The Health Research & Educational Trust (HRET) of the American Hospital Association (AHA) has selected Nancy Schlichting, chief executive officer of Henry Ford Health System in Detroit as the recipient of the 2014 TRUST Award. As this year’s award recipient, Schlichting was noted for her commitment to create tremendous clinical excellence, an extraordinary patient experience and a great environment for all health care professionals.

The Disparities Solutions Center is now accepting applications for the 2014-2015 Disparities Leadership Program (DLP), due February 14, 2014.

At this year’s Quality Colloquium, multidisciplinary approaches to safety and quality improvement were discussed in many sessions, with benefits cited in the context of leadership, education, scholarship, as well as care delivery.

First Databank (FDB), the leading provider of clinical drug knowledge that helps improve medication-related decisions and patient outcomes, has announced that an affiliate of FDB has acquired Design Clinicals, Inc., a healthcare information technology company dedicated to providing clinician-friendly solutions for improving medication reconciliation and the delivery of patient care. Design Clinicals, based in Seattle, Washington, began operations in 2005, is led by founder and CEO Dewey Howell, MD, PhD, a practicing family physician turned healthcare information technology software developer.

The National Patient Safety Foundation (NPSF) has awarded a $100,000 grant for an innovative patient safety research project that will examine the mechanisms underlying patient falls in the hospital and formulate recommendations for improved facility design.

By Susan Carr

Farzad Mostashari, MD, ScM, announced on August 8 that he will step down from his position as national coordinator for health information technology in the fall. Mostashari first joined the Office of the National Coordinator (ONC) as deputy for programs and policy in 2009 and succeeded David Blumenthal, MD, as national coordinator in April 2011. Although the previous national coordinators have also served approximately two years in the position, Mostashari’s announcement caught the health IT community by surprise and prompted many accolades for his national leadership for health IT and its role in patient safety and quality improvement.

The American Hospital Association’s (AHA) Board of Trustees has elected Jonathan B. Perlin, M.D., president of clinical and physician services and chief medical officer of the Nashville-based HCA (Hospital Corporation of America) as its chair-elect designate.

The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) has launched a funding initiative designed to grow a national community of patients, clinicians, researchers, and other healthcare stakeholders who will advance patient-centered outcomes research.