John M. Eisenberg Patient Safety and Quality Awards

Christine K. Cassel, MD, president and CEO of the National Quality Forum, welcomed recipients of the 2014 Eisenberg Patient Safety and Quality Awards to the organization’s annual conference in March. (l to r) Mark L. Graber, MD, FACP, senior fellow in the Health Care Quality and Outcomes Program at RTI International, received the award for individual achievement. Clifford Y. Ko, MD, FACS, director of the American College of Surgeons’ Division of Research and Optimal Patient Care, accepted the award for innovation at the national level on behalf of the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program. Michael J. Dowling, president and CEO of the North Shore-LIJ Health System accepted the award for innovation at the local level on behalf of the health system. © 2015 Jay Mallin

The John M. Eisenberg Patient Safety and Quality Awards were established in 2002 by the National Quality Forum (NQF) and The Joint Commission in memory of John M. Eisenberg, MD, director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). Eisenberg was a passionate advocate for patient safety and healthcare quality and personally led AHRQ’s grant program to support patient safety research.

Three honorees for national, local, and individual recognition from the awards program represent numerous achievements in the field of patient safety and quality.

Individual Achievement
Mark L. Graber, MD, FACP
Senior Fellow, Health Care Quality and Outcomes Program
RTI International
Dr. Graber is recognized as a leader in bringing the role of diagnostic error to the forefront of the patient safety movement. He convened the Diagnostic Error in Medicine conference series; formed the nonprofit Society to Improve Diagnosis in Medicine; and, in 2014, founded a new international journal, Diagnosis. He is the co-creator of Patient Safety Awareness Week, which emphasizes patient safety through celebrating achievements at the local level and providing education and awareness.

Innovation in Patient Safety and Quality at the National Level
American College of Surgeons
National Surgical Quality Improvement Program
The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP) is a nationally validated, risk-adjusted, outcomes-based program designed to measure and improve the quality of surgical care in participating hospitals. The program employs prospective, peer-controlled, validated clinical data collection to quantify 30-day surgical outcomes and allows comparisons of outcomes among all participating hospitals.

Innovation in Patient Safety and Quality at the Local Level
North Shore-LIJ Health System
From 2009 to 2014, North Shore-LIJ Health System implemented a system-wide initiative to reduce sepsis mortality. The organization was able to reduce sepsis mortality by 50 percent at 10 acute care hospitals in its system, including the emergency departments, inpatient, and pediatric settings. To achieve this reduction, the system reduced variation in practice and implemented evidence-based best practices and protocols.

“The National Quality Forum applauds each of the 2014 John Eisenberg award winners for their exemplary efforts to improve the safety, quality, and value of the healthcare experience for patients across the country,” said Christine K. Cassel, MD, president and CEO, National Quality Forum. “The work of Dr. Graber, the American College of Surgeons, and North Shore-LIJ Health System are an inspiration to the quality field as we work together on our universal goal of ensuring that all patients receive the high quality, safe care they need and deserve.”

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