Maryland’s Patient Safety Center: A Model for States & Physicians

Michael Preston, JD, executive director of the Maryland State Medical Society (MedChi), gave an overview of the Maryland’s Patient Safety Center. He said that the Center was established by organized business, government, and others in response to the IOM report. Created by legislation, the center is a private entity but operates under state designation. Its mission is to bring health care providers together to learn the causes of unsafe practices by focusing on education/training, collaboration, adverse event reporting, research, and special projects. He said that this initiative is unique in that there is no sustainable source of funding, even though the Center is recognized in law. The Center had to go “out to bid” for funding. MedChi did not bid but supported approval of the center and pledged physician support. Mr. Preston noted that the Center is a recipient of the John Eisenberg Patient Safety Quality Award. He said that the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) collaborative, the first in a series of collaboratives to promote a culture of safety, had 82% participation by Maryland hospitals ICU’s and resulted in reducing blood stream infection by 36% and ventilation associated pneumonia by 20%. Emergency Care is to be the second collaborative. Mr. Preston said that the challenge for physicians is to move this model out of the hospital to the ambulatory care settings.

*Mr. Preston has since resigned from his position at MedChi.

View the PowerPoint Presentation.