Two Patient Safety Liaisons Hired in Northeastern and Central Pennsylvania

The positions expand the educational patient safety consulting program begun by the Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority in 2008

HARRISBURG, Pa., July 3, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority has hired two Patient Safety Liaisons (PSLs) for the Northeast and Central regions to serve as educational patient safety consultants to healthcare facilities that submit reports through the Pennsylvania Patient Safety Reporting System (PA-PSRS).

"The PSL program has flourished since it began four years ago," Fran Charney director of Educational Programs at the Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority said. "At the beginning of the program, PSLs and Patient Safety Officers (PSO) were getting to know the role of the PSL and shared thoughts and ideas on how the PSL could assist in moving patient safety even further within facilities.

"Today, more and more requests are coming in from facilities through the PSLs for patient safety improvement collaborations and other special projects that we had to expand the program to fulfill the requests," Charney added.

Charney said the Authority also recently received a $1.6 million subcontract with the Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania (HAP) through the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Hospital Engagement Network (HEN). The two-year project is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services campaign called "Partnership for Patients" that brings healthcare leaders and organizations on a state and federal level together to: 1) Keep patients from getting injured or sicker; and 2) Help patients heal without complication.

The Authority will be focusing its HEN patient safety efforts on projects in preventing wrong-site surgery, patient falls and adverse drug events. The collaborations currently have the following number of Pennsylvania facilities participating: wrong-site surgery (27), falls (82) and adverse drug events (31).

Jeff Bomboy, RN, of Wyoming, Pennsylvania and Regina Hoffman, RN, of Orwigsburg, Pennsylvania have been hired as Patient Safety Liaisons in the Northeast and Central Pennsylvania regions, respectively. The two PSLs in those regions previously have taken on broader educational and collaborative project roles to help fulfill the duties of the federal contract. 

Bomboy has worked in the healthcare industry for over 35 years, most recently he held a senior management position at Berwick Hospital Center as the director of Quality Management and Regulatory Compliance. In that role, he was responsible for the overall quality department and all regulatory activities in the acute care setting and long term care setting at the facility. In 2008, he was named non-clinical director of the year and has worked with numerous committees in Berwick Hospital Center to improve quality of care and patient safety.

Bomboy graduated from Geisinger Medical Center School of Nursing and received his Bachelor's degree in healthcare administration from St. Joseph's College in Maine.

Regina Hoffman, RN, of Orwigsburg, Pennsylvania, most recently worked at the Schuylkill Health System where she was the Patient Safety Officer and Administrative Director of Quality. In her senior management role, she oversaw the organization's safety and quality programs, including all pay-for-performance initiatives. During her tenure, Hoffman implemented the American Heart Association's "Get with the Guidelines" (GWTG) program for congestive heart failure resulting in Silver Plus and Gold Plus Achievement Awards for the health system.

Early in her career, Hoffman worked as director of Nursing for HCR Manor Care in Camp Hill, then for Pinnacle Health Skilled Nursing Facility at Seidle. She then worked for Heart of Lancaster Regional Medical Center as director of Risk Management and Patient Safety Officer before joining Schuylkill Health. She is a graduate of the Pottsville Hospital School of Nursing and is a certified Professional in Healthcare Risk Management.

"Jeff and Regina are welcome additions to the Patient Safety Liaison program," Charney said. "As the PSL program continues to expand so does the healthcare experience that the PSLs bring to the Pennsylvania healthcare facilities."

Charney added the PSLs help the Authority gain a better understanding of the patient safety issues facing patients and facilities; assist facilities with implementing Authority guidance to reduce and eliminate harmful events;  identify training needs and coordinate education and focus sessions with hospitals on a regional or individual level with other PSLs and personnel from the Authority's contractors, ECRI Institute and the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP); deliver presentations at individual hospitals, local professional societies and other interest groups regarding the Authority's role, mission and activities and foster patient safety cooperation among facilities in the region.                                                                         

SOURCE Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority