First National Patient Safety Contest Awards Four Hospitals for Achieving Improved Patient Safety Outcomes
San Fernando, CA – January 7, 2009 – Four hospitals have received national recognition for their progress in reducing medical errors and improving patient outcomes in the nation’s first patient safety contest. Patient Safety & Quality Healthcare magazine (PSQH) and Precision Dynamics Corporation (PDC), the leading provider of patient safety identification solutions, launched the contest in March, 2008 as part of an initiative to support hospitals that are taking innovative measures to address the alarming number of patients affected by preventable medical errors
With as many as 1 in 10 U.S. patients injured and 100,000 dying every year as the result of preventable medical errors, the contest focused on finding and recognizing those hospitals that are achieving measurable results in improving patient safety outcomes. “The contest offered a unique opportunity to see how hospitals are improving patient safety,” said Susan Carr, editor of PSQH. “They are employing a combination of approaches, including advanced technologies, communication techniques, and staff support and training to address this challenging and complex issue.
An independent judging panel selected the following winning hospital success stories, based on how each facility used innovative products and processes to prevent medical errors and improve patient safety.
Parkview Medical Center in Pueblo, Colorado, was the grand prize winner, receiving a donation of $10,000 from PDC to its foundation. It implemented a new barcode technology system focused on reducing medication administration errors. The new system enabled nurses to receive and share up-to-the-minute information on patients’ medication through handheld devices that connected wirelessly to the center’s pharmacy. Since launching the new system, Parkview has reduced errors associated with medication administration from 20 percent to 8 percent. It also has invested in continuing education and administrative support for the program, and recently became an alpha site for an initiative aimed at achieving similar results for patient lab tests.
In addition to Parkview Medical Center, the following hospitals were recognized for their patient safety initiatives, and will receive $1,000 each of PDC products.-
– Holy Spirit Hospital in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania, was part of a pioneering group of Pennsylvania hospitals that standardized color-coded wristbands to identify unique patient situations, such as “do not resuscitate” and “no blood transfusions.” By implementing a system where hospitals throughout the state use the same colors to identify the same patient conditions, Holy Spirit has reduced the risk of confusion and errors across Pennsylvania. -
– Lutheran Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York instituted system-wide improvements to increase medication infusion safety. The Center invested in new smart pump technology and involved its nurses, pharmacists, prescribing clinicians and the vendor in creating a custom library that established dosing limits for each infusion drug as well as clinical practice changes to support its utilization. Their efforts have resulted in a 100 % decrease in infusion-related medication issues.
– UPMC Presbyterian Shadyside in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, developed a new, standardized model for transporting patients from their hospital beds to other departments for diagnostic tests and procedures. The program has significantly decreased the number of hand-off events, as well as increased patient satisfaction.
The complete success stories can be viewed on PDC’s Patient Safety Website section: www.pdcorp.com/patientsafety.
“PDC and Patient Safety & Quality Healthcare are very proud to recognize the winners of the Patient Safety Success Story contest,” said PDC President & CEO Gary Hutchinson. “These are truly outstanding examples of hospitals improving patient safety and care. And what is most important is that the ultimate winners are the patients.”
About PDC ... Your Partner in Patient Safety™
With over 50 years of expertise, Precision Dynamics Corporation (PDC) is the global leader in patient safety through identification systems and other healthcare products. PDC’s acquisition of TimeMed Labeling Systems, Inc. now offers hospitals the widest combination of wristband and labeling systems that enhance all critical department functions, including Admissions, Medication Administration, Transfusion, Laboratory, Pharmacy, IT, Surgical Procedures, etc.PDC and TimeMed have more than 100 years of combined experience in developing innovative and reliable products that meet important patient safety guidelines of the Joint Commission, FDA, AHA, and HIPAA. As the developer of the first single-piece patient wristband, the first bar code wristband system, and the first Smart Band® RFID wristband system, PDC-TimeMed systems are an integral cornerstone to the most successful patient safety initiatives. For more information, visit www.pdchealthcare.com and www.timemed.com.
About Patient Safety & Quality Healthcare Magazine
Patient Safety & Quality Healthcare (PSQH) is a respected source of information about improving the safety and quality of healthcare. Readers of PSQH include clinicians in all specialties, hospital executives, patient safety officers, risk managers, quality directors, IT professionals, engineers, business leaders, policy makers, and educators, among others. This diverse community of professionals also supplies the feature articles, research, case studies, and opinions published in PSQH, which is sponsored by ABQAURP, ASQ Healthcare Division, Consumers Advancing Patient Safety, the National Patient Safety Foundation, and Partnership for Patient Safety. For more information, visit www.psqh.com.
Information included in the press releases is accurate as of the date of the release and can be subject to change.
Media Contact:
Leona Chavez
PDC
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