Chair Files

Patient Safety Transformation

Identifying solutions to reduce hospital-acquired conditions. Working to spread this knowledge to other hospitals and health care providers. Plus, rigorous strategic planning, initiative implementation, data collection and analysis, and continuous assessment: This describes the work of the Hospital Engagement Networks, or HENs, to transform patient care—improving the safety, quality and affordability of health care. Part of the CMS Partnership for Patients initiative and one of 26 HENs nationwide, the AHA/HRET HEN is the largest HEN with 1,500 hospitals and 31 state hospital associations participating. Focused on 10 core areas, this initiative involves front-line staff, C-suite leaders and board members. As of October 2014,, hospitals participating in the AHA/HRET HEN have delivered better care to 78,000 patients, with associated cost savings of more than $900 million. Many HEN hospitals have begun using a single overarching measure called Harm Across the Board, or HAB. A formula developed by CMS for this initiative, HAB is a total composite rate that shows hospital leaders and staff progress over time in reducing patient harm. “Lasting lessons on reducing patient harm” in the November issue of Hospitals & Health Networks magazine talks more about HAB and the work of the AHA/HRET HEN, including spotlighting three hospitals: Lea Regional Medical Center, a 201-bed hospital in Hobbs, N.M.; Pulaski Memorial Hospital, a 25-bed critical hospital in Winamac, Ind.; and Woman’s Hospital, a 168-bed hospital in Baton Rouge, La.

For further information, including HEN implementation guides and reports, visit www.hret-hen.org.

HPOE.org has information and links to to several national improvement projects that are working to transform patient care.

  

Additional Resources

Webinars December 13th, 2017

Equity of Care Webinar SeriesPart 2: Aligning Diversity and Inclusion, Community Engagement, Busi......

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Webinars November 20th, 2017

Equity of Care Webinar SeriesPart 1: Aligning Diversity and Inclusion, Community Engagement, Busi......

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Webinars November 17th, 2017

Transportation and the Role of Hospitals This AHA webinar on “Transportation and the Role of Hos......

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