One of our biggest focuses at WSHA is on patient safety, and we continually work to make care safer and more effective for all of our state’s residents. During the last few years, we’ve participated in two Partnership for Patients initiatives with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) that have made a tremendous impact in our communities, preventing 39,000 patient harms and saving $611 million in health care costs.
We are excited to announce that we have now been selected as one of 16 organizations across the country to be a part of the Hospital Improvement and Innovation Network, working to reduce hospital-acquired conditions and unnecessary hospital readmissions.
Through this three-year contract, we will partner with Alaska and parts of Oregon to continue driving innovation and institute regional initiatives to improve care. It’s all part of a broader effort to transform our health care system into one that works better for our communities and the Medicare program. Together, we’ll be working to achieve a 20 percent reduction in overall patient harms and a 12 percent reduction in 30-day hospital readmissions as a population-based measure from our 2014 baseline.
This new contract ushers our robust patient safety program into a new era, as we cross borders and team up with our neighboring states to engage in this crucial work that not only makes care better at home, but makes care better across our entire region.
We have much work ahead of us as we work to improve the patient experience in the Pacific Northwest, but through the collaborative efforts among our members and partners in Alaska and Oregon, we have the potential to make a lasting difference for patients.
Our work on patient safety will not be complete until we get to the point where hospital-acquired infections, falls, pressure ulcers and unnecessary hospital readmissions no longer happen. The Hospital Improvement and Innovation Network is a big step in the right direction.
Sincerely,
Carol Wagner
WSHA Senior Vice President for Patient Safety
carolw@wsha.org
