FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE/October 6, 1997 CONTACT: Dawn Marks [202/651-7198]; Joan Meehan [202/651-7020] MEDIA ADVISORYANA Joins Other National Health Care Organizations in New Patient Safety PartnershipCoalition Supports ANA's Work on Safety and QualityWASHINGTON, D.C. -- The American Nurses Association (ANA) today joined other national health care leaders in forming a partnership to focus on patient safety -- the National Patient Safety Partnership. Two of the key goals of this newly created public-private partnership are to reduce the incidence of medical care errors as well as to plan a national summit on patient safety. "The American Nurses Association appreciates the opportunity to join together with other national health care leaders in this partnership effort to improve the quality of care, and more importantly, the overall safety of care provided within our health care system today," said Cheryl Peterson, MSN, RN, assistant director, federal government relations. A priority since 1994, the American Nurses Association has mounted Nursing's Safety and Quality Initiative, which focuses on educating the public and policy makers about changes in health care that impact the safety and quality of that care. This initiative was prompted by staff nurses voicing concerns about the rapid restructuring of the health care delivery system without adequate data or knowledge about the impact that such restructuring would have on the safety and quality of patient care, as well as its impact on the safety and health of frontline providers. One of the most pervasive and disturbing trends is the replacement of registered nurses with minimally-trained unlicensed assistive personnel. "ANA views this public-private partnership as another avenue in which to address the systemic problems that have contributed to an increase in medical errors and compromised patient care," said Peterson. "By working together and honestly grappling with the concerns of frontline health care providers we can improve the quality of care while maintaining a cost-effective health care system." Part of ANA's safety and quality initiative includes the collection and measurement of data to further demonstrate the link between RN care and positive patient outcomes, such as reduced mortality, morbidity, complication, and readmission rates -- which ultimately means lower costs. Another part of the initiative is ANA's introduction of seven quality indicators that link nurse staffing and higher RN skill mix to better patient care outcomes. ANA is currently piloting the implementation of these indicators in several states. In addition, ANA lobbied vigorously for the introduction of The Patient Safety Act of 1997, a bill introduced by Rep. Maurice Hinchey (D-NY), intended to make hospitals accountable to the consumer for their staffing decisions. The bill mandates public disclosure by hospitals of staffing levels and patient outcome data, calls for "whistle blower" protection for nurses who speak out on behalf of patient care issues, and requires Department of Health and Human Services review of proposed mergers and acquisitions to determine the impact on the health of the community. Similar legislation has been introduced in several state legislatures. In addition to ANA, the groups involved in forming this partnership include the U. S. Department of Veterans Affairs; the National Patient Safety Foundation of the American Medical Association; the American Hospital Association; the Institute for Healthcare Improvement; the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations; and the Association of American Medical Colleges. The American Nurses Association is the only full-service professional organization representing the nation's 2.6 million Registered Nurses through its 53 constituent associations. ANA advances the nursing profession by fostering high standards of nursing practice, promoting the economic and general welfare of nurses in the work place, projecting a positive and realistic view of nursing, and lobbying the Congress and regulatory agencies on health care issues affecting nurses and the public.
|
