Safety stories, celebrations, and snacks abounded during Patient Safety Week 2019 at PAH. This year’s theme was “Get Your Backstage Pass: A Look at Patient Safety from Behind the Scenes,” and both clinical and non-clinical teams across the hospital got their creative juices flowing as they put together educational displays, interactive walkthroughs, and engaging presentations highlighting their quality and safety improvement projects, innovative harm prevention strategies, and patient safety success stories.
PAH leaders also got into the behind-the-scenes spirit and provided a glimpse of what’s coming next for PAH’s culture of safety as the hospital gradually adopts a Fair and Just Culture. “Through the week’s events, we were able to hear more about what our culture of safety means to staff, and what efforts are underway at all levels,” said performance improvement analyst Elizabeth Wentzel, BSN, RN, ONC. “We hope that this is just the beginning of ongoing conversations and actions around patient safety.”
All of the displays were fantastic, prompting one member of the Patient Family Advisory Council to note, “Viewing the displays and receiving the briefings reinforced my belief that PAH is a wonderful hospital with amazing and dedicated professionals!” Ultimately five teams received awards at the Quality and Patient Safety Nominee Recognition ceremony. Congratulations to the Pharmacy team for earning Best Theme and Display, Perianesthesia for receiving Judges’ Choice, the Women’s Division for winning Most Enhancement to Safe Practices Through Innovation, 5 Cathcart for showing the Most Demonstrated Outcomes, and Materials Management for demonstrating the Most Interdepartmental Collaboration.
Thank you to all of the display-creators, judges, and participating staff — your support and commitment ensures PAH will continue to deliver high quality, safe care to every patient, every time!
Patient Safety Week by the Numbers
350 Munchkin donuts were eaten by night-shift staff as they enjoyed a virtual tour of the fair displays
250 Near Miss Awareness Packs were given out to staff during Near Miss Monday Roundings
97 event managers at all levels went through the new Penn Medicine Safety Net Training
77 staff received continuing education credits for attending the Patient Safety Symposium
10 judges from units and committees across the hospital worked together to choose the display winners
2 escape rooms were hosted by the Women’s Division and helped staff apply knowledge in a fun way
1 Good Catch Program was launched online so staff can nominate colleagues who prevent patient harm