HJBR Mar-Apr 2019

PSO 22 MAR / APR 2019 I  Healthcare Journal of baton rouge   Peter DeBlieux, MD Access Hospital in Lutcher. Pratt saw steady increases in reporting after creating a pro- gram to reward employees for raising con- cerns. She said timely reports helped her team make several adjustments to protect patient safety duringmedication shortages. She also said belonging to the PSOwill help her small rural hospital resolve problems sooner with unprecedented access to state and national experts. “If I’m struggling with how to implement a safe, fool-proof pro- cess, why not share that and learn fromwhat other people have already resolved, right?” Another LAPS-PSOmember also praised collaboration between Louisiana hospitals. “We’re identifying safety concerns and freely sharing information, as opposed to compet- itively holding on to the information,” said Dr. Peter DeBlieux, chief experience officer of University Medical Center New Orleans (UMCNO). DeBlieux also discussed his hos- pital’s internal safety culture improvements, noting that UMCNO regularly honors fac- ulty, medical residents and staff with the SPEAK UP Award when they speak up to make a difference for specific patients. “Our goal is to know about errors or near misses that are happening, so that we can fix them,” said Jessica Behrhorst, associate vice president of quality & patient safety with Ochsner Health System. Behrhorst has worked to help her fellow LAPS-PSO members save lives by introducing them to an enhanced type of Root Cause Anal- ysis, known as RCA2. The model empha- sizes stronger corrective actions, follow-up measures of each action’s effectiveness, and engagement from top leadership. By help- ing to prioritize near-miss incidents, Beh- rhorst said the proactive tool helps pro- viders eliminate unsafe conditions before patient harmoccurs. She also said her health system includes patients in the RCA2 pro- cess by inviting them to help evaluate action plans. “Having that patient perspective is going to help us become safer.”The Patient SafetyAct’s activities focus on stronger cor- rective actions and follow-up as required components of providers and PSO patient- safety programs. Jessica Behrhorst “We’re identifying safety concerns and freely sharing information, as opposed to competitively holding on to the information.” “Our goal is to know about errors or near misses that are happening, so that we can fix them.” Pratt saw steady increases in reporting after creating a program to reward employees for raising concerns. She said timely reports helped her teammake several adjustments to protect patient safety during medication shortages.