Multimillion Dollar Grant Awarded to Sutter Health to Further Improve Patient Care

SACRAMENTO, Calif., May 6 /PRNewswire/ -- The Betty Irene Moore Nursing Initiative of the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation has awarded the not-for-profit Sutter Health network a third multimillion-dollar grant for further expansion of its patient safety programs through the development of best practices in patient care.

Beyond the Foundation's $3.6 million grant, Sutter Health committed an additional $7.2 million, bringing the total funds dedicated to further advancing clinical quality and patient safety to more than $10 million over the next two years.

"Our desire is to change the fundamental approach to the culture of care we provide our patients on a daily basis. Sutter's ongoing partnership with the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation allows us to study the effectiveness of these changes, as well as the improvement in patient care," said John Mesic, M.D., chief medical officer and vice president of Integrated Quality Services for the Sutter Health Sacramento Sierra Region.

The latest grant and matching funds will focus on quality improvement in two specific clinical areas and by implementing ongoing staff education to ensure that every patient receives the right care, at the right time, and in the right location.

• Through the grant, Sutter Health will implement new approaches to reduce the incidence and mortality rates of severe sepsis and septic shock. These are serious conditions that spread through the bloodstream and can lead to organ failure and death. 
• The grant and matching funds also will support programs to reduce the number of patients experiencing  hypo and hyperglycemic episodes (significant fluctuations in blood sugar) and improve the number of patients maintaining blood glucose within normal ranges.
• In addition to clinical goals, the grant will further implement quality improvement programs to support RN leadership and development and foster improved communication among medical personnel, administration and patients.

The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation previously awarded the Sutter Health network nearly $8.3 million to expand and develop model patient safety programs in six of its Bay Area hospitals. This latest grant expands Sutter Health and the Foundation's partnership to include hospitals in the greater Sacramento region.

"The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation is pleased to be supporting Sutter Health for these  important initiatives, which will make a significant and positive impact on the lives of patients and their families," said Marybeth Sharpe, Betty Irene Moore Nursing Initiative Program Director. "We congratulate the Sutter Health Sacramento Sierra Region hospitals on implementing evidence-based practices for identification and treatment of two significant disease processes and implementing foundational initiatives to accelerate these and future clinical improvements. We also congratulate Sutter Health for recognizing the critical role of the frontline nurses and other clinicians in this effort."

Sutter Health has long focused on quality improvements and patient safety and the factors that contribute to safe medical outcomes. The network invests in patient-oriented information technology, such as medication bar coding, the electronic intensive care unit and the electronic health record.

"We want every single patient's care – whether it takes place in one of our hospitals, a physician's office, over the telephone or in the patient's home – to be the absolute best," added Dr. Mesic. "Our talented team of professionals is prepared to make this happen."

About Sutter Health

Serving patients and their families in more than 100 Northern California cities and towns, Sutter Health doctors, not-for-profit hospitals and other health care service providers share resources and expertise to advance health care quality and access. The Sutter Medical Network includes many of California's top-performing, highest quality physician organizations as measured annually by the Integrated Healthcare Association. Sutter-affiliated hospitals are regional leaders in cardiac care, women's and children's services, cancer care, orthopedics and advanced patient safety technology.

For more information about the not-for-profit Sutter Health network, please visit

www.SutterHealth.org | www.Facebook.com/SutterHealth | www.YouTube.com/SutterHealth

About the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation

The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, established in 2000, seeks to advance environmental conservation and scientific research around the world and improve the quality of life in the San Francisco Bay Area. In 2003, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation established the Betty Irene Moore Nursing Initiative to improve nursing-related patient outcomes in adult acute care hospitals in five San Francisco Bay Area counties ( Alameda, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo and Santa Clara). In 2007, the Betty Irene Moore Nursing Initiative expanded to five Greater Sacramento counties (Amador, Nevada, Placer, Sacramento and Yolo). For more information, visit www.moore.org.

SOURCE Sutter Health