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Operating as usual
As parents we want to keep our children safe from COVID-19, but never leave a child in a parked car while you run into the store. The temperature inside a car can rise almost 20 degrees Fahrenheit within the first 10 minutes, even with a window cracked open. Children left unattended in parked cars are at risk for heat stroke, and possibly death. Learn more: https://www.cdc.gov/disasters/extremeheat/children.html.
Quick, what condition affects three times as many men as women and can cause severe chest pain and trouble breathing? Swallowed dentures. More than 100 million Americans are at risk for denture impaction, in which permanent or temporary dentures become dislodged, swallowed, and stuck in the gastrointestinal tract. This happens much more often than you might expect—so all patients with replacement teeth, as well as their caregivers and healthcare providers, should be aware of the risk of denture impaction. Read this first-ever study of patient safety events related to denture impaction reported by acute care facilities to learn the signs and how to prevent it: https://patientsafetyj.com/index.php/patientsaf/article/view/swallowed-dentures
Improving quality and patient safety is hard work. In fact, at times the work can seem like drudgery or like we are pushing a boulder up a steep hill. The personal toll for those who are the “helpers” of healthcare (à la Fred Rogers) can be overwhelming, tiring, and depressing. You are a person first—before you are a health professional. In this webinar, Diane C. Frndak, PhD, MBA, and Holly Hampe, DSc, MHA, assistant professors of health services administration leadership at Robert Morris University, focus on the science of flourishing as a heart-centered journey creating a real-time community of like-minded people. They introduce key positive psychology skills for creating greater happiness and well-being, such as mindfulness, gratitude, strengths, flow, humor, positivity, stress management, and resilience. This session is a breath of fresh air and an act of self-care for the self-identified FRAZZLED.
July is National Cord Blood Awareness Month. Cord blood is an FDA-regulated biological product found in the blood vessels of the placenta and umbilical cord which can be used to treat blood cancers and disorders of the blood and immune system. Learn more at https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/cord-blood-what-you-need-know.
Vaccines prevent 3 million deaths worldwide every year, but errors made in administering those vaccines can harm patients. To help mitigate this risk, a federally qualified health center completed a root cause analysis and identified some common causes of vaccine errors, such as selecting the wrong vaccine, rushing through the process, and improper vaccine storage. Armed with this information about systems and human factors issues, they improved their process to eliminate them, which included education and competency training for staff—successes which any organization can replicate in their own facility. Despite the overwhelming benefit that vaccines offer, some children remain vulnerable to vaccine-preventable illness for several reasons; however, by committing to improving patient safety and following these steps, vaccine-related errors need not be one of them.
Read this story and more at https://patientsafetyj.com/index.php/patientsaf/article/view/pediatric-vaccine
UIC Nursing
For a limited time only, when you donate blood, platelets, or plasma, the American Red Cross will provide free testing for COVID-19 antibodies. This complimentary service will let you know whether you possibly have been exposed to the coronavirus. For more information about antibody screening and what a positive test indicates, and to sign up to make a donation, visit https://www.redcrossblood.org/donate-blood/dlp/covid-19-antibody-testing.html.
As of June 2020 the Red Cross will be testing donated blood for the COVID-19 antibodies. Find out how you can get tested.
The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) recommends people do not use hand sanitizers containing methanol (wood alcohol). Methanol is toxic when absorbed through the skin or ingested. For more information and an updated list of alcohol-based hand sanitizers to avoid, visit https://www.fda.gov/drugs/drug-safety-and-availability/fda-updates-hand-sanitzers-methanol?deliveryName=USCDC_511-DM32445.
FDA Warns consumers and healthcare professionals of Hand Sanitizers contaminated with Methanol
Keep safety in mind this Fourth of July weekend! Exercise caution around fireworks to avoid injuries: never allow young kids to play with or ignite fireworks; always have an adult supervise firework use; don’t point or throw fireworks at people; and keep a bucket of water nearby. During the COVID-19 pandemic, holiday safety also includes wearing a mask, following local guidelines on gatherings, maintaining six feet of distance from people who aren’t in your household, and washing your hands frequently with soap. If you’re sick, stay home. For more tips to keep you and your family healthy, visit https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/prevention.html.
