Atlantic General Hospital’s intensive care unit is part of a statewide
collaborative recently honored with the 2005 John M. Eisenberg Patient
Safety and Quality Award for innovative measures taken to improve patient safety.
Through this collaborative – the Maryland Patient Safety Center –
Atlantic General receives ongoing training as well as joint support from
other Maryland Hospital Association members to improve their patient safety
practices.
Since the Safety Center’s creation in May 2004, Atlantic General
Hospital’s ICU team has implemented several improved safety procedures
such as daily weaning trials for patients on ventilators to prevent pneumonia
and strict control of patients’ blood sugar level to reduce infection.
In 2005, Atlantic General Hospital’s ICU has had only one case of
ventilator acquired pneumonia. In addition, the ICU has not had any blood
stream infections related to central catheter (PICC line) use in the past
five months. These measures, as well as others, have contributed to a
decrease in ICU length of stay and a decrease in ICU mortality rate.
“The ability to participate in the state-wide collaborative to improve
care was truly an opportunity for us to be able to improve the safety
of patients in our community in accordance with best practice. The team
effort at AGH resulted in problem resolution in an interdisciplinary atmosphere,”
says Colleen Wareing, Vice President of Patient Care Services. “Our
participation significantly raised the level of awareness of safety issues
in our Critical Care Unit. The Senior Leadership Team looks forward to
expanding this awareness throughout other facility through participation
in the next segment of the Maryland Patient Safety Collaborative.”
Atlantic General Hospital’s operating room staff is scheduled to
implement new patient safety practices tailored to the OR environment
at the end of October 2005. The emergency department is scheduled for
January 2006. About the Maryland Patient Safety Center The Maryland Patient
Safety Center brings health care providers together to learn the causes
of unsafe practices and put practical improvements in place to prevent
harm to patients. The Maryland Hospital Association (MHA) and the Delmarva
Foundation, jointly operate the Maryland Patient Safety Center. The MHA
represents all of Maryland's hospitals and has been recognized for
its involvement in quality of care and patient safety through the MEDSAFE
initiative, Quality Indicator Project, and educational activities through
the Maryland Healthcare Education Institute (MHEI). Delmarva Foundation,
a national not-for-profit quality improvement organization, has been working
with hospitals, physicians, home health agencies and nursing homes in
Maryland for more than 30 years. For more information, visit
www.marylandpatientsafety.org