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VA Sunshine Healthcare Network

 

Partnerships

VISN 8 Patient Safety Center of Inquiry, Tampa


Key Partners

Consortium for Spinal Cord Medicine and the Paralyzed Veterans of America are collaborating with the PSCI in developing Clinical Practice Guidelines for Safe Wheelchair Mobility.

Department of Defense (DoD): We are collaborating with the DoD in developing an Ergonomics Resource Guide.

Hill Rom, Inc. and BHM Medical are collaborating with the center on evaluations of equipment for safe patient handling and movement.

Joint Commission on Accreditation of Hospitals (JCAHO), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the University of Pennsylvania participated in an expert panel last year to identify bedrail reduction strategies. Four staff are participating on a Task Force to develop bed manufacturing guidelines to promote patient freedom and safety.

National Institute of Occupational Health & Safety (NIOSH) Sunshine Education and Research Center (ERC) is collaborating with us on projects related to back injury prevention for nurses.

Quality Partners, Inc. is a group of organizational representatives throughout the Tampa Bay Area who are committed to improving patient safety and who are interested in collaborative efforts to disseminate patient safety innovations and successes.

Unisphere, Inc. A Proprietary Information Agreement has been negotiated.

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Collaboration within VHA

Rehabilitation R&D/Technology Transfer Program: Continued collaborations with Sal Sheredos and Regional Counsel [Ruth Dowling] to develop instruments that promote vendor partnerships.

VHA Office of Healthcare Analysis and Information Group (HAIG): We are collaborating with this group to develop a Resource Guide for Safe Patient Movement: Selecting the Right Equipment and Devices. This guide will be published by HAIG Spring, 2001.

VHA Office of Public Health and Environment and Hazards: We are collaborating with Michael Hodgson and Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) on a national TAG to develop an Ergonomics Resource Guide for use within the

Virtual Learning Center: We are participating in development of a Web-Based Training Initiative on projects related to safe patient handling and movement.

VISN 1 Patient Safety Center will disseminate knowledge from the Falls Conference related to fall prevention interventions.

VISN 7, VHA Headquarters Pharmacy, and Consolidated Mail Outpatient Pharmacy: We are collaborating with these three groups on projects related to reducing medication errors.

VISN 8 Pharmacy Group: Collaborating with “Data Mart Linking Pharmacy Benefit Management System with Clinical Data Extracts” and “Fundamental Template for Reporting Medication Errors within VISN 8”. These systems are being piloted in VISN 8.

VISN 16: We are collaborating with VISN 16 on “Hospital Bed Safety Evaluation in Hospitals and Nursing Homes.”

VISN 22: Evidence-Based Fall Prevention Program; BedSAFE: Organizational Learning to Improve Bed Safety in Long Term Care.

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National Participation

VHA Personal Freedom and Safety Patient Technical Advisory Group: Audrey Nelson participates on this board and chairs the subgroup on fall prevention. Members of the Patient Safety Center as well as national leaders in fall prevention were invited to participate in a strategic planning session in Tampa August 9-10, 2000. Nine major products were identified, and are currently in development.

Food and Drug Administration and HCFA: Stephanie Hoffman, Audrey Nelson, Gail Powell-Cope, and Mary Seaman have been invited to participate on a National Panel to develop manufacturing regulations for bedrails. Sponsored by Food and Drug Administration and HCFA.

Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Web-Based Training Initiative: Audrey Nelson was invited to participate as content expert in VHA HQ Task Force on Web-Based Education related to Safe Patient Handling & Movement.

Center for Healthcare Environmental Management Advisory Board. Audrey Nelson is a member of this board, dedicated to improvements in healthcare environments and risk management.

Florida Hospital Association: Pat Quigley represents the center on a statewide task force to address patient safety.

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