OAHHS Fall/Winter 2018

5 When it comes to improving hospital quality and safety, two neighbors have decided that the best way to put patients first is to work together. Leaders of the Washington State Hospital Association (WSHA) and the Oregon Association of Hospitals and Health Systems (OAHHS) have established a partnership to create a single quality and patient safety program for all 169 hospitals and health systems in the two states. “This is about patient first, hands down,” said Andy Davidson, OAHHS president and CEO. When Quality Committee members agreed to go outside Oregon for collaboration on guiding this work into the future, it was natural to look north. “WSHA is one of the best at what they do in the U.S.” The Northwest Safety and Quality Partnership will target 21 specific initiatives, including reducing opioid use and dependence, reducing avoidable hospital readmissions, and improving patient and family engagement. The goal is to make health care safer and more effective for both patients and caregivers. An established leader in the field, WSHA’s patient safety work has prevented more than 7,700 adverse events in the last two years, saving more than $100 million. Hospital leaders in Oregon will pool resources with WSHA on issues like reducing infections, including those acquired in the hospital. “A big area of progress (in Washington) is in C. Diff and other infections,” said Jessica Symank, WSHA’s senior director of safety & quality partnerships. “Since one of the big causes of C. Diff is antibiotics overuse, we are working to make sure antibiotics are being used appropriately.” WSHA data also shows the prevention of nearly 1,200 cases of sepsis and septic shock, 900 cases of catheter-associated urinary tract infections, and 250 cases of central-line infections. WSHA has also begun a patient blood management program, the first of its kind in the country. The goal is to make sure transfusions are appropriate, to help patients and eliminate wasteful spending. Symank said that working to prevent adverse outcomes to avoid a longer length of stay has wide ranging impact in addition to the cost savings. “It’s not just the patients but the family members who have to deal with the aftermath. We are trying to prevent family members from more lost time at work and other extra costs to patients and families.” In addition to sharing the resources of WSHA and OAHHS, Davidson said he’s most excited about two aspects of the partnership: shared governance, and the transparency of data. When members engage their boards to make both happen, “all boats will rise,” he said. “The bar goes even higher if we succeed in this work.” The partnership will create a single set of services, programs, and learning collaboratives for members in both states. In Oregon, site visits to identify areas of program work have already begun. The single governance model means results will be accountable to the Boards of Trustees of both WSHA and OAHHS. A patient safety and quality committee representing both associations will oversee the partnership’s work. Both states have already begun an enhanced focus on care team safety and wellness. The OAHHS has launched its Workplace Violence Prevention toolkit, and WSHA has said it will engage members on the issue of care team burnout. “We have not given that the attention that it needs,” said Symank. “We want to make sure our care teams are cared for. If they are not having a good experience on the job, that trickles down to the patients.” The partnership already has broad support in both states. They believe that on the critical issue of quality and patient safety, the whole will be greater than the sum of its parts.  H By Dave Northfield A NATURAL PARTNERSHIP COMBINES NORTHWEST EXPERTISE TO PUT PATIENTS FIRST Fall/Winter 2018