced medication order entry errors by nearly 40%. Dispensing errors and high alert medication errors dropped by more than 60%. To recognize this achievement, the Health Care Improvement Foundation awarded Albert Einstein Healthcare Network a grant of $5,000 in support of future efforts to improve patient safety.
categories: Patient Safety
30 Oct 2008
Independence Blue Cross, the Health Care Improvement Foundation, and the Franklin Institute are the sponsors of a contest to raise student awareness about the MRSA superbug. Students in grades 3-12 are encouraged to compete for cash prizes by submitting video, audio and graphic designs that educate their peers about this serious health issue.
Click here for more information.
Eligibility, rules, and prize information can be found at www.studentsfightmrsa.com.
categories: Infection Control
4 Aug 2008
Hospitals, long-term care providers, and home care agencies are challenged by the frequent occurrence of pressure ulcers, their complications, and the significant impact on the cost of health care. There is clear evidence that the incidence and severity of pressure ulcers can be reduced by an approach focused on general risk assessment, frequent skin assessment for at-risk patients, turning and repositioning, pressure reduction devices and techniques, nutrition, skin cleansing and moisturizing, and diligent wound care. The challenge for healthcare providers lies in integrating these proven best practices into systems of care that are consistently followed and communicated among one another.
The Pennsylvania Pressure Ulcer Partnership is a statewide collaborative identified through the efforts of various trade associations and other nursing home and hospital quality improvement organizations involved in programs such as the IHI 5 Million Lives Campaign and the Advancing Excellence in America’s Nursing Home Campaign. Together, we have identified experts across the care continuum, including wound and skin care specialists and other healthcare providers to provide a comprehensive approach to the identification, prevention and treatment of pressure ulcers within the Commonwealth.
categories: Patient Safety
