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Saving Lives
The initial goal was 100,000 lives.
But when U.S. hospitals saved more than 120,000 lives during the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) 100,000 Lives campaign, the IHI aimed higher. A new campaign, 5 Million Lives, asks hospitals to protect patients from 5 million incidents of medical harm over the next two years.
“There’s always a small chance things will go wrong,” said Geoffrey Lamb, MD, Medical College of Wisconsin internist and associate director of the Joint Quality Office at Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin. “Rather than trusting to luck, we’ve layered on systems to reduce adverse occurrences.”
After a successful 100,000 Lives campaign, the hospital is tackling six new interventions: prevent harm from high-alert medications (such as narcotics and insulin), reduce surgical complications, prevent pressure ulcers, reduce hospital-acquired infections, deliver reliable, evidence-based care for congestive heart failure and get hospital board members more actively involved in promoting safe practices.
“We’re passionate about doing the right thing,” said Cathy Buck, RN, executive vice president of Operations for the hospital. “I’m convinced we’ll be successful.”
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