Honoring Oregon’s leaders in patient safety

 

February 26, 2013 – When healthcare organizations make patient safety a priority, they share information about adverse events that can be used to strengthen systems and improve healthcare delivery. “Adverse event” is a term used to describe unintended harm (or potential harm) to a patient as a result of medical care. One way that many of Oregon's health care providers are sharing information to improve patient safety is by reporting adverse events to the Oregon Patient Safety Commission.   In conjunction with Patient Safety Awareness Week, the Commission is recognizing participants in Oregon's Patient Safety Reporting Program that have exceeded reporting targets established by the Commission. “These organizations are clear leaders when it comes to patient safety reporting in Oregon,” said Bethany Walmsley, executive director of the Oregon Patient Safety Commission. “To be clear, this doesn’t mean these organizations have more adverse events than others. It means they are the most  diligent reporters. Every health care organization experiences adverse events. What we’re acknowledging are organizations that respond to adverse events by learning about what happened and working to prevent the event from happening again.”   At an awards breakfast on Friday, March 1, the following six health care organizations will be recognized by the Commission as leaders in the state’s Patient Safety Reporting Program: 

• Rogue Regional Medical Center, Medford (large-sized hospital category)
• Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center, Corvallis (medium-sized hospital category)
• Mid-Columbia Medical Center, The Dalles (small-sized hospital category)
• Center for Specialty Surgery, Portland (ambulatory surgery center category)
• Hirons 18th, Eugene (pharmacy category)
• Mac Prescription Shop, McMinnville (pharmacy category)

The Commission will also recognize many additional organizations that exceeded the 2012 recognition  targets. Lists of the ambulatory surgery centers, hospitals, nursing homes, and pharmacies that met or exceeded 2012 reporting standards are available on the Commission's website, http://oregonpatientsafety.org.   Oregon's voluntary Patient Safety Reporting Program has significantly improved over time. The Commission continues to see improvement in the quantity, quality, and timeliness of adverse event reports submitted by participating organizations. Recent enhancements to the program's reporting system  and annual aggregate reports are improving the Commission's ability to support healthcare organizations in improving patient safety.