Wearing a mask is essential for stopping the spread of COVID-19.
Reminder: In Pennsylvania, masks must now be worn whenever anyone leaves home.
It is essential that Pennsylvanians wear masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
More about this requirement: on.pa.gov/2VFj7Dk
We are proud to announce that our journal, PATIENT SAFETY, won a Grand Award in the 2020 Apex Awards For Publication Excellence in the category “Most Improved,” for our transition from the Advisory to our new journal. PATIENT SAFETY was one of the winners chosen from almost 1,200 nominations. The #APEXaward is one of the highest honors in publishing, which we share with everyone at the Patient Safety Authority and our dedicated editorial board, peer reviewers, and authors—all of whom made this recognition possible and contribute to the high quality of every issue. Please check out the current issue of our award-winning journal at https://patientsafetyj.com/.
Hospice. The term likely conjures the image of someone with little or no chance of recovery from a terminal condition or disease. But for Ann Green, an English professor at Saint Joseph's University, the word sparks hope—for her mother, #hospice care wasn’t an ending but a beginning. It was a path beyond her illness to a new life filled with joy and fulfillment. After breaking her hip twice, Ann’s mom was diagnosed with late-stage dementia and began a slow spiral into rehabilitation and recurring infections. A social worker suggested hospice to make her more comfortable. It was a scary step, but it was the right one as it turned out.
Read this story and more at https://patientsafetyj.com/index.php/patientsaf/article/view/hospice-saved-mom-commentary.
Med Tac Global is launching a monthly webinar series for families from the general public and critical infrastructure worker families from 16 industry sectors. On Thursday, July 2, at 1 p.m. Eastern, a panel of emergency medicine, critical care, security, and infectious disease experts will address the latest science for social distancing, hand hygiene, high-contact surfaces, and using masks. For more information and to register for “Family Survive & Thrive Guide: The Latest Best Practices,” visit https://www.medtacglobal.org/july-2-2020-webinar/.
SaraKay Smullens and Dr. Stanton Smullens will answer your questions about COVID-19 and the toll it has taken on our mental health, and how you can help yourself or a loved one get through these unprecedented times.
Set your reminder now, so you do not miss our Facebook Live Q&A with SaraKay Smullens, MSW, LCSC, & Stanton N. Smullens, MD, FACS, today at noon.
SaraKay Smullens and Dr. Stanton Smullens will answer your questions about COVID-19 and the toll it has taken on our mental health, and how you can help yourself or a loved one get through these unprecedented times.
Before the #pandemic, more than half of frontline clinicians were experiencing burnout, and physician suicide rates were more than double the general population. #COVID19 is bringing this long-simmering crisis to a boil, as doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals give their all for their patients. Is there anything we can do to care for our caregivers? What can they do to take better care of themselves? Therapist and bestselling author SaraKay Smullens and Dr. Stanton N. Smullens, chair of the Patient Safety Authority, answer these questions and more. They offer self-care strategies we can all use to manage #burnout and #depression in our lives during these difficult times and in the uncertain days to come. “We know there will be other viruses in the future,” says Dr. Smullens, “and we know that each of us is stronger working together, providing care for one another, than we could ever be as individuals.”
Read this story and more at https://patientsafetyj.com/index.php/patientsaf/article/view/smullens-interview.
Dx: Crisis An Informal Conversation With Stanton N. Smullens, MD, FACS, and SaraKay Smullens, MSW, LCSW, About Burnout, Depression, and COVID-19 Caitlyn Allen Patient Safety Authority SaraKay Smullens, MSW, LCSW Stanton N. Smullens, MD Abstract Before the pandemic, clinicians were experiencing high....
It is National Scleroderma Awareness Month. According to @Mayoclinic, scleroderma is a group of rare diseases that involve the hardening and tightening of the skin and connective tissues. It can affect the skin, blood vessels, internal organs, and digestive tract. Learn more at https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/scleroderma/symptoms-causes/syc-20351952.
