Patient Safety

The healthcare industry is marked by constant evolution. Despite what changes occur, however, safeguarding patient care remains at the heart of every healthcare organization’s mission. Healthcare professionals in risk management roles are responsible for protecting patients even as business operations, reimbursement models, provider shortages, care philosophies and other aspects of the industry rapidly evolve.

If you haven’t heard already, Caitlyn Jenner, formerly known as Bruce Jenner, stunned the world last Monday by debuting her long-anticipated transition to a female on the latest cover of Vanity Fair headlined, “Call me Caitlyn.” Not only did Jenner make history, but she opened a dialogue discussing the ominous side of struggling with gender identity and shone light on the issues currently facing the transgender community.

As the healthcare industry continues to adapt to the changing environment, new approaches to quality of care and patient safety are necessary, according to the latest guidance from healthcare safety experts. In the May 12, 2015 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), a Viewpoint co-authored by The Joint Commission’s President and CEO, Mark R.

Volunteers come with many advantages for healthcare employers; they are the backbone of every hospital in our country. Healthcare volunteers play a crucial role and have an enormous impact within our community, says Julia Nelson, Vice President of Human Resources at Northern Hospital of Surry County (NHSC). “We recognize them for the immense contribution they make to the overall success of the hospital.”

As we observe Patient Safety Awareness Week at PreCheck, I thought I would discuss the important role that an effective background screening process plays in patient care and safety. During this time, background checks may be overlooked as a patient safety initiative, but they play a key role in safeguarding both patients and healthcare organizations from harm.

In light of Patient Safety Awareness Week 2015, March 8-14, I would like to share some of the latest articles we’ve written underscoring ways to promote patient safety. In the highly regulated healthcare industry, providing patient safety is more than a trend; it is a legal obligation. Countless reports have indicated that successful patient outcomes derive from effective strategies such as: building strong leadership, encouraging staff engagement and establishing clear organizational goals and values—just to name a few.

There are several key factors in establishing a successful patient safety performance improvement strategy. Peter Pronovost, Senior Vice President for Patient Safety and Quality at Johns Hopkins Medicine and Director of the Armstrong Institute for Patient Safety and Quality, led a study that examined the model employed by Johns Hopkins Health System to improve care systems and processes for treating patients who require surgery or suffer from serious ailments; after two years, the study yielded positive results.

I have to admit that this is one of my least favorite topics to write about, but it’s why we are committed to protecting patients from harm through thorough and comprehensive background screening at PreCheck. Although we are only in the second week of February, I read enough stories about bad doctors in the news across the country that I decided to write this article. While the majority of physicians care about their patients, the following four cases prove that some are capable of engaging in some pretty serious criminal behavior.

The consequences of negligent credentialing can be costly to a healthcare organization and its medical staff services department. Organizations that want to renew their focus on credentialing can follow several best practices to protect themselves and ensure they’re doing all they can to remain compliant.

On October 17, 2014, The Joint Commission released the new “Patient Safety Systems” (PS) chapter online, which was included in the 2015 Comprehensive Accreditation Manual. If you’d like to read the chapter, you can download the full-text here. The Joint Commission shares PreCheck’s core values of patient care and safety.