Publication highlights patient safety project
Charleston, WV - An article about the West Virginia Medical Institute’s (WVMI’s) patient safety project appeared in a February publication of the National Rural Health Association called “What Makes Rural Health Care Work?: An NRHA American Tour.”
The article, “West Virginia: Quality Improvement Organization – Partner for Safety,” shows how WVMI and a host of partners used technology to improve rural care for the entire state.
West Virginia truly is a national leader in patient safety, according to WVMI’s Chief Executive Officer John Wiesendanger.
“Being included in this publication is a testament to the hard work and commitment to quality demonstrated by our rural hospitals,” he said.
West Virginia was one of 13 states profiled in the 33-page glossy black-and-white publication, which is a special edition of the Journal of Rural Health. The stories highlight “exemplary” rural programs that other states can adopt to improve the health of its citizens, according to the introduction.
WVMI Patient Safety Director Patricia Ruddick and Dr. Forest Calico, a Senior Advisor for Quality for the NRHA, visited Jackson General Hospital in Ripley last fall. During the visit, Calico spoke to Chief Executive Officer Sandra Elza and Quality Officer Kim Izold about the hospital’s participation in the patient safety project.
Ruddick said the project owes its success to the dedication of its many partners, which include 28 rural hospitals, along with the West Virginia Hospital Association, the West Virginia Office of Rural Health, Verizon communications and Quantros Inc., a California company that develops software for health care providers.
“We’ve seen a lot of progress in quality improvement and patient safety through working with our hospitals and grant partners,” said Ruddick.
WVMI implemented the patient safety project in 2001 after the Institute of Medicine released the landmark report, To Err is Human. WVMI and its partners in 2004 received a $1.7 million matching federal grant from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality to expand the project, which is its third year of funding. As part of the project, hospitals voluntarily provide WVMI with data on medical errors. They have reported more than 40,000 events.
The 15,000-member rural health association is a national nonprofit organization that provides leadership on rural health issues, according to its Web site.