Pennsylvania Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine spoke today along with health experts from UPMC Pinnacle Community Osteopathic Hospital in Harrisburg, PA, who reported on the importance of continuing to wear a mask when in public. Dr. Levine thanked the staff at UPMC for their work during the pandemic and asked Pennsylvanians to thank all healthcare workers by wearing a mask. She further reminded everyone that although we have moved into the green zone, we need to remain vigilant of COVID-19 because it is still in our communities.
https://www.facebook.com/pennsylvaniadepartmentofhealth/videos/577750019551440/
Please join us from UPMC Pinnacle Community Osteopathic Hospital in Harrisburg as we come together with health experts to talk about the importance of mask wearing in the fight against COVID-19.
There’s still time to submit your questions for tomorrow’s Facebook Live Chat, “Burnout, Depression & COVID-19.” Tune in on Tuesday, June 30, at 12 p.m. ET for our riveting conversation with SaraKay Smullens, MSW, LCSW, and Stanton N. Smullens, MD, FACS.
SaraKay Smullens and Dr. Stanton Smullens will answer your questions about COVID-19 and the toll it has taken on our mental health, and how you can help yourself or a loved one get through these unprecedented times.
June is National Aphasia Awareness Month. Aphasia is an acquired communication disorder caused by stroke or brain injury. It is an impairment of language, affecting the production or comprehension of speech and the ability to read or write. Aphasia can be severe, making communication almost impossible, or it can be very mild. Learn more about this communication disorder affecting 2,000,000 Americans at https://www.aphasia.org/.
The CDC warns that the number of Salmonella infections linked to backyard poultry has doubled compared to this time last year due to more people raising chickens during the pandemic. Remember: You can get sick with Salmonella infection from touching poultry or their environment. For safety tips on safely raising chickens visit https://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/backyardpoultry-05-20/index.html.
You should never drink bleach to protect yourself from COVID-19. Drinking bleach may cause vomiting which could burn your esophagus and throat. Drinking bleach also puts you at risk of aspiration, when fluid from your throat, nasal cavity, or stomach ends up in your lungs. This can cause serious damage. Learn how to protect yourself from COVID-19 at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/prevention.html.
The Pennsylvania Department of Health and Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency announced a partnership with CVS Health to offer COVID-19 testing services to skilled nursing facilities, to help comply with mandatory universal testing requirements. CVS Health will conduct 50,000 individual tests for skilled nursing residents and staff members, beginning the week of June 29. If you have questions regarding this initiative or universal testing in general, or to request assistance, please contact [email protected].
Pennsylvania Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine spoke today from the campus of Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, thanking its staff, nurses, doctors, EMTs, and first responders for their part in saving lives during the COVID-19 pandemic. She followed up with a reminder to continue wearing masks in public to protect yourself and others—and to say thank you to frontline workers. She also stated it is important to get tested; testing is available at CVS, Rite Aid, Walmart, and medical facilities, and all skilled nursing facilities are required to test every resident and staff member for COVID-19.
https://www.facebook.com/pennsylvaniadepartmentofhealth/videos/1215948412114349/?v=1215948412114349¬if_id=1593025221825507¬if_t=live_video
Please join us as we thank health care workers and talk about preparations for a possible COVID-19 resurgence in the fall.
The Pennsylvania Department of Health (PADOH) warns that legionellosis (Legionnaires’ disease or Pontiac fever) could be on the rise as buildings reopen after being closed due to COVID-19. Buildings that reopened without thoroughly flushing and disinfecting their water systems or cleaning and maintaining other devices that use water (such as decorative fountains or cooling towers) may expose individuals to the Legionella bacteria. For further information visit www.legionellosis.health.pa.gov.
June is National Congenital Cytomegalovirus Awareness Month. Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is one of the most common infectious causes of birth defects. Approximately 1 in 5 babies with CMV infection will have birth defects or other long-term health problems. Visit https://www.cdc.gov/cmv to learn more.
