We extend our sincere thanks to more than 3,800 readers who participated in our survey regarding the definition of a near miss! ISMP agrees with the vast majority of respondents (88%) who defined a near miss as an error that happened but did not reach the patient. These errors are captured and corrected before reaching the patient, either through chance or purposefully designed system controls that have been put in place. Thus, reporting near misses can help to evaluate whether capture opportunities are functioning poorly—if they are fortuitous—or functioning well—if they are part of the system design, consistently implemented, and routinely effective.

The US Health and Human Services Department's released today the final rule on "meaningful use" of an Electronic Health Record (EHR).

The rule clarifies the requirements physicians must satisfy to earn financial incentives for automating and connecting their practices under the HITECH Act, part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009. The final rule was accompanied by a second rule setting standards, implementation specifications, and certification criteria for EHR technology in an effort to help physicians ensure their purchases will deliver the value the rule is designed to drive.

http://www.ofr.gov/OFRUpload/OFRData/2010-17210_PI.pdf

MASSENA — Nurses at Massena Memorial Hospital are now making their rounds with new machines designed to prevent medication errors and improve patient safety.

Earlier this year, the hospital received a $141,000 grant from the state Department of Health to purchase and implement a Bedside Medication Verification system.

Breast milk is the optimal source of nutrition for infants. According to research neonates fed breast milk have a reduced risk of sepsis, increased feeding tolerance, a
decreased incidence of necrotizing enterocolitis, and better neurodevelopmental outcomes. Unfortunately, researchers have not identified practices to reduce or eliminate the
risk for errors in breast milk administration. This article discusses the potential hazards of incorrect administration of breast milk. It then describes how the tertiary care center at Children’s Hospital of Illinois implemented a policy utilizing six sigma quality improvement methodologies to improve breast milk administration. Since implementation of this policy, the NICU at our hospital has reduced the risk of breast milk administration errors.

LEWISBURG— Evangelical Community Hospital recently accepted, for the third consecutive year, the HealthGrades Patient Safety Excellence Award. HealthGrades is the nation’s leading independent healthcare ratings company. Earning this distinction places Evangelical in the top five percent of all US hospitals in terms of patient safety.

Marking the highest number of local medical centers involved in any round of "immediate jeopardy" penalties since its program started in 2007, the California Department of Public Health has issued penalties to nine of the state's hospitals totaling $550,000, the department reports.

Haemonetics Corp. plans to lay off about 170 workers as it integrates its $61 million purchase, GlobalMed Technologies, spending $15 million with an eye toward saving $14 million a year going forward.

Haemonetics Corp. (NYSE:HAE) plans to lay off about 170 workers and close facilities in Phoenix and Chicago as it integrates its new, $61 million acquisition, GlobalMed Technologies (OTC:GLOB).

The Braintree, Mass.-based blood management firm said the integration will cost about $15 million and save $14 million a year thereafter. CEO Brian Concannon and CFO Chris Lindop told analysts during a conference call that the layoffs will include employees from both companies. The move is also prompting Haemonetics to abandon development of its Symphony blood bank donation management software and its next generation of platelet apheresis products. Discontinuing development of the Symphony product, which the company said it will continue to support, means a $4 million non-cash write-off charge; abandoning the platelet apheresis operation will incur a $12 million write-down.

New York, NY, April 6, 2010 – The Board of Directors of Saint Vincent Catholic Medical Centers (Saint Vincent’s) reluctantly voted to authorize the closure of St. Vincent’s Hospital Manhattan inpatient services including all acute, rehab, and behavioral health. The vote came after a six-month long effort to save the financially troubled institution, which has operated in the Village for over 160 years. The closure only affects St. Vincent’s Hospital Manhattan inpatient services– the other facilities and programs of Saint Vincent Catholic Medical Centers will continue as the organization seeks new sponsorship to operate them as continuing service providers.

Blood collection and processing systems maker Haemonetics Inc. said Tuesday it now expects full-year earnings will come in at the high end of its prior forecast, excluding costs related to its recent purchase of Global Med Technologies Inc.

The Health IT Policy Committee's certification workgroup is considering whether working with the Food and Drug Administration to craft a certification program for electronic health record systems would improve patient safety.