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LifeCare wins three
prestigious Minnesota
patient safety awards
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LifeCare Medical
Center was named
the only
hospital in the
state of
Minnesota to
receive three
Patient Safety
Excellence
Awards from the
Minnesota
Hospital
Association.
Posing with a
sample of one of
the banners that
soon will be
displayed at
LifeCare are
employees Elaine
Billberg, RN;
Jessica Kuznia,
DPT, Certified
Wound Care
Specialist,
Director of
Rehabilitation
Services; and
Connie Borowicz,
LPN. |
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LifeCare
Medical Center has done
what no other hospital
in the state of
Minnesota has. It
received awards of
excellence in three out
of four patient safety
programs as defined by
the Minnesota Hospital
Association.
Of the more than 100
Minnesota hospitals
participating in the
program, just 34 were
awarded in a single
category and only 11 in
two categories.
LifeCare Medical Center
was the only hospital in
the state to win in
three.
“We are very excited to
be the only hospital in
the state to receive th
ree awards,” says Sue
Lisell, Senior Leader of
Patient Services. “We
take patient safety very
seriously and these
unsolicited MHA awards
show that the hard work
of our physicians and
staff is being
recognized.”
The MHA awards recognize
a hospital’s efforts to
provide safe conditions
for patients while
receiving medical care.
LifeCare received awards
in the categories titled
Safe Skin, Safe from
Falls, and Safe Site.
The fourth category,
Safe Count, includes
measures already part of
everyday practice at
LifeCare, though only
recently has the
hospital begun to
document its efforts.
Earning Recognition
LifeCare joined this MHA
initiative because of
its dedication to
patient safety. In it,
hospital teams learn
from each other and work
collectively to
implement steps toward
safety in various areas.
Recognition was given
only to those
participants achieving
more than 90 percent of
the actions included in
the Minnesota Hospital
Association’s prevention
plan, often referred to
as roadmaps.
“The roadmaps combine
learning from reported
events in Minnesota and
national best practices
to help patient safety
initiatives succeed,”
says Bruce Rueben,
president of the
Minnesota Hospital
Association. “They are
extremely detailed lists
and for LifeCare to be
able to implement more
than 90 percent in three
of four initiatives is
outstanding.
Each program has its own
area of focus. Safe from
Falls recognizes work
done to prevent patients
from fallings during
hospital stays. Safe
Skin implements steps to
prevent pressure ulcers
on bedridden patients.
Safe Site prevents
surgery from being
performed on the wrong
site.
“Every LifeCare employee
should be extremely
proud for the steps
they’ve taken to earn
this statewide
recognition. It is as
much a reflection on one
as it is on all of us,”
Lisell says. “To be
named three times is a
tremendous honor.” |
