Patient Safety Award
(posted March 5, 2010)
Patient safety is a priority at The Miriam Hospital. While we pride ourselves on our commitment to safety, we recognize that improvements can always be made, and on November 20, we took steps to make those improvements.
November 20 was surgical education day. Only emergency surgeries were performed at both The Miriam and Rhode Island Hospital so that as many staff members as possible could participate. The education sessions, led by nurses and physicians, were attended by surgeons, surgical technologists, physician’s assistants, RNs, RNFAs, anesthesia providers, perioperative assistants and nursing assistants, as well as other surgical support staff. As of mid-January, 1,303 employees of The Miriam and Rhode Island hospitals have attended one or more education sessions. I would like to thank those who led the sessions and those who attended; your dedication to patient safety always has been and will continue to be one of The Miriam’s greatest assets.
For those who were not able to participate in surgical education day, I would like to review the reporting process in place to ensure the safest environment for our patients. I cannot stress enough the importance of reporting any and all patient safety concerns. You can inform your manager of a concern, call the number 3 – Safe (3-7233) to report a concern, or use the occurrence reporting system. No penalties will be made for voicing a concern. We share the common goal of keeping our patients safe; any issues reported will only serve to improve the patient experience.
The Miriam’s medical staff feels so strongly about the topic, that they have established a Patient Safety Recognition Award. The award, to be given quarterly, will recognize the staff member at The Miriam who made the greatest contribution to patient safety. Staff who report safety concerns, take action to prevent harm or participate in team work to improve systems may be nominated for the award.
Nominations for the award, which has monetary reward of a $250 American Express gift card or a $500 savings bond and hospital recognition, can be found on the intranet. To find the form, start with the administrative tab and find the Lifespan policies page. Look for The Miriam Hospital and click policy and procedure manual and then human resources. The forms are under “general information.” Additionally, the forms are available in human resources. The first quarter ends on March 31st and nominations will be accepted until that point.
Working together, we can improve the patient experience at our hospital. I have seen and admired the dedication and strong work ethic displayed every day at The Miriam Hospital, and am confident they will help us face this challenge head-on, with outstanding results.