Patient Safety Awareness Week

Patient Safety Awareness Week is observed to acknowledge the need to improve safety throughout the health care system and to celebrate efforts to improve care. Medical errors are the third leading cause of death in the United States. The World Health Organization estimates that health care errors impact one in every 10 patients globally. Properly engaging patients, caregivers, and providers; integrating quality improvement practices; and collecting and interpreting data are critical to supporting patient safety initiatives. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Quality Improvement and Innovation Contractors (NQIIC) awardees are leading the charge to expand awareness of the latest patient safety advancements and to recognize the progress of providers.

Included in the CMS NQIIC work is the Hospital Quality Improvement Contractors (HQIC) statement of work. The Compass Network was one of only nine HQIC Awardees and is lead by the Iowa Healthcare Collaborative (IHC) with the collective partner organizations of the South Dakota Association of Healthcare Organizations (SDAHO), Kansas Healthcare Collaborative, and Mississippi Hospital Association. SDAHO has recruited 50 hospitals in South Dakota and Minnesota that began this work in September 2020. The entire Compass Network is excited to see the impact these hospitals will make on Patient Safety over the next 4 years. SDAHO wants to congratulate these 50 hospitals for taking on the challenge to improve patient safety!

To help spread awareness, utilize the Messaging and Media Tips for Patient Safety Awareness Week .

You can also learn more about this event by visiting the Institute for Healthcare Improvement website.

Patient Safety Movement is also hosting several free webinars over the next few weeks to provide further education on patient safety awareness.