The Patient Safety Movement Foundation Names the Top 3 Healthcare Institutions that Demonstrated the Most Lives Saved

The Patient Safety Movement Foundation announced the winners of the top three healthcare institutions that demonstrated the most lives saved through their commitments to ZERO preventable deaths by 2020. One representative with a guest from each of these organizations will join former President Carter and First Lady Rosalynn for a private fishing trip at the Brigadoon Lodge in North Georgia Mountains. 

The trip will take place September 18-19, 2015. The winners will also be honored at the fourth-annual Patient Safety, Science & Technology Summit, January 22-23, 2016 at Laguna Cliffs Marriott Resort and Spa, Dana Point, California. 

“We are very proud of Hospital Quality Institute, Intermountain Healthcare, and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. This will be the trip of a lifetime for our winners, but more importantly a chance for the patients who have been saved by the efforts of these hospitals to eradicate preventable deaths to have many more years with their friends and families,” stated Joe Kiani, Founder of the Patient Safety Movement Foundation. “We have the opportunity and responsibility to lead the way in eradicating preventable deaths. I still remember vividly sharing this issue with President Carter. The enormity of the patient safety crisis in the Unites States and around the world caused him to pause and then without the slightest hesitation he said that he wanted to help the effort. This competition and President Carter’s unwavering support has helped us take the race to save lives to the next level. Every one of the 400 hospitals that entered this competition is a winner, especially their patients.” 

“We are honored to accept this award and are very proud of our California hospitals,” stated Julie Morath, President and CEO of the Hospital Quality Institute. “Our Institute was established to accelerate the rate of improvement in patient safety and quality statewide. In a relatively short amount of time, our three commitments to the Patient Safety Movement Foundation have saved over 5,000 lives so far. We are very excited to meet former President Carter and First Lady Rosalynn and discuss the work we are doing in this area. This will be one fishing trip we will never forget.” 

"UPMC is honored to be recognized by the Patient Safety Movement Foundation for our commitment to saving lives,” said UPMC Chief Quality Officer Tami Minnier. “We look forward to meeting with President Carter and First Lady Rosalynn to share our successes with such safety initiatives as reducing unnecessary and potentially harmful blood transfusions.” 

“Intermountain Healthcare is honored to be recognized by President Carter for our patient safety efforts. I accept this recognition for all the frontline staff and physicians that really make the difference,” stated Robin Betts, RN, Assistant Vice President of Quality and Safety for Intermountain Healthcare. “While we humbly accept this honor, we also realize that as long as we have a single patient harmed in our care we have more work to do. We appreciate the support of the Patient Safety Movement Foundation that pulls together industry stakeholders so that all of us, through collaboration can make healthcare safer for everyone.” 

Following is a list of the three winners: 

Hospital Quality Institute (HQI) 

The Hospital Quality Institute led the way with 5,019 lives saved through three commitments. The non-profit organization was established in 2013 to realize statewide impact of improving patient safety and quality for all Californians, to accelerate the rate of improvement, and to advance California as a national leader in quality performance. HQI represents over 400 hospitals in California. Their commitment was made to eliminate preventable harm to hospitalized patients, reduce death from sepsis, and eliminate preventable mortality and morbidity in maternity care. 

Intermountain Healthcare 

Intermountain Healthcare saved 322 lives by reducing adverse drug events (ADEs). Their stretch goal was to reduce ADEs by 7%; through their efforts in 2015 ADEs were reduced by 10%. They are a not-for-profit health system based in Salt Lake City, with more than 34,000 employees. Serving the needs of Utah and Idaho residents, Intermountain’s system of 22 hospitals, physicians, clinics, and health plans, provides clinically excellent medical care at sustainable costs. In addition to their commitment to reduce ADEs, the organization has made commitments to reduce Central Line-Associated Blood Stream Infections (CLABSI) and Catheter Associated Urinary Traction Infections (CAUTI). 

The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) 

The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center saved 137 lives through multiple commitments to the Patient Safety Movement Foundation. They are a world-renowned non-profit health care provider and insurer based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are inventing new models of accountable, cost-effective, patient-centered care. UPMC operates more than 20 academic, community and specialty hospitals, more than 500 doctors’ offices and outpatient sites, employs more than 3,500 physicians, and offers an array of rehabilitation, retirement and long-term facilities. Their commitments cover four areas of patient safety: eliminating surgical site infections, eliminating Central Line-Associated Blood Stream Infections (CLABSI), reducing failed transitions and patient blood management programs. 

About The Patient Safety Movement Foundation 

More than 200,000 people die every year in U.S. hospitals in ways that could have been prevented. The Patient Safety Movement Foundation was established through the support of the Masimo Foundation for Ethics, Innovation, and Competition in Healthcare, to reduce that number of preventable deaths to 0 by 2020 (0X2020). Improving patient safety will require a collaborative effort from all stakeholders, including patients, healthcare providers, medical technology companies, government, employers, and private payers. The Patient Safety Movement Foundation works with all stakeholders to address the problems and solutions of patient safety. The Foundation also convenes annual Patient Safety, Science and Technology summits that are by invitation only. The next summit will be held January 22-23, 2016 in Dana Point, CA and will bring together our nation’s best minds for thought-provoking discussions and new ideas to challenge the status quo. By presenting specific, high-impact recipes to meet patient safety challenges, encouraging medical technology companies to share the data for whom their products are purchased, and asking hospitals to make commitments to implement Actionable Patient Safety Solutions, the Foundation is working toward zero preventable deaths by 2020.