Application Period for 2012 National Quality Healthcare Award Now Open
NQF is now accepting applications for its 2012 National Quality Healthcare Award. Interested organizations must complete an Intent to Apply and submit it no later than December 22, 2011 to be considered eligible.
Obama Takes Action to Reduce Prescription Drug Shortages and Fight Price Gouging
Oct. 31, 2011—President Obama today signed an Executive Order directing the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to take action to help further prevent and reduce prescription drug shortages, protect consumers and prevent price gouging. The President’s order directs FDA to broaden reporting of potential shortages of certain prescription drugs and to further expedite regulatory reviews that can help prevent or respond to shortages. Under the President’s order, FDA will also work with to the Department of Justice, which will examine whether potential shortages have led to illegal price gouging or stockpiling of life-saving medications.
Draeger Patient Monitors Offers Continuous Noninvasive Arterial Pressure (CNAP) Technology
Medical Center Selects McKesson’s Pharmacy Automation to Advance Safety Initiatives
CDC Launches Effort to Protect Cancer Patients from Infections
Oct. 25, 2011—CDC’s Preventing Infections in Cancer Patients program is a comprehensive initiative focusing on providing information, action steps, and tools for patients, their families, and their health care providers to reduce the risk of life-threatening infections during chemotherapy treatment in outpatient oncology settings.
Philips VentAssist Supports Critical Decisions for Patients on Mechanical Ventilation
IHI Releases 2nd Edition of “Respectful Management of Serious Clinical Adverse Events” at ASHRM Conference
Oct.18, 2011—The Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) has published an updated version of its white paper, “Respectful Management of Serious Clinical Adverse Events.” The paper was announced by co-author Jim Conway, IHI senior fellow, during a presentation at the annual conference of the American Society for Healthcare Risk Management (ASHRM) in Phoenix.
Memorial University Medical Center Chooses Radio Frequency Detection Technology to Enhance Operating Room Safety
Bellevue, Washington, October 17, 2011—Memorial University Medical Center, an academic medical center serving southeast Georgia and southern South Carolina, announced it has implemented the RF Assure™ Detection System in all of its operating rooms to prevent the medical error of retained surgical items (RSI).
Awarepoint Corporation and MEDITECH Collaborate to Integrate Technology Platforms
San Diego, October 14, 2011—Awarepoint Corporation, the leading provider of real-time location system (RTLS) enabled solutions for health care, and MEDITECH, a leading supplier of Health Care Information Systems (HCIS), announced a collaboration to integrate technologies to provide emergency departments (EDs) with real-time patient location and critical milestone tracking within MEDITECH’s enterprise-wide electronic health record (EHR) software.
FDA Launches Initiative to Prevent Surgical Fires
Washington, D.C., October 13, 2011—Surgical fires are preventable medical errors. To reduce the risk of fires, many healthcare organizations have developed tools, implemented strategies, and conducted education and outreach efforts. Yet there is more that can be done.