Patient Safety a Top Priority
As part of its ongoing commitment to patient safety, Elkhart General participated in the Hospital Engagement Network (HEN) Partnership for Patient Safety Initiative. HEN provides such tools as electronic mailing lists to be able to collaborate with other hospitals, educational opportunities and meaningful comparative data.
Funded by the Affordable Care Act, the HEN focused on ways to improve patient safety by focusing on adverse drug events, falls, infections and readmissions. Providing such tools as electronic mailing lists to collaborate with other hospitals, educational opportunities and tracking measures offers meaningful comparative data and monitors our improvement. Caregivers used the education and data to develop and implement positive change. In 2012 and 2013, Elkhart General prevented 978 safety problems and over $1.5 million in costs thanks to the HEN-tracked safety measures.
Champions, sponsors and executive leaders who worked together to achieve these patient safety improvements are: Alison Haffner, April Ba, Barb Scanlon, Becky Gute, Brenda Pressler, Brianne Poorman, Cindie McPhie, Colleen Davidson-Nowlin, Connie Dobson, Darra Cover, Deanna Roberts, Jen Lankowicz, M.D., Mark Schmeltz, D.O., Greg Losasso, Jen Egan, Jo Ward- Selman, Karen Thompson, Karra Heggen, Katherine Russell, Kim Greising, Leigh Poeppelman, Lisa Blouin, Lisa MacDonald, Mckenna VanDyke, Michaela Nufer, Pam Goddard, Pam Vail, Pete Kamphues, Phyllis Miller, Shelby Morse and Susan Hawes.
