Joint Commission, National Quality Forum Seek Applicants for the 2003 John M. Eisenberg Patient Safety Awards 3/10/2003
From: Charlene D. Hill of Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, 630-792-5175 or chill@jcaho.org; Robyn Y. Nishimi of the National Quality Forum, 202-783-1300 or info@qualityforum.org OAKBROOK TERRACE, IL - March -- The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) and the National Quality Forum (NQF) are accepting applications for the John M. Eisenberg Patient Safety Awards designed to recognize individuals and health care organizations that are making significant contributions to improving patient safety. Nomination forms for the John M. Eisenberg Patient Safety Awards are available at http://www.jcaho.org and http://www.qualityforum.org, or from JCAHO's Customer Service Center by calling 630.792.5800, between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. CT, weekdays. The deadline for nominations is May 27, 2003. A highly respected national leader in health care, the awards are named in memory of the physician who dedicated his career to ensuring that health care is based on a strong foundation of research and that the services provided reflect the needs and perspectives of patients. Dr. Eisenberg, who died in March 2002, spearheaded government efforts to reduce medical errors and improve patient safety as director of the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). "These Awards are identified to recognize achievements in patient safety that reflect the very highest of John Eisenberg's aspirations for health care in this country," says Dennis S. O'Leary, M.D., president, JCAHO. "We are pleased to continue recognizing John Eisenberg's leadership in health care quality improvement and patient safety. In 2002, the NQF and JCAHO awarded health care and community leaders who share John's commitment for safer health care, and in 2003 we look forward to recognizing other individuals and organizations which exemplify John's passion for making health care better - both safer and of higher quality," says Kenneth W. Kizer, M.D., M.P.H., president and CEO, NQF. Up to four John M. Eisenberg Patient Safety Awards will be presented each year, in the categories of individual lifetime achievement, advocacy, system innovation and research. Awards will not, however, necessarily be given in each category every year. An expert panel will select the recipients. To be eligible for the lifetime achievement award, nominees must have demonstrated exceptional leadership in patient safety during their careers. Nominees for initiative/project-related achievement may be individuals or organizations who have made significant contributions to patient safety through: -- Advocacy - the promotion of efforts to intercede on the patient's behalf, through areas such as legislation, the media or other outreach activities. -- System innovation - successful system changes or interventions that make the environment of care safer by addressing issues such as technology, procedures, education or organizational culture. -- Research - scholarly or scientific investigation of patient safety-related issues, including systems theory, technology or data analyses. In 2002, the Joint Commission's Journal on Quality and Safety featured articles describing the achievements of the winners of the 2002 award recipients. To view this special issue, go to http://www.jcrinc.com/subscribers/journal.asp?durki=32. The 2002 John M. Eisenberg Patient Safety Awards winners were: --- INDIVIDUAL LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT --- -- Julianne Morath, R.N., M.S., Children's Hospitals and Clinics, Minneapolis, Minnesota For her tireless and successful work at Children's Hospitals to introduce a culture of patient safety that promotes the sharing of information about errors to improve safety in the care of patients. -- SYSTEM INNOVATION (co-winners) -- Concord Hospital, Concord, New Hampshire -- For developing and implementing a structured communications protocol, adapted from human factors science, which broke down hierarchical role boundaries and improved the care of cardiac surgery patients. Veterans Health Administration National Center for Patient Safety, Ann Arbor, Michigan -- For innovation and leadership in developing and implementing a systems approach to error reduction within the VHA's 163 health care facilities. -- ADVOCACY -- Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Lexington, Kentucky -- For its national leadership in openly, and voluntarily, disclosing health care errors to harmed individuals and/or their families. -- RESEARCH -- David W. Bates, M.D., M.Sc., Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts -- For his cutting-edge research in using information technology to measure and improve patient safety, particularly in the area of medication safety. Completed nomination forms may be mailed to the attention of Linda Hanold, research director, at JCAHO, One Renaissance Boulevard, Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181. The 2003 awards will be presented at the NQF Annual Meeting on September 29-30, 2003, in Washington, D.C. ------ 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 nearly 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. The NQF is a private, non-profit public benefit corporation created in 1999 to develop and implement a national strategy for healthcare quality measurement and reporting. Originally conceived at the recommendation of the President's Advisory Commission on Consumer Protection and Quality in the Healthcare Industry, the NQF represents all aspects of the healthcare industry. Dr. Eisenberg was one of the key architects in the establishment of the NQF and served on its Board of Directors. |