ORLANDO, FL, May 18, 2010 – The National Patient Safety Foundation today presented the 2010 NPSF Stand Up for Patient Safety Management Award to Virginia Mason Medical Center in Seattle.

“The Management Award is granted to a member hospital of the NPSF Stand Up for Patient Safety program in recognition of an initiative, supported by leadership at all levels and embraced by a cross-discipline team, that delivers proven, life-saving change,” said Diane C. Pinakiewicz, president of the National Patient Safety Foundation. “Virginia Mason Medical Center, for work spearheaded by their Optimizing Care Transition team, is most deserving of this recognition.”

The Virginia Mason care transitions team has demonstrated evidence of measurable patient safety improvement for heart failure patients, with involvement of staff at all levels of the organization. An innovative care-transition system was created to facilitate communication through a highly targeted electronic records system, ensuring that heart-failure patients receive seamless transition through the care process. Virginia Mason also incorporated a patient education packet in order to communicate critical information between provider and patient. Patients with heart failure receive straightforward information about their condition throughout their hospital stay. Once home, the patient has visual charts as reminders of what to do and when to contact the care provider. Also, a phone call from clinical staff within 48 hours of discharge is designed to answer specific questions and ensure appropriate follow-up appointments. By incorporating checklists in electronic medical records specifically for congestive heart failure patients, engaging all members of the care team in this effort and creating new patient education materials, Virginia Mason has been able to optimize care transitions to keep patients safe.

“This work stands as an extraordinary example of best practice in the field of patient safety and helps eliminate risk during the most vulnerable stages of care for patients with heart failure,” said Pinakiewicz.

The NPSF Stand Up for Patient Safety Management Award was presented to Virginia Mason Medical Center at the 2010 NPSF Patient Safety Congress in Orlando, FL, and was accepted by Donna Smith, MD, Virginia Mason Hospital Medical Director.
About Virginia Mason Medical Center
Virginia Mason Medical Center, founded in 1920, is a non-profit comprehensive regional health care system in Seattle that combines a primary and specialty care group practice of more than 440 physicians with a 336-bed acute-care hospital. Virginia Mason operates a network of clinics throughout the Puget Sound area; manages Bailey-Boushay House, a nursing residence and Chronic Care Management program for people living with HIV and AIDS; and operates Benaroya Research Institute at Virginia Mason, internationally recognized in autoimmune disease research. Virginia Mason is known for applying manufacturing principles to health care to improve quality and patient safety. For more information, visit VirginiaMason.org or Facebook/VMcares or follow @VirginiaMason on Twitter.

The National Patient Safety Foundation® is an independent not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization that has been diligently pursuing one mission since its founding in 1997 – to improve the safety of the healthcare system for the patients and families it serves. NPSF is unwavering in its determined and committed focus on uniting disciplines and organizations across the continuum of care, championing a collaborative, inclusive, multi-stakeholder approach.