|
DJP Update 1-8-2008 - DJP Update 1-8-2008 - Patient
Safety and Quality Improvement Act; Louisiana news-DHH Secretary announced
by Gov-Elect Jindal; Safety Meetings; Tulane; Safety; & Lagniappe
ITEM ONE: Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Act of 2005 The Patient
Safety and Quality Improvement Act of 2005 (Public Law 109-41), was signed
into law on July 29, 2005. We still do not have the regulations so that we
can start using this important law. This law allows confidential
voluntary reporting of errors, review by experts, and feedback to those
involved with recommendations of how to change the system to prevent
occurrence again. In addition, the information will be on a de-identified
database for all to use so they also can benefit from the "lessons learned."
My sources tell me that the proposed regulations finally have left the
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) and are now in the Office
of Management and Budget (OMB).
For background information about the OMB, see:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Office_of_Management_and_Budget
http://www.gpoaccess.gov/cfr/index.html
In July of 2008, it will be three years since this law was signed! I am
reminded of Cicero's lament that I stated in my 2003 AMA Inaugural Address:
"In a debate over liberty in another time and place, the Roman Cicero asked:
'How long must we tolerate these abuses?' That question echoes down through
the ages and resonates with us today." I spoke of the broken medical
liability system. You may argue about the use of the word "abuses" but I
believe we can agree that this is an inefficient way to implement the
overwhelming majority vote in Congress. Do we just pass laws and forget
about them? Why don't we have people crying out for implementation?
It is ridiculous that we have to wait this long to start using what
I consider the most important patient safety advance since the
American College of Surgeons developed the "Minimum Standard for Hospitals"
in 1917. The requirements filled one page. This quest for quality led to
the formation of the Joint Commission of Accreditation of Hospitals (JCAH -
later to become JCAHO and now called Joint Commission.) in 1951.
It was 97 years that the surgeons worked to enhance quality and safety in
hospitals with the "Minimum Standard for Hospitals."
Failing to implement a law timely is not much better than defeating it.
Enough time has passed.
My recommendation is that everyone call or write their representatives and
senators and Congress and ask them to move this along. Nothing like a
little heat in an election year to move an issue.
ITEM TWO: Louisiana news - Alan Levine of Florida chosen by Gov- Elect
Bobby Jindal to be Department of Health and Hospitals Secretary (DHH)
Secretary
Broward Health President and Chief Executive Officer Alan Levine will serve
as secretary of the Department of Health and Hospitals for Louisiana.
See more information at:
http://www.katc.com/Global/story.asp?S=7595521
http://www.nola.com/news/index.ssf/2008/01/
jindal_names_state_healthcare.html
http://www.bizjournals.com/southflorida/stories/2008/01/07/daily22.html
I am very excited about Bobby Jindal becoming our new governor on Monday,
January 14.
ITEM THREE: Dr. Ben Sachs New Tulane SVP and Dean of the Tulane School of
Medicine announces medical training and simulation center
Dr. Sachs, formerly of Harvard, plans to innovate medical education at
Tulane by developing a medical training and simulation center that will
rival the top two or three such facilities in the country.
He already has five millions dollars of funding.
See more news at:
http://tulane.edu/news/newwave/121407_medschool.cfm
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4200/is_20071210/ai_n21154988
Dr. Sachs will conduct Tulane surgical grand rounds tomorrow and discuss the
simulation center and crew resource management.
Dr. Doug Slakey, Chair of Tulane Surgery, has invited me to conduct grand
rounds next Wednesday. My topic will be Patient Safety - A Systems
Approach.
ITEM FOUR: Patient Safety Meetings Coming Up
A) LUCIAN LEAPE INSTITUTE INAUGURAL GALA in Boston February 8, 2008
More information at: www.npsf.org/LLI
B) National Patient Safety Foundation Annual Patient Safety Congress in
Nashville, TN on May 15-16.
Theme: CONNECT. COMMUNICATE. COMMIT.
More details at www.npsf.org
LAGNIAPPE: LSU football is now number one in USA and the BOOK!
My wife Robin, an Ohio State University graduate in dietetics and then in
law, finally understood that LSU is #1 in USA as LSU beat OSU in the BCS
title game 38-24 last night.
I even had to stopping writing the final chapters of my book on leadership
to watch that exciting game with Robin!
By the way, I will let you know exactly when the book will be in
the bookstores. Present plan is August of 2008. Soon the entire manuscript
and the photos will be in publisher's office. Any creative ideas you have
on marketing of the book and spreading the word about it, please let me know
and I will share with publisher.
Happy New Year! The best of health and success in the year ahead.
Stay well,
Donald
(This DJP Update goes to 1650 leaders in Medicine representing all of the
State Medical Associations and over 100 Specialty Societies plus some other
friends
You can share it with your members and it has the potential to reach 800,000
physicians.
To join the list, send me an email stating "Join DJP Update"
To get off the list, state "Remove DJP Update".)
Donald J. Palmisano, MD, JD
Intrepid Resources / The Medical Risk Manager Company
5000 West Esplanade Ave., #432
Metairie, LA 70006
504-455-4895 office
504-455-9392 fax
312-560-0180 cell
DJP@intrepidresources.com
www.intrepidresources.com
|