Patient Safety

Patient safety is paramount at HHS with the Hospital Board determining it as one of our six strategic directions – "HHS will work progressively to develop the culture, processes and measurement / tools that are known to enhance patient safety and reduce adverse medical events". Healthcare is one of the largest and most complex and error-prone industries in the world and organizations all over the country, and internationally, are placing tremendous efforts on continually improving safety for both caregivers and our patients.

HHS has a robust but continually evolving Patient Safety Program that includes the following:

• a corporate Patient Safety Steering Committee that guides, monitor and evaluates the implementation and integration of safety-related initiatives and processes
• designated safety 'champions' in all departments/units
• a logo and slogan "Together, Moving Safety Forward"
• an ambitious Safety Action Plan for both corporate and unit/department-specific projects and initiatives
• ongoing efforts to improve the safety 'culture' whereby everyone, staff and patients/families alike, takes responsibility for safety and where staff feel safe and committed to participating fully in the safety program, including reporting of activities/situations that pose a risk
• participation in several national 'best practice' initiatives such as 'Safer Healthcare Now' (e.g. implementation of 'bundles' of interventions designed to reduce infection rates for central lines, surgical sites and ventilator associated pneumonias)
• recent implementation of a corporate-wide incident or error reporting system that is easy to use and allows everyone to identify safety risks, analyze the contributing factors (system-related issues very often contribute to the incident), and guide us to making system improvements
• Other examples of activities/initiatives include –
• Implementation of bar coding technology for specimen identification and labeling
• Introduction of SBAR at the unit level to enhance effectiveness of communication (situation – background – action – recommendations)
• Safety 'Huddles' in use on many units
• New programs under development for 'Falls' and 'Delirium' prevention
• New computerized MAR to be introduced in 2008-2009
• Enhancements to the 'safety' components of the HHS website

The above are just a few of the exciting and proactive safety developments and achievements at HHS. Please join in and make safety a priority! Only with collaboration and commitment from all of us will we be able to make HHS the safest hospital __ .

For further information, check out the website and talk to your preceptor about the safety program on your clinical unit!

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