White County Medical Center, Searcy, has been selected to receive the first American Data Network Quality Grant according to President and CEO, Malcolm “Cole” Williamson. The five thousand dollar grant has been awarded in support of White County Medical Center’s community outreach program focusing on medicine reconciliation.
When patients move across care treatment settings, they are at risk for dangerous drug interactions or adverse medication events if care givers do not have a clear picture of the patients’ medicine regimens. According to the Institute for Healthcare Improvement website, poor communication of medical information through the healthcare continuum is responsible for approximately 50 percent of all medication errors and 20 percent of adverse drug events. Reconciliation is the act of compiling the most accurate and complete list of medications, by comparing a patient’s current list of prescriptions to the physician’s admit, transfer, and discharge orders.
The goals of White County’s program are to involve the patient in the reconciliation process, improve patients’ understanding of current medication regimens, and encourage them to share the list with all healthcare providers. Systematic collection and clear communication of an accurate patient medication list is essential to ensuring a culture of patient safety. White County Medical Center believes community involvement is crucial thus will conduct free workshops to educate the general population on the importance of a complete personal medication record; and hospital clinicians will donate their time to distribute wallet cards, assist with the documentation, and describe the patient’s role in medication safety.
“Continuous improvement of quality patient care is a mission of our organization”, Ray Montgomery, White County Medical Center President and CEO, said “and receiving this grant from American Data Network will expand our reach into the community. We are proud to be chosen and I applaud our team on developing an outstanding program worthy of selection.”
For more information, contact Sherry Bird or Stephanie Iorio or visit http://www.americandatanetwork.com/
ABOUT AMERICAN DATA NETWORK. American Data Network (ADN) was established in 1994 with one mission in mind: to provide healthcare professionals with current, actionable information needed to maximize hospital operating efficiencies, improve the quality of patient care, and support strategic business decisions. Since its inception ADN has worked with healthcare professionals across Arkansas, providing data systems that aid in the identification, measurement, and prioritization of performance improvement processes. With our mission in mind, ADN has established an annual grant intended to forward initiatives designed to improve the healthcare of Arkansans.
