Maryland Patient Safety Center Names University of Maryland Baltimore Washington Medical Center as Top Minogue Award Winner for 2020
The Maryland Patient Safety Center recently announced that University of Maryland Baltimore Washington Medical Center (UM BWMC) is the Minogue Award winner for the 2020 Minogue Awards for Patient Safety Innovation. The award-winning program was entitled Implementation of a Critical Care Outreach Program.
Each year, the Maryland Patient Safety Center seeks patient safety solutions from healthcare organizations. Ten awards are given with the Minogue Award for Patient Safety Innovation being recognized as the top award.
UM BWMC submitted a project that addressed the current paradigm of critical illness. The critical care team typically cares for patients shortly before transfer to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), when a rapid response team is activated on admitted patients and during the ICU stay. Each year more patients survive ICU admissions resulting in new conditions, increased morbidity and new healthcare needs. The critical care team at UM BWMC sought to improve patient outcomes by strategically utilizing the expertise of the inter-disciplinary Critical Care team to improve prevention and early recognition of organ failure, intervening early for critical illness, and improving timely care delivery and post-ICU care.
Utilizing Lean Six Sigma methodology and a staffing model that included a partnership with a dedicated critical care nurse and a critical care physician, UM BWMC was able to decrease cardiac arrests by 86.2% per 1,000 patient days. In addition, they were able to decrease the number of cases requiring central line placements, successfully abolishing central line infections and reducing MRSA blood stream infections. Pulmonary related potentially preventable complications were decreased by 50% and respiratory patient safety indicator rates dropped by 74%.
The Minogue Awards were selected by a panel of independent judges who are leaders in the Maryland healthcare community. The award winners have been presented with their award by Maryland Patient Safety Center leadership and will be recognized at the 16th Annual Maryland Patient Safety Conference, which will be held virtually on September 9, 2020.
"With over 70 submissions to choose from, we know that healthcare organizations here in Maryland are some of the most forward thinking throughout the country," said Blair Eig, MD, President and CEO of the Maryland Patient Safety Center. "We are proud to recognize all participants for their attention, innovation, and commitment to addressing some of the most pertinent and complex issues penetrating patient safety today. Congratulations to the winners on their successful contributions to our mission of making healthcare in Maryland the safest in the nation."
"We are honored that the Maryland Patient Safety Center selected UM BWMC as the 2020 Minogue Award winner," said UM BWMC President and CEO Karen E. Olscamp. "Patient safety is the most important aspect of providing care and our dedicated staff members are to be commended for their attention, innovation and commitment that leads to positive results for our patients."
Named for the Maryland Patient Safety Center's first President and Executive Director, William Minogue, MD, FACP, to honor his enduring contributions to and passion for improving patient care and safety, The Minogue Awards were created by the Center Board of Directors to recognize organizations within the state that have made a demonstrable difference in patient safety through an innovative solution.
The Maryland Patient Safety Center brings together healthcare organizations and providers to improve patient safety and healthcare quality for all Marylanders. The goal of the Center is to make healthcare in Maryland the safest in the nation by focusing on the systems of care, reducing the occurrence of adverse events and improving the culture of patient safety at Maryland healthcare facilities. For more information, visit www.marylandpatientsafetycenter.org.