November 2018

Up Front

After deadly flu season, health care worker vaccinations take on new urgency

The CDC has released updated stats for last year's flu season, the worst in recent memory. 

Safety News

Peer Support Program offers help after adverse events

The Betsy Lehman Center will seed adoption of peer support for hospital-based clinicians and staff members with a pilot program in 2019. 

Linda Kenney is Director of Peer Support Programs at the Betsy Lehman Center

Since experiencing an adverse event in 1999, Kenney has become a leader in peer support for patients, families and clinicians. She is now the Director of Peer Support Programs at the Betsy Lehman Center for Patient Safety. 

One Last Thing

Cleaning problems frequent 2019 Top-10 Hazards list

On a list of technology-related hazards, keeping equipment clean and disinfected is a recurring theme. 

Upcoming events

Improving the Care of Mothers, Infants and Families Impacted by Perinatal Opioid Use: A Massachusetts Statewide Initiative

When: December 11, 2018, 8:30 am–4:30 pm
What: The Fall Summit features a full day of presentations, including a keynote address by Marylou Sudders, MSW, Massachusetts Secretary of Health and Human Services, about improving care for families affected by perinatal opioid use.
Where: Four Points by Sheraton, Norwood, Mass.
Who: Perinatal-Neonatal Quality Improvement Network of Massachusetts
Click for more information and to register

OpenNotes: Grand Rounds – Effective Implementations Webinar

When: December 11, 2018, 4:00 pm
What: Speakers will discuss clinician anxiety, culture change, measurement and challenges to patient engagement and access issues related to implementation of OpenNotes.
Who: OpenNotes Director of Dissemination, John Santa, MD; Patient Advocate Naomi Kaufman Price; Marcia Sparling, MD, Vancouver Clinic; and Kerry Litman, MD, Kaiser Permanente Southern California
Click for more information and to register

2019 Patient Safety Forum: Call for Presentations

When: Deadline for proposals is January 7, 2019. The conference will be held on April 3, 2019.
What: This is a call for proposals to present at an annual patient safety conference for Massachusetts health care providers highlighting initiatives that drive safety improvement
Who: Massachusetts Coalition for the Prevention of Medical Errors
Click for more information and to submit a proposal

Patient Safety Beat is published monthly by the Betsy Lehman Center, a state agency that uses communications, research, and data to catalyze the efforts of providers, policymakers, and consumers working toward safer health care in Massachusetts.