Individuals who remove a tick commonly want it tested, but testing is not recommended for several reasons. If the tick tests positive for disease-causing organisms, that does not necessarily mean that the bitten person has been infected, and the person is likely to develop symptoms before results of the tick test are available. Learn what steps to take at https://www.cdc.gov/ticks/pdfs/FS_TickBite.pdf.
The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) advises against using hand sanitizers containing methanol (wood alcohol), due to it being toxic when absorbed through the skin or ingested. If you have used a product containing methanol, medical treatment is required. For more information and a list of hand sanitizers not to use, visit https://www.fda.gov/drugs/drug-safety-and-availability/fda-advises-consumers-not-use-hand-sanitizer-products-manufactured-eskbiochem.
Join us next Tuesday, June 30 at noon ET for a discussion on COVID-19 and the toll it has taken on our mental health.
We'll be speaking with SaraKay and Stanton Smullens, MD about the effects caused or worsened by the pandemic and how you can help yourself or a loved one get through these unprecedented times.
Save the date and submit your questions for the Smullens in the comments below for the best chance of getting a response during this live event. #COVID19 #MentalHealth
The theme of Helen Keller Deaf-Blind Awareness Week (June 21–27) is DEAF-BLIND AND THRIVING. People who are deaf-blind thrive in the workplace and make their workplaces thrive. They overcome obstacles, but misconceptions don’t have to be one of them. Learn what you can do at https://www.helenkeller.org/hknc/dbaw.
Today is World Sickle Cell Awareness Day, an opportunity to learn about sickle cell disease (SCD) and its treatments. SCD is an inherited disease in which a genetic mutation in hemoglobin causes red blood cells to become hard, sticky, and misshapen. For more facts on SCD visit https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/sicklecell/documents/SCD-factsheet_What-is-SCD.pdf.
National Nursing Assistants Week takes place from June 18–24, a time to honor all the certified nursing assistants (CNAs) for their dedication to improving the well-being of others. We thank all CNAs for their work every day, and especially during the pandemic. For information on CNAs visit https://nurse.org/resources/certified-nursing-assistant-cna/.
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Jeffrey Bomba, MBA, Intensive Care Unit (ICU) patient care manager, AHN Jefferson, and Irma D’Antonio, MSN, manager of nursing quality and patient experience, AHN Jefferson, share their experience treating the first COVID-19-positive patient in Western Pennsylvania. As the world was still beginning to grapple with the new virus, the Jefferson Hospital ICU team dynamically shifted operations to overcome the pandemic-induced care gaps, including leveraging telemedicine to ensure consistent around-the-clock intensivist coverage. The team also incorporated strategies learned by other facilities treating COVID-19 patients. These interventions decreased length of stay and improved patient outcomes. In addition, their innovative use of mobile device technology allowed patients and families to connect safely, and a dedicated team of nurses provided comfort and support through the unprecedented times.
In this webinar, our presenters identify Pennsylvania trends and themes related to maternal morbidity and mortality as reported through PA-PSRS, describe the strategies implemented by California to decrease maternal mortality rates and how to work toward sustainability, discuss the initiatives being implemented by the Pennsylvania Perinatal Quality Collaborative (PAPQC), and identify value of participation in the collaboration.
Our own JoAnn Adkins, senior infection preventionist, recently talked with Amy Kehm at Good Day PA on ABC27 about the dangers of hand sanitizer products that contain #methanol. (Since this recording, the number of products on the FDA’s watch list have increased from nine to nearly 90.) JoAnn cautions people to read the label—safe and effective #handsanitizers must contain at least 60% ethyl alcohol (ethanol). You also should supervise kids when they use hand sanitizer to make sure they don’t ingest it. And although hand sanitizers are a good substitute in the absence of soap and water, #handwashing is the best way to prevent spreading germs: use soap, lather for 20 seconds, rinse with warm water, and dry with a paper towel.
