Nursing Shortage Puts Lives At Risk: Joint Commission Expert Panel Issues Urgent Call to Action; Revised to Add Embargo 8/5/2002
From: Charlene Hill of the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, 630-792-5175, chill@jcaho.org http://www.jcaho.org News Advisory: NOTE: Substantive information in the advisory is EMBARGOED for release: Wednesday, Aug. 7 at 1:01 a.m. EST WHAT: Telephone news conference to propose solutions -- from an expert panel assembled by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) -- to solve the dangerous shortage of nurses. WHY: Patient care is suffering from a dramatic shortage of nurses, who are the front line of care and support for patients at the most vulnerable points in their lives. Too few nurses result in increased deaths, complications and other undesirable patient outcomes. More than 126,000 nursing positions are unfilled right now and that number is expected to skyrocket just as aging Baby Boomers begin placing unprecedented demands on America's health care system. WHEN: Wednesday, Aug. 7 1 p.m. Eastern/noon Central/10 a.m. Pacific WHERE: Dial 888-207-9991; Conference ID: OLEARY WHO: -- Dennis S. O'Leary, M.D., president, JCAHO -- Marilyn Chow, R.N., DNSc, vice president of patient care services, Kaiser Permanente -- Mary Foley, R.N., M.S., immediate past president, American Nurses Association -- Sally Ann Sample, R.N., M.N., moderator of JCAHO's national nursing shortage roundtable -- Linda Aiken, Ph.D., R.N., director of the Center for Health Outcomes & Policy Research, University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing; and Keith Safian, president and CEO, Phelps Memorial Hospital Center, also will be available to answer questions. FOR TELEVISION NEWS REPORTERS: A video news release -- "Nursing Shortage Puts Lives at Risk" -- will be available: Wednesday, August 7, 2002 2-2:30 p.m. Eastern Telstar 6 Transponder 9 Dual Audio 6.2/6.8 ------ Founded in 1951, the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations seeks to continuously improve the safety and quality of care provided to the public through the provision of health care accreditation and related services that support performance improvement in health care organizations. The Joint Commission evaluates and accredits more than 17,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States, including approximately 9,000 hospitals and home care organizations, and 8,000 other health care organizations that provide long term care, assisted living, behavioral health care, laboratory and ambulatory care services. The Joint Commission also accredits health plans, integrated delivery networks, and other managed care entities. An independent, not-for-profit organization, the Joint Commission is the nation's oldest and largest standards-setting and accrediting body in health care. Member Organizations: American College of Physicians, American College of Surgeons, American Dental Association, American Hospital Association, American Medical Association | |