Patient Safety Authority Releases Actionable Insights and Stories of Triumph for Pennsylvania Health Systems

HARRISBURG, Pa., May 4, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Patient Safety Authority (PSA) has released its 2020 annual report, offering accounts of ingenuity, tenacity, and teamwork amid COVID-19 and key insights to improve patient safety in Pennsylvania and beyond.

     Stories of patient involvement, collaboration, creativity, and empowerment from eight hospitals across the Commonwealth are highlighted. They include Allegheny Valley Hospital, Einstein Endoscopy Center—Blue Bell, Forbes Hospital—Allegheny Health Network, Pennsylvania Hospital, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, UPMC Lock Haven, and UPMC Magee Women's Hospital.

     The report also showcases winners of the annual I AM Patient Safety awards who rose to the occasion in 2020 with achievements in patient safety. They hail from Allegheny Health Network – Ambulatory Surgery Center Division, Einstein Medical Center Montgomery, Lehigh Valley Physicians Group LHVN ExpressCARE–Fogelsville, Moravian Manor Communities, Pennsylvania Hospital, Temple University Hospital, UPMC Carlisle, Veterans Administration Pittsburgh Health System, UPMC St. Margaret, WellSpan Health. Fox Chase Cancer Center at Temple University Hospital won the Executive Director's Choice Award for achieving the unachievable by preventing falls for an entire year.

     "Like everyone else, much of the PSA's efforts in 2020 focused on COVID-19. Our staff worked around-the-clock supporting "at-risk" facilities in their darkest hours to secure personal protective equipment (PPE); stay apprised of the most current, ever-evolving research; and develop facility-specific plans to protect patients and residents," said Patient Safety Authority executive director, Regina Hoffman.

     "But the real focus this year is on healthcare facilities. We share their accounts as a reminder that what they do each day matters, and they have met the COVID-19 challenge with bravery and sacrifice."

     The annual report also highlights patients' important role in scientific publishing. In 2020, Patient Safety, the PSA's quarterly, peer-reviewed journal of scientific research and patient commentaries, was read by more than 45,000 people across every state in the United States and in 164 countries. It won three awards for publication excellence.

     Along with its annual report, the PSA released figures from its database, PA-PSRS. Event reporting remained robust, despite an unparalleled pause in elective care for several months, which may reflect improvements in patient safety culture across Pennsylvania.

     The PSA is an independent state agency that collects and analyzes patient safety data to improve safety outcomes and help prevent patient harm.  http://patientsafety.pa.gov/

SOURCE Patient Safety Authority

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http://patientsafety.pa.gov/