The National Quality Forum (NQF) and the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations congratulate the 2005 recipients of the annual John M. Eisenberg Patient Safety and Quality Awards. Honorees were selected in three of the four Award categories.
The honorees, by award category, are:
Individual Achievement
Audrey L. Nelson, Ph.D., R.N., has led an array of research to improve the quality of care delivered to people with disabilities. A nationally recognized leader in clinical practice and research, she has magnified the scope of practice for patient safety and is a tireless advocate for those with disabilities. Dr. Nelson is Director, Patient Safety Research Center, at James A. Haley VA Hospital, Tampa, FL, and serves as Associate Director for Research for Nursing at the University of South Florida.
Innovation in Patient Safety and Quality at a National or Regional Level
Maryland Patient Safety Center, Maryland, implemented a unique and comprehensive statewide approach to patient safety improvement by bringing together a public-private partnership of health care providers and policymakers to study and learn from errors. Designated in 2004 by the Maryland Healthcare Commission, the Center seeks to make Maryland hospitals and nursing homes the safest in the nation.
Innovation in Patient Safety and Quality at a Local or Organizational Level (2 Recipients)
Meridian Health, New Jersey, realized significant improvements in the quality of care delivered to residents of Monmouth and Ocean counties in New Jersey just months after embedding evidence-based best practice guidelines into their computer-based physician order entry system. Physicians have embraced the use of the interactive practice guidelines for online ordering, resulting in the implementation of a dozen best practices into the system.
Sentara Healthcare, Virginia and North Carolina, a not-for-profit health care provider in southeastern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina, established and continues to promote a system-wide culture of safety through a comprehensive, error-prevention initiative. Key strategies include setting error prevention expectations for all staff, implementing a 'Common Cause Analysis Program,' and re-designing key work processes to foster safety.