Volume 24
Number 6
March 22, 2013
Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
Patient Safety
7/365
7 DAYS OF RECOGNITION, 365 DAYS OF COMMITMENT TO SAFE CARE Earlier this month, HUP celebrated Patient Safety Awareness Week, recognizing our advances in keeping our patients safe while bringing to light the challenges that remain and our efforts to conquer them.
`` (Above): Dawn Stivale of CEQI and Joanne Phillips tested staff readiness for HUP’s upcoming Joint Commission survey. `` (Left): Heather Ross demonstrates the portable lift to staff on Founders 14.
The week included a series of lectures that described many of our safety initiatives in place, including safe handoffs, fall prevention, the early warning system (for sepsis identification), process improvement, and medication safety, as well as an overview of what’s on the horizon for patient safety at HUP. Penn Safety Net training was available as well.
Information tables from several departments — both clinical and nonclinical — educated staff on safety measures as well. For example, Pharmacy’s poster described the dangers of ‘look-a-like, sound-a-like’ meds and the importance of double checking medications. Safety Management focused on proper disposal of sharps.
INSIDE Skype Helps Mom ‘Bond’ With Newborn...........................2 Cribs for Kids Campaign..........2 A Subtle Approach to Reducing Violence................2 When We Lose Part of Our World..............................3 Helping People All the Time................................3 Best in Show..............................4
Joanne Phillips, RN, MSN, CCRN, coordinator of Quality and Patient Safety, brought her Jeopardy ‘road show’ to patient care units, quizzing and educating staff on “hot” topics for the upcoming Joint Commission survey. Heather Ross, BSN, RN, CCRN, manager of Nursing Products and Operations, went unit to unit as well, demonstrating the use of HUP’s two portable patient handling devices. In the event that an obese patient or visitor falls outside of a patient room (where mechanical lifts are available), these two devices — a 600 Portable Lift and a Hoverjack — allow staff members to safely raise and move the fallen person off the floor without injuring themselves. Many thanks to members of Clinical Effectiveness and Quality Improvement who partnered with several hospital departments to showcase our strong commitment to the safety of our patients, staff and community. To learn more about HUP’s patient safety fair and see more photos, click on ‘UPHS Quality and Patient Safety’ on the home Intranet page and then ‘Patient Safety Awareness Week fair.’
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