National Patient Safety Foundation Announces Recipients of the 2014 Stand Up for Patient Safety Management Award | Eastern North Carolina Now

    For Immediate Release:

Vidant Health and General Leonard Wood Army Community Hospital Share This Year's Award; Projects Address Medication Administration Safety and System-Wide Quality and Safety Efforts

    Boston, MA (PRWEB) May 13, 2014

    The National Patient Safety Foundation (NPSF), a central voice for patient safety since 1997, has announced the recipients of the 2014 Stand Up For Patient Safety Management Award.

    General Leonard Wood Army Community Hospital at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, is being recognized for an initiative designed to improve the safety of medication administration. Vidant Health, a regional health system serving Eastern North Carolina, is being recognized for system-wide efforts to improve patient safety and patient experience of care.

    The Stand Up for Patient Safety Management Award is presented each year in recognition of the successful implementation of outstanding patient safety initiatives by organizational members of the NPSF Stand Up for Patient Safety program. The 2014 awards will be conferred this week at the 16th Annual NPSF Patient Safety Congress in Orlando, Fla.

    In an effort to reduce distractions and interruptions of clinicians who are administering medication, General Leonard Wood Army Community Hospital implemented the Must Eliminate Distractions (MED) Zone initiative. A key component of the program calls for staff to wear a brightly colored belt while administering medication, signaling that they are not to be disturbed. After a successful three-month pilot project, the initiative was implemented throughout the hospital, resulting in a 70% reduction of medication safety events in a year.

    The Vidant Health team initiated a series of interventions over several years to improve patient safety and quality. Efforts included putting policies in place to promote transparency; fostering patient-family partnerships; promoting leadership and physician engagement in quality and safety efforts; and increasing understanding of quality and safety among members of the governing board. As a result, the organization saw an 83% reduction in serious safety events, including a 62% reduction in hospital acquired infections. The organization's performance on the HCAHPS survey (Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems) is now in the top 20%.

    "Members of our Stand Up for Patient Safety program include diverse organizations that are really leading the way in patient safety, as these projects demonstrate," said Tejal K. Gandhi, MD, MPH, CPPS, president of NPSF. "We are pleased to be able to recognize and celebrate successful efforts such as these, and to share their success with others by presenting these awards at our annual meeting."

    The awards will be conferred at a special member networking event on Thursday, May 15. Erika Draffin, RN, MSN, senior administrator, Corporate Quality, will accept the award on behalf of Vidant Health. Major Laura Fowle, BSN, Clinical Nurse Officer in Charge, Medical Surgical Ward, will accept the award for General Leonard Wood Army Community Hospital.

    About the National Patient Safety Foundation

    The National Patient Safety Foundation's vision is to create a world where patients and those who care for them are free from harm. A central voice for patient safety since 1997, NPSF partners with patients and families, the health care community, and key stakeholders to advance patient safety and health care workforce safety and disseminate strategies to prevent harm. NPSF is an independent, not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization.

    About the NPSF Stand Up for Patient Safety Program

    The Stand Up for Patient Safety program at NPSF caters to hospitals, health systems, physician offices, ambulatory facilities, and other entities focused on improving the safety of health care. Membership provides the support and resources necessary to embed patient safety principles into organizational practice and align with national patient safety goals and critical regulatory requirements. Through participation, Stand Up members around the world gain access to field-tested tools and resources, expertly designed educational programs, and the invaluable support network created by the National Patient Safety Foundation. Visit npsf.org to learn more.

    Contact:

      Patricia McTiernan,
        National Patient Safety Foundation
         (617) 391-9922