Supporting Safer Healthcare

You may know the story of Taylee Blischke, a newborn who nearly died in April 2009 at Mission Hospital in Mission Viejo, California. Morphine was mistakenly given to Taylee, instead of her mother who was holding the infant. California investigators say mother and baby had IVs that were mixed up.  To add insult to injury, the hospital [...]

“I care for you, I care about you, and I know you in ways no one else does; I am your doctor. ” The physician patient relationship is unique, sensitive, and vitally important.  Imagine for a moment, that you are the physician who made the opening statement, and that the patient to whom you spoke those words has suddenly, [...]

One woman’s courageous response to a devastating sentinel event: My mother was critically burned during surgery in December 2002 when a topical solution was not allowed to dry before the doctor used a cauterizing tool. The entire experience was awful, but the worst realization for me was that nobody would listen. No one apologized, no one showed much [...]

The Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority has issued it's latest Advisory Report.  The eleven-member Authority was established in 2002 by the Pennsylvania Medical Care Availability and Reduction of Error Act (MCARE Act). Based on reports of medical errors that it receives from hospitals, birth centers, and ambulatory surgery centers around the State, the Authority releases a quarterly best-practice and staff education report. The [...]

Do you or a staff member want to brush up on the CMS hospital requirements pertaining to patient grievance? A 20 question quiz on Patient Grievance has been added to the free interactive Healthcare Administration Quizzes available at Simple Data Solutions.com.  Stop over and test your knowledge.

The Quaid Foundation was established in 2007 by Dennis and Kimberly Quaid shortly after their 12 day old twins received an accidental overdose of Heparin.  I placed the link to the Foundation web site under the Patient Safety section of this site's blogroll at that time.   Several times since 2007 I have considered deleting the link because there were [...]

HealthGrades has released its Fourth Annual America’s 50 Best Hospitals Report.  The report asserts: From 2006 through 2008, if all hospitals performed at the level of America’s 50 Best Hospitals: 164,964 Medicare deaths may have been prevented. 18,900 Medicare inhospital complications may have been avoided. The HealthGrades America’s 50 Best Hospitals Award designation recognizes hospitals [...]

Starting today, people seeking medical care in Ohio have a new tool to help them decide which hospital might be best for them. The Ohio Hospital Compare site opened January 1st.  In addition to measures already reported on the DHHS site Hospital Compare, consumers can find information on costs and average length of stay.  For example, I searched Ohio [...]

Dr. Val Jones from GetBetterHealth.com was recently interviewed by ABC News regarding the best ways to avoid becoming a victim of hospital errors. She also relates her own patient experience with misidentification.   (Note: If you do not have access to YouTube the video clip below will not display.)

Ever wonder about your chances of developing a serious post-op infection, or ending up with something accidentally left inside after surgery at your local hospital?   If your hospital is in New Jersey you now have a new way to look up that data, as well as other patient safety information.  The State of New Jersey Department of Health and Senior [...]