Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety Announces Formation of Safety Checklist Group for VTE Patient Safety

CHICAGO, Oct. 3, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety (PPAHS) today announced the formation of a group of renowned health experts to assist in the development of a safety checklist targeting the prevention of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in maternal patients (antepartum, intrapartum, and postpartum).

"For pregnant women, the risk of VTE is 4-5 times higher than women who are not pregnant," says Dr. Andra James (Professor of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine, University of Virginia School of Medicine). "Moreover, this risk is at least twice as much following cesarean delivery."

To help address this patient safety issue, PPAHS has brought together the following individuals to assist in the development of a succinct checklist targeting VTE for maternal patients:

• Rose Mary Ainsworth, RN, MSN (Mother/Baby Unit, Huntsville Hospital for Women and Children)
• Richard Berkowitz, MD (Quality Assurance Director, Columbia University Medical Center)
• William M. Callaghan, MD, MPH (Chief, Maternal & Infant Health Branch, Division of Reproductive Health National Center, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• Peter Cherouny, MD (Lead Faculty, Perinatal Community, Institute for Healthcare Improvement)
• Steven Clark, MD (Medical Director, Women & Newborns Clinical Services, Hospital Corporation of America)
• Michele G. Curtis, MD, MPH, MML (CeeShell Consulting; editor of "Glass' Office Gynecology")
• Raiyomand Dalal, FRANZCOG, MD, DNB, FCPS, DGO, DFP, MNAMS (Senior Lecturer, School of Medicine, University of Western Sydney, Australia)
• Mary D'Alton, MD (Chair, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Columbia University Medical Center)
• Lisa J. Enslow, MSN, RN-BC (Nurse Educator, Women's Health and Ambulatory Care Services, Hartford Hospital)
• Frank Federico, RPh (Patient Safety Advisory Group, The Joint Commission, Executive Director, Institute for Healthcare Improvement)
• Sue Gullo, MS, RN (Director, Perinatal Improvement Community, Institute for Healthcare Improvement)
• Roy Jackson, MD, B.Sc., MB.BCh., F.R.C.S. (Southern Health Centre, Vancouver, Canada)
• Andra James, MD (John M. Nokes Professor of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, University of Virginia)
• Betty Janey (Project Manager, Perinatal Community, Institute for Healthcare Improvement)
• Deborah Karsnitz, DNP, CNM, FACNM (Nurse Educator, Frontier Nursing University)
• John Keats, MD (President and Medical Director, California HealthFirst Physicians; member, ACOG's Patient Safety & Quality Improvement Committee)
• Colleen Lee MS, RN (Maternal/Perinatal Patient Safety Officer, Montefiore Medical Center)
• Michael Paidas, MD (Co-Director, Yale Women and Children's Center for Blood Disorders, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Yale University School of Medicine)
• Jody Paxton (Coordinator, Statewide Intensive Care Clinical Network, Department of Health, Queensland, Australia)
• Janet N. Press, RNC, MS, CT (Perinatal/Obstetrical Coordinator, C.N.Y. Regional Perinatal Program, Perinatal Bereavement Services Coordinator, Crouse Hospital)
• Peter Pronovost, MD, PhD, FCCM (Professor, Depts. of Anesthesiology/Critical Care Medicine & Surgery, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine)
• Richard Smiley, MD (Chief, Obstetric Anesthesia, Columbia University Medical Center)

Michael Wong, JD, founder and executive director of the Physician-Patient Alliance, said, "We are very pleased that such a well-respected body of individuals will be assisting in the development of the safety checklist targeting the prevention of VTE in maternal patients."

Titles and organizations with whom these individuals are affiliated have been identified for informational purposes only, and should not be construed as an endorsement of or support by such organization to PPAHS or the viewpoints communicated by the these individuals.

About PPAHS

The Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety (PPAHS) is an advocacy group devoted to improving patient health and safety. PPAHS supporters include physicians, patients, individuals, and organizations. For information can be found at www.ppahs.org

PPAHS recently released a concise checklist that reminds caregivers of the essential steps needed to be taken to initiate Patient-Controlled Analgesia (PCA) with a patient and to continue to assess that patient's use of PCA. For a free download of the PCA safety checklist, please visit http://www.ppahs.org

In addition, PPAHS is developing a checklist targeting venous thromboembolism (commonly referred to as blood clots) for women having cesarean and vaginal delivery, and the extension of prophylaxis post discharge; for more on this initiative, please see http://ppahs.org/2013/05/02/preventing-death-following-cesarean-delivery/

SOURCE Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety (PPAHS)