HRSA lauds accomplishments in patient safety, health outcomes

HRSA has recognized health care teams from across the nation that have achieved dramatic improvements in patient safety and health outcomes as part of the HRSA Patient Safety and Clinical Pharmacy Services Collaborative (PSPC).  The PSPC is a national breakthrough effort to improve the quality of U.S. health care by integrating medical management into the care of high-risk, high-cost patients.

The teams were recognized at a recent PSPC Learning Session in Dallas.  Learning Sessions provide a forum for sharing leading practices among teams, who then implement these practices in their local health care communities throughout the country.  Using improved data collection and documentation systems, PSPC teams are now able to implement system changes and improve patient health outcomes.  Teams report that rates for adverse drug events (events that result in harm or injury to the patient due to medication use) are being reduced by nearly 50 percent, and many cite specific instances when a life-threatening adverse drug event was identified and resolved.

“PSPC teams are continuing to show significant improvements and results,” said HRSA Administrator Mary K. Wakefield, Ph.D., R.N.  “They’re building on proven successes and sharing these with other teams to improve patient safety and health outcomes across the country.”

The teams received HRSA PSPC awards for outstanding achievements in managing patient health outcomes, integrating medical management into their service delivery model, and improving patient safety through detection and reduction of adverse drug events.  In addition, three teams received awards from the Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Women’s Health for innovative use of FDA’s health education materials.

The PSPC recently received the 2010 Healthcare Transformation Award from Communities Joined in Action (CJA), which recognizes a replicable and transferable idea, tool, project, or learning that has value in community safety net care. 

A list of all awardees is below.

PSPC Award Winners

Clinical Pharmacy Services Improvement Award – Awarded to 16 teams that implemented clinical pharmacy services and showed improvements in clinical pharmacy services.

• Allen County Health Partners (Lima, Ohio)
• Ammonoosuc Community Health Services Inc. (Littleton, N.H.)
• Clinicas Del Camino (Ventura, Calif.)
• Coos County Family Health Services (Berlin, N.H.)
• Eastern Virginia Medical School (Norfolk)
• Family HealthCare Center (Fargo, N.D.)
• Greater Lawrence Family Health Center (Lawrence, Mass.)
• Holyoke Health Center (Holyoke, Mass.)
• Louisville PSPC (Louisville, Ky.)
• Open Door/BMH Health Center Inc. (Muncie, Ind.)
• Program for Health Care to Underserved Populations/Birmingham Free Clinic (Pittsburgh, Pa.)
• River Hills CHC (Ottumwa, Iowa)
• Share our Selves Free Medical Clinic (Costa Mesa, Calif.)
• Siouxland Community Health Center (Sioux City, Iowa)
• University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy/Delta Pharmacy Partnership (University)
• White River Rural Health Center Inc. – ARCare (Augusta, Ark.)

Health Outcome Management Award – Awarded to 16 teams that reported health outcomes measures for at least 5 consecutive months, and are using them to manage their population of focus.

• Alabama Primary Healthcare Associates (Mongtomery)
• Allen County Health Partners (Lima, Ohio)
• Ammonoosuc Community Health Services Inc. (Littleton, N.H.)
• Clinica Family Health Organization (Boulder, Colo.)
• Coos County Family Health Services (Berlin, N.H.)
• Family HealthCare Center (Fargo, N.D.)
• Oklahoma Community Health Services Inc. (Oklahoma City)
• Open Door/BMH Health Center Inc. (Muncie, Ind.)
• Paynesville Area Health Care System (Paynesville, Minn.)
• Program for Health Care to Underserved Populations/Birmingham Free Clinic (Pittsburgh, Pa.)
• River Hills CHC (Ottumwa, Iowa)
• Share our Selves Free Medical Clinic (Costa Mesa, Calif.)
• Siouxland Community Health Center (Sioux City, Iowa)
• University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy/Delta Pharmacy Partnership (University)
• White House Clinics (McKee, Ky.)
• Wood County (Bowling Green, Ohio)

Life-Saving Patient Safety Award - Awarded to seven teams that established systems and processes for detecting, identifying and preventing adverse drug events and potential adverse drug events and have saved at least one patient’s life by detecting and preventing a life-threatening adverse drug event.

• Alabama Primary Healthcare Associates (Mongtomery)
• Clinicas del Camino (Ventura, Calif.)
• Daily Planet (Richmond, Va.)
• Eastern Virginia Medical School (Norfolk, Va.)
• Greater Lawrence Family Health Center (Lawrence, Mass.)
• Paynesville Area Health Care System (Paynesville, Minn.)
• White River Rural Health Center Inc.  – ARCare (Augusta, Ark.)

PSPC Performance Award – Awarded to nine teams that documented performance and results for their population of focus using data that demonstrated increased clinical pharmacy services, improved health outcomes, and systematic identification and prevention of adverse drug events and potential adverse drug events.

• El Rio Community Health Center (AZPSPC) (Tucson, Ariz.)
• Good Samaritan Clinic (Greenville, Miss.)
• MEDS/Ocean’s Health Initiatives (Lakewood, N.J.)
• Mission Medication Assistance Team (Asheville, N.C.)
• NICHC – Crescent Community Health Services (Dubuque, Iowa)
• North Side Christian Health Center (Pittsburgh, Pa.)
• Shands Jacksonville and University of Florida (Jacksonville)
• Virginia Garcia Hillsboro (Hillsboro, Ore.)
• Zufall Health Center (Dover, N.J.)

FDA Office of Women’s Health (OWH) Education Protocol Award – Awarded to one team that has established a protocol for interactive patient education or counseling using FDA-OWH publications.

• Holyoke Health Center (Holyoke, Mass.)

FDA OWH Health Education Innovation Award – Awarded to 1 team that has established an innovative approach for the use of the FDA-OWH publications in reaching the teams’ population of focus.

• Siouxland Community Health Center (Sioux City, Iowa)

FDA OWH Excellence in Health Education and Outreach Award – Awarded to 1 team that demonstrated innovative incorporation of FDA-OWH publications in patient education and counseling that provide benefits to their program or patients. 

• MEDS/Ocean’s Health Initiatives (Lakewood, N.J.)

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is the primary Federal agency for improving access to health care services for people who are uninsured, isolated, or medically vulnerable. For more information about HRSA and its programs, visit www.hrsa.gov.