South Carolina Hospitals Earn Record Number of Zero Harm Awards and Continue to Make Strides in Eliminating Medical Errors
COLUMBIA, S.C., Nov. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The South Carolina Hospital Association (SCHA) is excited to announce that 46 hospitals won a total of 172 Zero Harm Awards in 2018, setting a new standard for quality of care in our state.
When SCHA launched the Zero Harm Awards in 2013, our member hospitals were already on the forefront of preventing medical errors, which by some estimates is the third leading cause of death in the United States, with an economic impact that could reach $1 trillion annually. Thanks to a collaboration with The Duke Endowment and The Joint Commission Center for Transforming Health, South Carolina hospitals have united in a statewide effort to create a culture of high reliability and reduce harm in our facilities by implementing robust, evidence-based practices that are positively impacting patients and the safety and quality of care.
Over the last five years, SCHA's Zero Harm Awards has provided concrete proof of our hospitals' success. By celebrating hospitals who have had extended harm-free stretches in major surgical areas like knee replacements, hip replacements, colon surgery, and abdominal hysterectomy, or gone months without a Central Line-Associated Blood Stream Infection (CLABSI), the Zero Harm Awards showcase the high quality of care patients in South Carolina receive. All hospital data used for these awards is also independently verified by the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, ensuring accuracy and transparency in these recognitions.
In 2018, SCHA introduced two new eligible harm areas for awards, Clostridium Difficile (C.Diff) and Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), two other common areas of infection which our hospitals have been systematically eliminating inside their walls.
According to Thornton Kirby, President and CEO of SCHA, the awards are all part of the Association's efforts to guide and support the state's hospitals in creating a culture of "Zero Harm" by recognizing the efforts of the amazing clinicians who work everyday to provide high quality care in South Carolina's hospitals and health systems.
"Zero Harm is about taking the principles of high reliability and applying them to how we deliver healthcare in South Carolina," said Kirby. "While one medical error is one too many, highly reliable organizations celebrate milestones to establish a new standard -- and that's exactly what we're trying to do with Zero Harm."
For a list of winners and to learn more, please visit www.sczeroharm.com.
About the South Carolina Hospital Association
Founded in 1921, the South Carolina Hospital Association (SCHA) is the leadership organization and principal advocate for the state's hospitals and healthcare systems. Based in Columbia, SCHA works with its members to improve access, quality, and cost-effectiveness of health care for all South Carolinians. The state's hospitals and healthcare systems employ more than 70,000 persons statewide. Learn more about SCHA at www.scha.org.
Media Contact: Schipp Ames
Title: Vice President, Communications, Education and Member Services
Phone: 803.744.3543
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SOURCE SC Hospital Association
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