Pneumonia is the second most common cause of infection in long-term care residents. It carries a high mortality rate among residents and is a major cause of hospital transfer. Aspiration and failure of the body’s defense mechanisms is the major risk factor for the development of pneumonia among residents. The Patient Safety Authority offers many valuable educational tools to assist you in preventing infection and promoting resident safety. This webinar focuses on the poster Preventing Non-ventilator Healthcare Acquired Pneumonia which highlights aspiration prevention and good pulmonary hygiene.
Tony Salvatore, MA, director of suicide prevention at Montgomery County Emergency Service (MCES), describes incidence and rates of suicide among elders in Pennsylvania, risk and protective factors for elder suicide, current concepts of suicide as applied to elders, and measures for reducing suicide risk of elders in healthcare settings.
Ann E. Miller, MSN, RN, senior patient safety specialist at UPMC Presbyterian Shadyside, describes the value a Culture of Safety Survey brings to a healthcare organization, discusses three successful initiatives that enhance the safety culture, and identifies an initiative that you can implement in your area to improve the safety culture
Improving quality and patient safety is hard work. In fact, at times the work can seem like drudgery or like we are pushing a boulder up a steep hill. The personal toll for those who are the “helpers” of healthcare (à la Fred Rogers) can be overwhelming, tiring, and depressing. You are a person first—before you are a health professional. In this webinar, Diane C. Frndak, PhD, MBA, and Holly Hampe, DSc, MHA, assistant professors of health services administration leadership at Robert Morris University, focus on the science of flourishing as a heart-centered journey creating a real-time community of like-minded people. They introduce key positive psychology skills for creating greater happiness and well-being, such as mindfulness, gratitude, strengths, flow, humor, positivity, stress management, and resilience. This session is a breath of fresh air and an act of self-care for the self-identified FRAZZLED.
SaraKay Smullens and Dr. Stanton Smullens will answer your questions about COVID-19 and the toll it has taken on our mental health, and how you can help yourself or a loved one get through these unprecedented times.
In this webinar from May 14, 2020, Carol VanZile, LCSW, director of behavioral health regulatory compliance accreditation at UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital, identifies environmental risks of suicide and safety in hospitals, measures to mitigate ligature risk, and ways to increase staff confidence in treating behavioral health patients.
Members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) community have long described experiencing stigma, and lack awareness and education about their needs in healthcare environments. Delay or lack of treatment for medical and psychiatric symptoms is a patient safety issue that can lead to poor patient outcomes. In this webinar, we invited Adrian Shanker, executive director of Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center and editor of recently published Bodies and Barriers: Queer Activists on Health (PM Press, March 2020), to discuss the importance of listening to LGBTQ patient experiences and steps healthcare facilities can take to provide a safe, inclusive environment.
With recent awareness of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) and other COVID-19–related health issues, many parents, healthcare workers, and daycare teachers are understandably concerned about how to keep kids and staff safe in childcare facilities. In this new webinar, PSA experts share some simple but important strategies to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, including how to screen children for symptoms, daily infection prevention actions for staff, and hand hygiene best practices.
As part of their ongoing support to Pennsylvania facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic, PSA senior infection preventionists JoAnn Adkins and Terri Lee Roberts recently hosted a series of “Ask an Infection Preventionist” webinars. In this first installment, they address some common questions, such as “What are the differences between social distancing, quarantine, and isolation?” and “How do you clean/disinfect/sterilize a mask?” They also shared important COVID-19 and infection prevention resources to help keep you and your patients healthy.
This morning, Dr. Stanton Smullens, board chair of the Patient Safety Authority, spoke with PHL17 about clinician burnout, how it has been amplified by the #COVID19 pandemic, and four strategies everyone—especially frontline healthcare workers—can use to protect their mental health during this difficult time.
Invasive group A Streptococcus (iGAS) can cause severe, life-threatening illness among the elderly, particularly long-term care (LTC) residents. The incidence of iGAS infection is higher among long-term care residents than among community members of the same age, and residents who develop iGAS infections have significant morbidity and mortality risk due to advanced age, close living conditions, and comorbidities (e.g., diabetes, cardiovascular disease). Outbreaks of iGAS in LTC facilities in the United States and Canada have mortality rates of 8% to 40%. Because of the potential severity of illness, even a single case of iGAS requires public health action. In this webinar, JoAnn Adkins, BSN, RN, senior infection preventionist at the Patient Safety Authority, discusses the incidence of iGAS in Pennsylvania LTC facilities and ways to prevent the spread in a facility.
