ACPE Announces Support for NAHQ's "Call to Action"

TAMPA, Fla., Oct. 19, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The American College of Physician Executives (ACPE), which represents nearly 11,000 high-level physician leaders in all types of health care organizations across the U.S., today announced its support for the recommendations presented in a new report by the National Association for Healthcare Quality (NAHQ) on improving the quality of care in America by changing the culture of safety.

ACPE was one of several institutions that collaborated with the NAHQ to create the report, titled "Call to Action: Safeguarding the Integrity of Healthcare Quality and Safety Systems." The goal is to enhance overall care, strengthen patient safety protection and minimize costly medical errors by creating a culture where all members of the clinical staff feel empowered to report concerns about potential risks and adverse events.

"We will never achieve long-term, meaningful change in health care if we do not continue strengthening our safety culture," said Dr. Peter Angood, ACPE's CEO. "As the Call to Action illustrates, we must encourage deeper levels of accountability to all members of the clinical team and across all levels of the systems in which they work, so that patients' needs are met and continually improved in terms of safety, quality and reliability."   

Two longtime ACPE members contributed to the report's detailed recommendations for improving best practices to enhance quality, improve ongoing safety reporting and protect staff. Jan Patterson, MD, MS, CPE, and Burdett Porter, MD, MMM, CPE, joined representatives from a variety of organizations, including the National Patient Safety Foundation and The Joint Commission.

Among the recommendations provided in the Call to Action:

• Create a focus on accountability for quality and safety as part of a strong and just culture.
• Ensure protective structures are in place to encourage reporting of quality and safety concerns.
• Ensure comprehensive, transparent, accurate data collection and reporting to internal and external oversight bodies.
• Ensure effective responses to quality and safety concerns.
• Foster teamwork and open communication and ensure effective oversight.

To learn more or to read the report, visit www.NAHQ.org. To learn more about ACPE, visit www.ACPE.org.

Contact: Carrie Johnson, ACPE manager of public relations
[email protected]
813-636-2807

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SOURCE The American College of Physician Executives