Primaris Press Release
| For immediate release: March 29, 2007 |
Contact: Matt Heger Primaris Communications Department (800) 735-6776, Ext. 136 |
Photos
Primaris CEO Richard A. Royer discusses how the 5 Million Lives Campaign will affect Missouri in Columbia, Mo., at the campaign's March 29, 2007, Missouri kickoff.
Jonah Borrelli of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement explains the 5 Million Lives Campaign goals in Columbia, Mo., at the campaign's March 29, 2007, Missouri kickoff. Photo credit: Matt Heger
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Protecting Five Million Lives from Harm
National Campaign Holds Missouri Kickoff
COLUMBIA , Mo. – After a successful campaign which saved an estimated 122,000 lives in American hospitals, today Missouri hosted the statewide kickoff of an ambitious follow-up program dubbed the 5 Million Lives Campaign.
The 5 Million Lives Campaign was started by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) with a goal of severely reducing incidents where people are hurt while receiving medical care. It was preceded by the 100,000 Lives Campaign, a hugely successful endeavor in which 3,100 hospitals across the nation worked to halt preventable deaths.
“Last year, we focused on the most extreme consequence of medical mistakes – avoidable deaths. Now we're focusing on reducing all harm from medical errors,” said Richard Royer, CEO of Primaris, one of three organizations leading the effort in Missouri .
The other leading agencies are the Missouri Hospital Association and the Missouri Center for Patient Safety. All three groups provide support to hospitals, distribute tools and help hospitals network with each other.
“It's estimated that 40 incidences of harm occur for ever 100 hospital admissions. This works out to about 15 million injuries each year in American hospitals,” said Jonah Borrelli, 5 Million Lives central region field coordinator, “Through their work on the 12 Campaign interventions, hospitals can contribute to the goal of preventing five million injuries”
“The Missouri Hospital Association is excited to co-lead this campaign and join forces with Primaris and the Missouri Center for Patient Safety. Missouri hospitals are focused on safety like never before and committed to providing the highest level of care,” said Sharon Burnett of the Missouri Hospital Association.
“Making something good, even better. That's what is about to happen,” said Rebecca Miller, executive director of the Missouri Center for Patient Safety. “Our last campaign showed that a concentrated focus on patient safety can boost hospital performance. We, and participating hospitals, will continue to spur success and improvement in Missouri hospitals.”
While continuing to support the work of the 100,000 Lives Campaign, the 5 Million Lives Campaign aims to enlist 4,000 hospitals, challenging all to adopt twelve interventions – six of which were included in the previous program and six of which are new. The six new interventions include:
- Preventing harm from high alert medications
- Reducing surgical complications
- Preventing pressure ulcers
- Reducing methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus
- Delivering reliable, evidence-based care for congestive heart failure
- Getting hospital boards committed to patient safety
About the Missouri Center for Patient Safety
As a private, not-for-profit corporation, the Missouri Center for Patient Safety (MOCPS) is dedicated to fostering change throughout Missouri 's health care systems. Based in Jefferson City , the mission of MOCPS is to improve health care quality and patient safety in collaboration with health care providers, physicians, purchasers, consumers and government.
About the Missouri Hospital Association
The Missouri Hospital Association is a not-for-profit association in Jefferson City that represents 141 Missouri hospitals. In addition to representation and advocacy on behalf of its membership, the association offers continuing education programs on current health care topics and seeks to educate the public, as well as legislative representatives, about health care issues.
About Primaris
Primaris is a nonprofit, health care consulting firm and contracts with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services ( CMS ) to serve as the Quality Improvement Organization for Missouri . Primaris' mission is to improve health care delivery and outcomes by promoting excellence, advancing knowledge and developing innovative solutions for physicians, other providers, businesses, government, patients and consumers.
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Note: For more information about each campaign intervention and a list of participating hospitals, please visit www.ihi.org/ihi/programs/campaign .