February 2, 2005
UW Medicine joins national campaign to ensure patient safety in hospitals
UW Medical Center (UWMC) and Harborview Medical Center (HMC), the two hospitals of UW Medicine, are joining a national campaign to continue to improve patient safety.
The Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI), a collaborative effort of thousands of health-care providers, has launched the “100,000 Lives Campaign” which aims to enlist thousands of hospitals across the country in a commitment to implement changes in care that have been shown to enhance patient safety and prevent avoidable deaths. The Institute of Medicine estimates that as many as 98,000 people die each year in U.S. hospitals due to medical injuries.
“We are pleased and excited to be participating in this campaign to ensure that hospitals achieve the best possible outcomes for all patients,” said Dr. Ed Walker, medical director of UWMC.
“This is the right thing to do for patients,” said Dr. Scott Barnhart, medical director at HMC.
UWMC recently launched its Center for Clinical Excellence, which integrates the resources, data and expertise to improve quality and patient safety throughout the hospital. The Center will be responsible for making sure that UWMC meets and exceeds performance standards for patient safety.
Joining IHI in endorsing this campaign are such groups as the Washington State Hospital Association (WSHA), American Medical Association (AMA), The American Nurses Association (ANA), and the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO).
For more information about the campaign’s patient safety improvement techniques and the 100,000 Lives Campaign, visit http://www.ihi.org
About UW Medicine
UW Medicine includes the School of Medicine, UW Medical Center, Harborview Medical Center, UW Medicine Neighborhood Clinics, and the UW’s involvement in the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance. UW Medicine has major academic and service affiliations with Children’s Hospital and Regional Medical Center, the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and the Veteran’s Affairs Medical Centers in Seattle and Boise. Consistently among the top five recipients of federal funding for biomedical research, the School of Medicine has among its more than 1,700 regular faculty four Nobel Laureates, 25 members of the National Academy of Sciences and 26 members of the Institute of Medicine. For more information about UW Medicine, visit http://www.uwmedicine.org
