| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
Bernadette Lupo, Communications Director
413-663-2018
blupo@npsf.org |
NEWS ALERT - AWARDS CONFERRED AT NPSF ANNUAL CONGRESS
Next week, the National Patient Safety Foundation (NPSF) will be conferring four awards at its Annual Congress in Nashville, Tennessee. Each award is prestigious in its own right and all are premised on accomplishments in the field of patient safety. NPSF’s Chairman’s Medal, Socius Award, and Stand Up for Patient Safety Management Award have all been traditionally presented at this esteemed meeting. This year, a new award will be added in the form of the Pfizer Heath Literacy in Advancing Patient Safety Award, to be presented through the Partnership for Clear Health Communication at the National Patient Safety Foundation, established in 2007.
The National Patient Safety Foundation Chairman’s Medal is awarded in recognition of emerging leadership in the patient safety field. This year, the recipient of the NPSF Chairman’s Medal is Dr. Noel Eldridge, Executive Officer for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs National Center for Patient Safety. Dr. Eldridge is receiving this award for his extensive work and leadership in the field of patient safety, with special recognition for the national and international impact of his work in correct site surgery and hand hygiene.
Socius is the Latin word for “partner.” The National Patient Safety Foundation Socius Award is given in recognition of work that promotes positive and effective partnering between patients & families and providers in pursuit of improved patient safety. Dr. Saul Weingart, Vice President Patient Safety at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, Massachusetts, is the 2008 recipient of the NPSF Socius Award. His translation of research findings into patient safety and quality improvement initiatives, and his inclusion of patients and families in research and program design, has resulted in creative and effective programs that embrace the notion of a health care team that includes the patient and family in strong working partnership with providers.
The Stand Up for Patient Safety Management Award is granted to a member hospital of the National Patient Safety Foundation’s Stand Up for Patient SafetyTM program in recognition of the successful implementation of an outstanding patient safety initiative that was led by, or created by mid-level management. The 2008 recipient of this award is the Stroke Center Advisory Group and Operations Team at Virginia Mason Medical Center, for their work in demonstrating incremental improvement by using Virginia Mason Production System (LEAN) methodology to measure activity, innovate better processes, trial new work tools, and evaluate results.
This year, Pfizer and the Partnership for Clear Health Communication at the National Patient Safety Foundation have instituted an award to recognize an individual who has made significant strides in improving the health literacy of their constituents and community through research, advocacy, and program implementation in order to improve safety and quality of care. The inaugural recipient of The Pfizer Health Literacy Award in Advancing Patient Safety is Dr. Dean Schillinger, Director of the Center for Vulnerable Populations at the University of California San Francisco and an Associate Professor of Medicine at UCSF School of Medicine. Dr. Schillinger receives this award in recognition for his work in defining health literacy and advancing it within the field of patient safety.
For more information regarding the awards that will be given at NPSF’s Annual Patient Safety Congress please visit www.npsf.org.
ABOUT NPSF
The National Patient Safety Foundation® (NPSF) is an independent nonprofit organization dedicated to improving patient safety and reducing medical errors through research, education and dissemination of programs. It is an unprecedented partnership of stakeholders working together to raise awareness and improve the safety of the health care system. The NPSF was founded in 1997 by the American Medical Association, CNA HealthPro, and 3M, with significant support from the Schering-Plough Corporation. For more information, visit www.npsf.org.
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