"What is the Patient Safety Authority doing about #COVID19 and are they still available to provide education?" Recorded 3/11/2020 #askpatientsafety
Should your employer consider remote working for its employees? Recorded 3/11/2020 #askpatientsafety #COVID19 #coronavirus
What can healthcare providers and systems do to prepare for and minimize the risk of #COVID19? #askpatientsafety Recorded 3/11
What are the symptoms of COVID-19 and should I go to the hospital if I have them? #askpatientsafety #coronavirus
The concept of "lean" is all about maximizing customer value while minimizing waste—creating more value for customers with fewer resources. But what does that have to do with healthcare? Find out in this webinar! Michael Hogan, lean master and lean design specialist for the Business Improvement Group, LLC., identifies lean design methods to improve process and flow for positive patient safety outcomes and satisfaction. And Wendy S. Fitts, MHA, BSN, director of quality at Penn Medicine–Lancaster General Health, discusses how lean management systems promote safe and reliable care, and how the use of data improves patient safety and quality investigations.
Please join the Patient Safety Authority on Thursday, February 6, at noon EST for a live announcement of this year's I AM Patient Safety winners. #IAPS2020
Camden, New Jersey—when most people were dismissing it as the “Murder Capital of America,” a group of providers saw an opportunity. Seventeen years later, the Camden Coalition of Healthcare Providers has proven that when hard work and ingenuity are mixed with the right blueprint, lasting success can happen anywhere. We recently sat with Kathleen Noonan, CEO of the Camden Coalition, to discuss how this nonprofit, multidisciplinary healthcare innovator has been improving care for people with complex health and social needs in Camden and beyond. Read and watch the interview at https://patientsafetyj.com/index.php/patientsaf/article/view/interview-noonan.
Charlie Schlegel, director of the Division of Safety Inspection, Pennsylvania Department of Health, reviews proper placement of alcohol-based hand sanitizer dispensers, discusses important life safety code changes, and provides an emergency preparedness update—including recent updates to Appendix Z. This informative webinar was recorded on 9/10/19. For more info and additional programs, visit http://patientsafety.pa.gov/AuthorityEvents/Pages/TrainingEvents.aspx.
Jamie L. Estock, MA, human factors scientist, co-director of the VA Pittsburgh Interprofessional Patient Safety Fellowship at the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, provides a better understanding of human factors as an academic discipline, and discusses greater awareness of how product design affects behavior, the ability to recognize when design flaws may have caused or contributed to adverse events, and increased motivation to report design flaws. #humanfactors
Melanie A. Motts, RN, BSN, senior patient safety liaison at the Patient Safety Authority; Carol VanZile, LCSW, director of behavioral health regulatory compliance accreditation at Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic of UPMC; Shawnna Baney-Shaw, RN, risk manager at Mt Nittany Medical Center; and Tina Kephart, RN-BC, director of behavioral health at Mount Nittany Medical Center, identify and discuss two Pennsylvania healthcare facilities' perspectives on living through a unitwide renovation, assess ligature and suicide risk in various inpatient care settings, and summarize information and resources on improving ligature risk assessment and mitigation.
In this webinar, Christopher Mamrol, BSN, RN, PSA patient safety liaison, describes how using data can impact #patientsafety and why it's important to measure and analyze #data. He also discusses some basic ways to use data meaningfully to assess patient safety and drive improvements.
