At the December CMS Quality Conference, SDAHO received an award for our work with the second phase of the Hospital Engagement Network (HEN). The award recognized our “diligent work, authentic collaboration with patients, clinicians and partners, and unprecedented national impact on patient safety” in hospitals. Nationally, the HEN 2.0 project saved 87,000 lives, reduced patient harms by 2.1 million and saved $19.8 billion in costs.
We celebrate with you on the successes of the HEN 2.0, and we thank you for your ongoing involvement in the HIIN project. We continue to recruit hospitals to the HIIN efforts. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is reaching its goal of 4,000 acute care hospitals, with 3,802 hospitals signed up as of Jan. 19. To complete its goal, CMS is strengthening its efforts to encourage the remaining hospitals to participate in the HIIN and continue efforts to improve patient safety and quality.
The HIINs and their participating hospitals are setting a goal to achieve an additional 20 percent decrease in overall patient harm and a 12 percent reduction in 30-day hospital readmissions.
Questions on our HIIN efforts can be directed to Kristen Bunt at kristen.bunt@sdaho.org or Jennifer Kok at jennifer.kok@sdaho.org.
