Patient Safety Authority Issues Annual Repor...( The Authority in 2007 developed a...),Health

The Authority in 2007 developed and began implementing a Strategic Plan while facilities continued to use guidance in Patient Safety Advisories to improve patient safety while implementation of Act 52 to eliminate infections in hospitals and nursing homes began

HARRISBURG, Pa., April 30 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority released its 2007 Annual Report today outlining its Strategic Plan that aligns its activities more closely with its educational and quality improvement mission. Also, facilities increased reporting and continued to make changes based on guidance in Patient Safety Advisories.

"The Patient Safety Authority had a full year last year and this year will be just as active if not more so," Mike Doering, executive director of the Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority said. "The initiatives in our Strategic Plan once fully implemented will help to improve patient safety in Pennsylvania."

The plan increases the Authority's focus on education and collaboration and identifies several multi-year initiatives, some of which were developed based on feedback from focus groups held with Pennsylvania Patient Safety Officers. Selected initiatives are aimed at educating Boards of Trustees in their role in promoting patient safety, creating an online forum for more routine sharing of best practices and lessons learned among Patient Safety Officers and creating a Patient Safety Liaison pilot program that will offer healthcare facilities on-site education or quality improvement assistance from the Patient Safety Authority.

Other immediate plans for the Authority include hiring a Director of Educational Programs. The Director of Educational Programs will direct the Authority's statewide and regional education and training programs and help develop educational materials for facilities to utilize. This person would also supervise the regional Patient Safety Liaisons.

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