Join us for a live Q&A about #sepsis with Dr. Joe Carcillo, professor of Critical Care Medicine and Pediatrics at Pitt School of Medicine. Post your questions in advance below or ask them on Wednesay, Oct. 30, from noon to 1 p.m. ______________________ Dr. Joe Carcillo is a professor of Critical Care Medicine and Pediatrics at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Since 1998, he has chaired or been a member of the steering committees of multiple national and international initiatives to improve outcomes in children with septic shock, including the World Federation of Pediatric Intensive and Critical Care Societies Global Pediatric Sepsis Initiative, The American College of Critical Care Medicine Task Force on Hemodynamic Support of Septic Shock in Newborns and Children, and the Surviving Sepsis Sepsis Campiagn. Dr Carcillo also has been an advisor in this capacity to the Pennsylvania secretary of health, the Centers for Disease Control, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and the Doctors Without Borders Pediatric Clinical Protocols Committee. Dr Carcillo has garnered more than twenty years of funding from the National Institutes of Health and has published 273 peer reviewed manuscripts. He has been a practicing pediatric intensivist at the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh since 1992. He completed his pediatrics and pediatric intensive care training at National Children’s Medical Center after receiving his medical degree at George Washington University School of Medicine. Dr Carcillo served in the U.S. National Health Services Corps for four years as a nonuniform health officer in Fort Pierce, Florida before joining the staff at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh.
This is #StopOverdosesinPAWeek. Today the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is giving away life-saving #naloxone at more than 80 locations. Watch Dr. Rachel Levine, secretary of health, discuss how naloxone saves the lives of people overdosing on opioids, and read an expanded interview with her about the state's efforts to fight the opioid epidemic at https://patientsafetyj.com/index.php/patientsaf/article/view/levine-interview.
Yesterday the Philadelphia Inquirer presented Dr. Stanton N. Smullens, chair of our Board of Directors, with their 2019 Influencers of Healthcare award for Excellence in Patient Care. Congratulations to Dr. Smullens and to all of this year's #HealthcareInfluencers who have been improving the health and safety of patients in Philadelphia and beyond!
In this video adapted from a recent webinar, Dr. Stanton Smullens, clinical professor of Surgery at Sidney Kimmel Medical College, and SaraKay Smullens, MSW, LCSW, BCD, social worker, family therapist, and bestselling author, review the differences between the macro and micro causes of burnout; discuss the interactive loop between personal, professional, social, and physical manifestations of burnout; and describe personal and professional self-care strategies, activities, and attitudes to address and prevent #burnout.
Please join us in congratulating our own JoAnn Adkins, BSN, RN, and Terri Lee Roberts, BSN, RN, senior infection preventionists, for winning one of APIC - Infection Prevention and You's 2019 Heroes of Infection Prevention awards! This distinguished award recognizes APIC members and teams who work tirelessly to reduce infection, raise awareness, and improve the health and well-being of patients, healthcare workers, and the public. Well done, JoAnn and Terri Lee!
The Pennsylvania legislature established the Patient Safety Authority in 2002 to provide statewide guidance and support to protect the 47 million patients who entrust Pennsylvania healthcare facilities with their lives each year. Seventeen years later, the Authority still is the only independent state agency of its kind in the United States.
The Authority’s vision is “safe healthcare for all patients,” which it strives to achieve by collecting and analyzing patient safety information, developing solutions to patient safety issues, and sharing this information through education and collaboration.
Pennsylvania Act 13 of 2002, the Medical Care Availability and Reduction of Error (MCARE) Act, requires all state hospitals, ambulatory surgical facilities, birthing centers, and certain abortion facilities to report all incidents of harm, real or potential, to the Authority via the Pennsylvania Patient Safety Reporting System (PA-PSRS), a confidential, online system—the largest event reporting database in the United States and one of the largest in the world.
The Authority analyzes and evaluates all reports submitted to PA-PSRS and makes recommendations for changes in healthcare practices and procedures which may improve patient safety in Pennsylvania facilities. The Authority's role is nonpunitive and is distinguished from the role of other state agencies involved in licensing healthcare facilities or individual providers.
The Authority operates from the Patient Safety Trust Fund, a dedicated Pennsylvania Treasury account, which is administered by the Authority and is independent of the Commonwealth General Fund. Patient Safety is fully supported by this fund.
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Central Pennsylvania Food Bank
Two locations, One Mission: 3908 Corey Road in Harrisburg, PA and 3301 Wahoo Drive in Williamsport, PA